The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-27
Years Don t
Change VieoU
of Marriage
BY MARTHA LEE.

A group of husbands and wives
we're having q discussion as to
whether modern wives gave as
much TO their husbands, in return
for what they received, as wives a
couple of generations ago.
I hope you notice I said discus
sion. When a husband and wife
talk over such a problem. it is very
apt TO result in an argument. Out
in a group the conversation can,
with careful handling. remain a dis
cusSion The moral being to con-
verse on such subjects in group.
where the subject matter is not
quite so apt to be taken person
ally.
Anyway, the men said, Look at
you women. You have electric
washers, electric sweepers, electric
ice boxes, automobiles, maids, hot
and cold running water by just
turning on a tap. We give you trips,
vacations, ready made clothes, more
money in a week than your grand
mothers had in a year. You can
buy our bread already baked. You
do not have to raise your own vege-
tables. What do you give us in re-
turn that equalizes the added ex-
pense we go TOP"
The Woman's Answer
To which the women answer: 1--WE
give YOU families. and still find time
to keep ourselves pretty and at
tractiye for you. We give you clean,
artistic homes. We give you regu-
lated. balanced meals, so that you
will not become too fat. We re-
lieve you Of the little extra tasks
in the home that your grandfath-
ers had to do, so that you will have
time for golf and other forms of
exercise that keep you fit. And most
important of all, we have our house
hold and family tasks regulated so
that we have time to play with
you"
And the men came back with
this wise one: But look at the
work your ancestors did. What do
you do that can hold a candle to
it?"
IF We worked like that we would
soon grow old and haggard, and
you would no longer love us. We
do just as much. only it doesn't
take as much time nor energy"
says the modern wife.
Not So Hard Yourself
"Just because our grandnothers
had to ride west in covered wag-
on is no sign We should do it, now
that there are trains to be taken
and airplanes to ride in. Besides,
you don't work as hard yourselves,
as your grandfathers did. They
titled the soil. made shoes. ground
their own meal, built their own
nuts, made and plowed their own
fields"
Which makes 1t unanimous that
neither the men nor women OF to-
day do as much hard laboriouS work
as their ancestors did, simply be-
cause it is not necessary. But it
hardly settles the question as to
whether modern wives give as much
to their husbands in return for
what they receive as wives a couple
Of generations ago.
The thing can not be solved by
comparing the number Of hours a
modern wife actually slaves in her
home and with her family, TO the
time a pioneer wife worked. Their
type of labor is different.
It's Not Changed
Surely, since it is no longer nee
eSSary for her to knead and bake
the bread, weave the cloth, haul
water by the pailful from a well
and stir the cruel over an open fire.
place, she can not be said to be Civ
ing less to her husband than her
grandmother gave. She just gives
a different kind of appreciation for
what he gives her.
And the modern husband who
gets his bread and butter in pay
envelop from the labor of selling
is giving, in his way, just the same
to his wife and family as the man
who titled and grew products, to ex-
change at market for something
his family needed.
Men and women are the same,
generation after generation. Once
in a while wife tries to pull fast
one and get all the cake and candy
out of marriage. But for the most
part they give, service for service,