The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-11-30
Howe About:
The Mother-in
Not Soldiers Alone
Silerius and His Wives
By ED HOWE

ot LII IN w ~
TN MY town there is much amuse-
ment and gossip because Of the
manner In which shrewd old woman
Is fattening a young man, In the hope
he will marry her daughter. And In
case she is able to bring the marriage
about, every one says she will prompt
ly ditch her husband and son. and go
to live with the son-in-law. who has
every mark of being good provider
easily managed. Every woman
with daughter considers the possible
old age haven the daughters marriage
may provide; so, In selecting the can-
dldate, the mother Is often more par
ticular than the daughter. The
mother-in-law is often laughed at, but
her victories are many.
The young men who were drafted |
to serve as soldiers In the late World |
war often tell of the great sacrifices |
| they made In some instances. these
were truly great, as many were killed
and wounded.
But the soldiers should remember,
| In all fairness. the sacrifice made by
those too old or young to be drafted,
and thus escaped military service.
| There is not single inhahitant OF the
| United States who has not been great
| ly punished by the war. Millions have
lost employment formerly steady and
remunerative: other millions have lost
their fortunes. so many formerly
prominent and well-to-do have LOST ev-
ervthing that the book called "Wh0's
| Who In America" Is now referred to
| as "Who's Through In America"
Possibly more people have commit.
ted suicide because OF the depression
following the war than were killed In
battle on the American side; the mum.
Der of suicides has at least been very
great and pitiful.
Let no one suppose the suffering
and loss In the war was confined to
the soldiers. One result Is that our
once proud country Is humhled to its
knees; the once rich Americans have
become heggars. the proud people for
merly called smart Yankees have been
exposed as great and helpless ounces.
Let the old soldiers mercifully re-
member the ragged crowd OF whom
they are demanding pensions
Grotius, who wrote an introduction
to the memoirs OF Silerins. had long
been the Intimate friend Of the author.
During the most exciting days tn the
history Of Rome. and when SIlerfHs
/ was prominent Fri army and senate
Grotius was associated with him both
as soldier and statesman. though In
less distinguished positions.
Grotus says 1t was occasionally
charged against Silerius that he was
bitter toward women because he had
never known perfect and enduring
love. Remarking this criticism, Siler-
ius= once said to =Grntins II have known
the love OF five women as perfect as
exists; the sex has nothing to offer
have not known. With some dozens OF
others have had the average expert
/
tune. Women on the whole treated me
well. no one knows better their
strength or their weakness. Such crit
icism of the sex Az offer Is only this
criticism | direct at myself at al
members of the human family, In thu
~ hope that we may improve our weak
0nesses, and increase our peace and oul
comforts"
am surprised anyone ever dare
- appear on rostrum or In newspape
! columns to tell people what to dc
:, "That man tell me !" the neople say
! II can tell him." | rarely az
- wise people as to what they should d
or think: only what ! have found
best to think and do. and why
II q storm comes up, and my tree
Sc threaten to fall on the roof shelterln
" me, cannot help becoming somewhs
ID. excited, and then do the hest ! ca
OF with 1t; but storms are not frequen
ey and I try to avoid excitement when
he Is unnecessary. ! have long observe
OF the stronger men that they hand
excitement rather well; otherwise the
weaken their nerves. And nervot
people rarely have good heafh. or al
able to work to best advantage; DO
i. tors say nervousness Is one OF OF
a greatest dangers.
"a Such amiability as man is able
II acquire In middle age he should NAL
n an effort to retain In age.
81 "Crabbed age" Is an old expression
~ meaning cross GAINED. peryerse, ca
II tankerous. Long association with CT
ture should do more for an old nj
q than raw nature does for an old dog.
IL Brigham Young said he loved t
~ Lord. loved his people, loved to
good-and when he made all his WY
cry by taking another wife, called II
s# love do not know exac
i what the word means, but 1t does
( mean what ia attributed to 1t by Nj
q x,raruritorc 0r y0tIur men WI