Imperial Valley press., 1937-02-28
By Thekla Glenn

ended the melody fingers on
and that's the way it is about be-
ing a woman freed by law or
death from the bonds of matri-
mony.
The marriage may be dissolved
but the habit of having mate
can't be broken in day, month
or a year! And I'm not just a
newspaper scribe writing a COL
umn, as we are accused of doing,
about something I don't know
anything about. know all about
being a widow. I am one, So if
it will please the curious public
or help some lonely widow, I'll
be happy tc turn my heart inside
out for approval-or disapproval.
II you drive across country
very much you know that no de-
tour road is ever as good as the
main travelled highway. and this
is just as true in life when you
take the unaccustomed path. as
it is in journeying overland. Liv-
ing alone in this world is not the
normal, natural path.
am aware that thousands of
divorces will call down the wrath
of heaven on my head for this,
but it's true. I do not mean, how
ever, that unhappy people should
stay married or that women made
widows by death should reach for
the first proposal in sight, fear
full of living alone. What I do
mean is that being a widow is a
handicap! Is there anything ap-
palling about that? All thorough
breds face a good race handi-
capped and are glad of the chance
to come romping home with COL
ors flying.
NCE Cornelius Vanderbilt,
~ Jr., said to me, just before
one Of his marriages dissolved.
"I don't know which is the worst,
the quarreling of marriage, or
loneliness of separation" Well,
of course, the answer to that, if
you are a strong person, is that
quarreling is the worst. If you
are a sentimentalist, then loneli-
ness is the worst. It's matter
for the individual to decide.
Certainly the human heart
knows no social discrimination,
which brings us to the fact that
the problems faced by maids who
are widows are the same as those
faced by the swank inhabitant of
Park Avenue and Palm Beach.
All widows are lonely at timesi
This makes some of them too
demonstrative, thereby winning
for them the reputation of being
risque. Most women made widows
by death have reached the age
of dignity and are usually far
too sensitive about remarks made
behind their backs by their safely
married sisters.
While I'm on the subject I'd
like to explode an old threadbare
tradition. It really isn't true that
married women are jealous of
widows. If you want the unvar-
nished fact, / think that women
looking out from the security of
good solid regulations, hus-
bands encircling arm at night,
and financial stability, really feel
little sorry for their unattached
friends.
Many widows complain that
their married friends slight
them and don't ask them to par
ties because they fear for their
husbands, but this is pure tripei
If any widow rates" this kind
of treatment she should look
within herself for the trouble
not at her friends. Perhaps she
has "let herself in" for this by
being too familiar with the hus-
bands.
can hear a whole chorus say
ing now, But must we be
prudes ?" Not at all, but you don't
have to be a vampire just because
you are widow.
RRUDES l should say not.
Personally / feel that I've
seen everything but my next
birthday, and / always experience
a little wave of disgust at the
widow who pretends a naive in
nocence. Odd that the really in
experienced girls of today, who
actually know very little of life
outside of a few passionate ro-
mances, should pretend ultra
sophistication, while the widows
who should know all about life
pretend innocence.
OF course, women just entering
the path of widowhood are wait
ing for me to tell of the male
attitude toward them, and can
answer this by saying that they
may write their own ticket.
A man will think of you just
what you make him think of you
If you are SO eager for COM
panionship and fun that you let
down the bars and start drinking