The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-07-20


believes that a mans success in
business depends on the loyalty
and efficiency of his employees
especially his capable secretary
must agree with this writer, who
points out that the ''home wife,
often jealous and suspicious Of the
girl who works all day in her huS'
bands office, may be under a real
obligation to that very girl for
| the luxuries she enjoys as the
fruit of her husbands success.
The letter is we'll worth study
ing, for it deals dispassionately
with a situation of which there
are millions Of examples.
PROMPTED TO ANSWER
Dear Miss Fairfax:
"The discussion started in your
column by Prof, Harold ]. Smiths
definition of the perfect secretary
prompts me to answer.
I'm the first place, please LEI
me say that in my opinion Pro
fess0r Smith probably knows more
about the business requirements Of
= secretary than he does about
human nature. What modern and
intelligent woman, ask you
would give up q good job because
she is interested in her boss or vice
versa?
Suppose it Is not a case oil
elOpement. or Of the secretary
wrecking q home, or that girl
and boss do not go in for one Of
these life-Or-death love affairs
like Romeo and Juliet, with
suicide to complete Illustration.
"WeIl take this married-em
plOyer-andSingle-girl case of mu
tual attraction, which exists moi
only in the office in which j
am employed, but in the majority
Of offices all over the country
You will not deny, nor can Pro
feSSOr Smith deny, that 1t make.
things more interesting; it add.
spice to daily drudgery and
speeds up the wheels Of routine
REMAKE HUMAN NATURE
you've got to make over hui
man nature, and make it differ
emily, IL Victorian objections are
going to be raised over the in
eVitable.
"TO one case where an EN-
plOyed girl causes q divorce and
wrecks q home, there are thou
sands Of cases where the hos.
goes home to a dull wife, too SURF
Of her position to be interesting
attractive or sympathetic, and thu
girl wage.earner goes home ia
her hall bedroom, dreary flat OIL
one Of those melancholy hotel.
for ladies only.
"And why shouldn't the Dos.
like his office wife?' She knows
everything about his business, and
If she is personally interested In
him, she never counts fatigue,
overtime work, breaking persona
engagements, etc., If she can helE
him make . go Of it.
"Office wives, by their devotion
to the interests Of the boss, make
cOmfOrts-even luxuries-pOsSible
for the legal wife at home.
PAMPERED LEGAL WIFE
"The office wife is like the sail
or in the rigging-always on the
lOOkOut-while the legal wife is
like the pampered passenger in
the deck suite. She sails along
in comfort, ordering luxurious
meals and deciding what she'll
wear when she peacOcks along the
promenade deck.
Does she ever think that she
owes these things to the faithful
employee? Probably she doesn't
give her q thought, beyond re
garding her as part Of the office
machinery. If she does consider
her at all, it is with varying de
grees Of jealousy.
"The prevailing impression is
that the employed girl deliber
ately attracts her boss and kid
maps him because she recognizes
his susceptibility and weakness
as short cuts to promotion and
good times.
VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES
"The contrary is more Otter
pitifully true. The girl falls in
love with her boss because She
sees him daily, and is not in 9
position to meet other interest
ing men. She was probably 8
stranger in q strange city, wheT
she first took root, and no ONT
was interested in her. The Dos!
began to loom as the biggest
thing in her life, and she gave
him the same unSeIfish devotion
she would have given to thu
RIGHT man if he ever came
!. along.
But the right man failed II
appear-and she fell in low
with the boss. And she has 8
pretty dreary time Of it, too
Still, being in love, she wOuldnt
change.
"OFFICE WIFE"
copyright. 1895. by King Features
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