Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-20
,shing Drinks for Gala Occasions or
EAR MISS DIX: My wife and
I have been married nearly
IS years. We are very de-

- GA1t LILA. MY VILE dIlu
I have been married nearly
j IS years. We are very de-
~ voted to each other. We have
three children and I make a good
salary. We should be very happy
except that my mother makes our
home miserable She tried to separate
my wife and myself by telling each
one of us tales on. the other. That
didn't work, so now she spends her
time just making things disagreeable.
She never leaves us alone and she
registers disgust when I show my wife
any affection. We can never go out
without having her along in the car.
She finds fault with everything and
nags the children to distraction. My
wife is patience itself with my mother,
but she has got on my nerves so that
/ feel that I cannot stand it any
longer. What shall I do? A SON.
Answer-There is just one intelli-
gent thing to do under the circum-
stances, and that is to put the mother
TO live in a comfortable boarding
house. The greatest good to the
greatest number is the only just law
OF life, and there is no reason whv
the happiness and well-being OF a
whole family group should be wrecked
by one peevish and malevolent old
woman.
PROBABLY your mother will also be
happier in a boarding house than
she is with you because she will have
new things to interest and amuse her
and being among strangers her pride
will force her TO control herself and
behave herself decentIy.
In other and less practical days we
used to feel that we had to live with
our relatives, no matter how disagree
able they were or row much thew
poisoned life for us, but, thank heaven,
We have more intelligence now and we
have come to see that the wise thing
is to part from those with whom we
cannot get along in peace. Nothing
does more to further human happiness
than the breaking up of disgruntled
families.
Because people bear children IL
does not follow that they understand
them or are congenial with them.
There are brothers and sisters who
have a congenial antipathy to each
other. To force these people to live
under the same roof is to precipitate
an endless fight Separate them, and
they are able not only to see the good
in each other, but to really grow fond
Of each other.
n
OF course. when an old mother or an
old father is the disturbing factor
in household. it is a difficult problem
to deal with because of their children's
sense of duty to their parents, their
pity for age and their fear of public
censure. Nevertheless, if the old per-
son is running the lives of the young
they should go to some other environ
ment.
No woman has a right to ask her
husband to live in the house with her
mother if her mother spoils the whole
atmosphere Of the home for him. No
man has right to ask his wife to live
with his mother if his mother makes
her life a burden to her with fault
finding and criticism and by saying
disagreeable things to her. And GER
tainly no one should force children TO
live with grandmother who nags and
frets at them all the time.
y
OF course, no mother should go to
live with her children if it is
possible to avoid it. She is happier