Imperial Valley press., 1937-02-28

a terrific rate when she starts
being ordinary and common just
to be good company.
You will grant that we're draw
ing fine lines here. The question
is how to be human = though
modest = and whats more) vir-
tuousl The answer is-diplomacy!
Repartee.
Much has been written about
widows not having as many
chances to marry as people think,
and about how lonely they are.
Considering the number of men
in this world who are really
grand persons and good sports,
there is only one answer to this
one and that is that any woman
who is lonely must be responsible
for it herself.
Any woman who will keep her.
self attractive, keep well posted
on affairs of the world. and be
able to ride, swim, play golf or
pilot a plane Tor anything inter-
esting) should have plenty of men
around her at all times, and I'll
gamble she will be able to marry
almost at any moment that she
wishes.
What few new widows realize
especially those who have been
freed by law is that the habit
of having some one around when
the shadows of evening fall is
going to bring them the most
pain and misery.
Dusk comes inevitably, and
with it the burning logs in a
lonely house or apartment. There
is that vague emptiness, that ach-
ing void, the need of something
there is not, that will drive any
sensitive soul almost insane with
longing for something or some
one comforting
THERE is no escaping this! l
know from bitter experience.
Once I moved into a newspaper
club where nine writer's, most of
them men. kept things going at
great speed, and the yarns spun
around fireplaces of strange lands
and adventurous experiences were
many and interesting. Our cha
teau was open house for all
travelling scribes, and many IA
nous personages were our guests
Candles were lighted every night
at dinner and the picture was
one that would have made a
grand drama with color enough
for a perfect setting.
But l was still lonelyl Once in
my own wing of the house at
night, preparing for retirement
there inevitably came that feel
ing of having no one very, very
close.
This is every widows opportu-
nifty to prove to herself that there
can be strong, silent women as
we'll as strong, silent men," and
that she can, like the soldier in a
foreign land, lift her chin, tighten
her belt, and take life in her
stride!
Easy? OF course not. Nothing
worth while comes easily! She
can ask herself if she is going
to sit down and bemoan her fate
or if she is going to make living
an adventure. She isn't going to
solve the problem by rushing to
the phone and calling up suscep-
tible males either!
She CAN solve the problem by
turning her attention to achieve
ment, to art, career, or to be-
coming a very learned individual
This is, as a matter Of fact,
her ONLY salvation. She has
(either by her own determina-
ton or by fate) lost the comfort
of human companionship in those
intimate hours of the night which
make one think of eternity, so
she must learn to stand mentally
alone-and only by getting vitality
interested in something besides
human relationships.
lERE is where most widows
whom I have heard bewail
their fate, fall down completely
This doesn't mean that they are
shutting the opposite sex out OF
their lives; on the contrary, they
will find that men will be mors