Evening star., 1932-04-24

usual run of good times, bad times,
sickness, schooling, cooking, planning
for her family of four.
Last year she was asked to go as a
delegate from her club to Washington
to make a report on Our Elementary
Schools" Her heart gave leap Of
Joy at the mere thought, but instantly
Marian saw that she couldn't go. The
clothes and the extra expenses, even II
the club paid for tickets, and the way
things would go at home
Arthur settled days of worrying in
decision by bringing her home her
ticket from the club, some crisp, deli
cicus bills and pair of white gloves.
1t was the white gloves that broke
Marian. She sat crying like a big
baby at the dinner table with the chill
dren laughing in amazement at this
new view Of mother and Arthur wiping
his own eyeglasses at his own end Of
the table.
Then she began the ntany: "Oh,
cughtnt, but want to SO; it'll be too
delicious; but there's the laundry, and
Mary's cold, and perhaps Hannah CAM t
get the full time Off"
TN the end she went and had six days
of Springtime Washington, filed
along in line to meet the President and
saw the Monument and Mount Vernon,
and sat in for Senate session, and
met interesting women and heard in
teresting talks.
She came home made anew She
couldn't hold the children tight enough,
she couldn't thank Arthur enough He
found those green bills, those white
gloves, were money well invested.
Marian chartered, she laughed, she
seized upon neglected household duties
was so glad to get home that she never
was going to leave them again!
But Arthur, seeing this younger, pref
tier, sweeter wife than he had known
for seven or eight burdened and re-
sponsible years, made up his own mind
about that. A vacation for Marian
every year; as nice a vacation as he
could afford. If it might be Bermuda
or California some year, so much the
better. But Marian is to be thrown
out of her own house from now on, for
at least one week in the 50, without
the children, without Arthur, without
any reminder of her tired and crowded
days
Not every husband can afford the
white gloves and the new bills. But
every husband can manage to give the
woman Of the family a break now and
then.
ONE couple in the crowded big city
of Philadelphia has kept to this
arrangement for many years. Every
Friday colored woman named Henna
arrives at their apartment, and unless
there is serious sickness in the home,
mother simultaneously departs. Mother
goes downtown, has beauty treatment,
lunches with friends, plays bridge and
meets dad at for restaurant dinner
and movie. Or she goes out to friends
in the country, and dad comes after
her. Either way, she loves every hour
of her holiday, and insists that her mar
riage wouldn't have lasted without this
weekly break
Ann Dodge, one Of my "fav-rite
peri rrsons." as the youngest member
of my nursery used to say, has to do
it differently. She has three small girls,
no money, and she works In hotel as
checker" But every Summer she
and two old friends, women her own
age, take their bicycles, dress them
selves simply and comfortably, and are
of into the brimming countryside.
They stay away week. they have great
adventures, they come home with
enough laughter to last them for
months stored away. Ann told me her
self that the time never came when
she could get away easily; things al
ways complicated the last minute, 1t
always seemed impossible to desert the
girls and their father But she does it,
and I am inclined TO agree with her