The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-22
by
Husbands Is
Held Taboo
RY MARTHA LEE

get low in a group Of women there
always is that old favorite "the
double standard" to be gene over
again.
Many dull afternoon has been
frightened perceptibly by revival
of mothers and grandmother's at
titude toward the double standard.
Modern wives have e. different
| idea about the subject, to say the
least. Fifty years ago a mans phil
andering after marriage simply was
accepted as one of the trials OF
being a wife.
His little side plays were ignored
with lady-like silence. Never by
reference would a Victorian wife let
her husband know that she knew
he was being terribly masculine in
the fashion so prevalent in those
days.
Divorce Was Rarity
1t never meant that her home
would be broken up. She simply bore
with his baSer nature ana said no
more about it. Divorce was an I'M
heard of rarity, usually accompanied
with ostracisn, which women simply
never thought of.
The home remained intact re-
gardless of the philandering tend
encies of papa. He might have a
girl in every block, but that never
prevented him from presenting an.
austere and righteous face at the
times when society expected him to
be grazing the home hearth. And no
one thought thing about the fact
that he filtered about like a gay
roue in his off moments.
I Ceased Being Content
Wives these days want fairer
bargain out of the marriage contract.
They demand that their husbands
to give what they expect to receive
themselves. Fidelity on the part
of modern husbands is important in
the eyes of modern wives.
In the last fifteen years women
have learned a great deal about
mems games. They know about pol
itics, poker. business, buncombe,
craftsmanship and all the rest.
They have ceased being content
to snag a man and sit back on their
heels the rest of their lives. They
have become aware of the fact that
there are paths of intellectual at
tainment, business possibilities
which they never dreamed Of when
they were spending their whole lives
getting ready to grab a man, and
failing that, in regret because they
had not.
Loved Him Sincerely
Along with other enlightenment
is the ever growing idea that the
double standard is the bunk. That 1t
was foisted off on a bunch OF dumb
women by a bunch of fairly intelli-
gent men simply to cause less trlc-
ton in home life.
Here's what mean.
Dear Miss Iee-I have been married two
wears to a fine man some years older than
I am. ! have continued working because
I was in work that was interesting re
Gently discovered land there Is no DOUBT
about it, that he has been having an
affair with another woman.
We have always had marvellous time
together. I have loved him sincerely ana
thought he did me. I never look az
another man. because no other men IN
terest me.
If we're to do this same thing he never
would give me a second chnace The
knowledge of his inflidelity has done some
thing to my love. Why should I do some
thing for him he would not do for me?
I have left him and he is begging me to
come back What do you think?
PUZZLED.
Theory Is FallaciOus
You are the only one to make
decision. If his infidelity has killed
your love for him; do not go back.
You both would be miserable. II
you are going to hold his one mis-
take against him do not go back,
because both your lives would be
unbearable. If you do go back, you
will have to put the past perform
ance from your mind completely.
I do not believe in the double
standard. I am not one of those
who hold that a man, because he
is a man, must have an occasional
fling outside his home. have no
patience with the theory. I think
it is a man-made fallacy.
But you will have to decide |
whether you love your husband too
much to put him out of your life
because of one mistake. What he
would do under similar circum-
stances really has nothing to do with
the case.