Evening star., 1935-08-31

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what you say Of q nagging
husband or wife, do you not
- overlook the very important
fact that when one makes q mistake
one should be glad and thankful for
correction? I think one should well
come the truth and that you should
show that the nagging was unjust be-
fore condemning the nagger. e. B.
Answer-You justify what I said,
that there is no way to reform naggers
because they either deny outright that
they nag or else justify their nagging
by saying that they do it for the good
Of the naggee.
Perhaps we should be glad and
thankful to have our faults called to
our attention. Most Of US are, II II
Is done tactfully and once, but 1t isn't
in human nature to enjoy having our
imperfections continually kept before
US and our weaknesses harped upon.
Faithful are the wounds Of a friend"
says an old proverb, but I have yet
to meet any one who wanted to kiss
the hand that stabbed his or her
vanity to the quick.
John HAY once said that II the
most admired and the best beloved
amongst us knew what our friends and
relatives really thought Of us, we would
die Of chagrin. That Is true, and that
is what makes the telling Of the abso-
lutte unvarnished truth social i'm
possibility. It is one Of the things that
simply can't be done. No man could
start out in the morning, tell the
exact truth to every one whom he met
during the day and have even o speak
ing acquaintance left by night.
Nor should he. For he would &C.
complish nothing except making Q
lot Of complacent and satisfied people
unhappy and discontented. What
good would it do to tell Mrs. A that
she had got too fat or Mrs. B that
she made herself ridiculous by dress
ing ike fiapper or Mrs. @ that her
children are little brats instead Of the
angels she thinks them or Mr.. D that
he smoked too much or Mr.. 4 that he
was . long-winded bore?
The truth is that truth Is converse
tional TINT and most Of us have
sense enough and discretion enough
to handle 1t with care. At least We
control our inclination to hurl bombs
at strangers and casual acquaintances.
It Is only with our friends and families
that we bang away and let the conse-
quences be as deadly as they may.
Il
IT Is only mothers who repeat the
litany Of their children,s faults to
them every day. It Is only brothers
and sisters who tell each other how
homely and stupid and lacking In every
grace and charm they are. It Is only
husbands and wives who turn the
spotlight on each others every defect.
Which explains why children get away
from home as soon as possible and
20 to live among strangers who do not
feel free to tell them what they think
Of them, and why so many people nee
to the divorce court to get q surcease
from being told the things about them
selves that they would rather die than
hear.
Now, Is I said before. no reason
able human being would object to be-
ing told Of o fault once or having sug-
gestion made to him once. It Is the
repetition that gets on our nerves. It
Is being told that you smoke too much
every time you light cigarette. It
u being reminded of what the doctor
said every time you take o piece Of
pie. It Is being warned to watch out
for the automobiles every time you
leave the house.
TT Is being reminded that you are
: running up the electric light bill
with . new novel. It II having the
coffee criticized every morning at