Evening star., 1937-11-17
4 GROUP OF girls were discussing
" marriage in my hearing, and
. the one thing that they were
a unanimously agreed upon was

~ marriage in my hearing, and
~ the one thing that they were
4 \ unanimously agreed upon was
that they We're not going to spoil their
husbands. Just what do you mean
by spelling a husband?" I asked.
"Oh," they replied, cit is giving up
your independence and being at his
beck and call Doing the things he
wants to do instead Of making him
do what you want to do. Wearing
your old clothes so he can have new
ones and put up a good front. 1t
is shaving over the gas range cooking
him a good dinner instead of spend
ing the afternoon at a bridge game
and bringing home something in bag
from the delicatessen store.
at is catering to his whims and
caprices and putting up with all his
ways without saying word, no matter
how your tongue longs to bawl him
out. 1t is flattering and cajoiing him
yesyesing him. rubbing his fur the
right way, and making him believe
that you think that he is better look
ing than Robert Taylor, stronger than
Joe Louis, Wittier than Irwin Cobb and
a better business man than Henry
Ford. And when you do it, what
have you got? A spoiled brat of hus-
band who thinks that all the time
you are not pampering him you should
be down on your knees thanking God
for your luck in getting him."
X
WELL, at least you've still got
w him, and that's something" re-
sponded. Il can't recall single hus-
band-spoiler who ever lost her man,
but know scores of women who un-
dertook to discipline their husbands,
who started right out from the altar
showing who was going to be boss in
their houses and no foolishness about
1t, who have taken two or three tricS
to Reno and are having a mighty
thin time Of it living on little grudg-
ingly paid alimony.
so I am not very keen on the
strong-arm method with husbands.
My observation is that it doesn't work
out very well in everyday life. For,
you see, after all, in most households
the husband is Jones, who pays the
freight. He is the breadwinner and
the pie He totes the pocket
book, and whether his wife gets dimes
or dollars out of it depends upon her
attitude toward him.
IF she is appreciative. sings songs
in praise Of his generosity and tells
him that no man is greater hero than
the one who denies himself everything
he wants to give to his family, she can
have the last cent he has and he will
work himself to death to give her more.
But If wife is a chiSeler who takes
all that her husband gives her without
word of thanks and berates him be-
cause it isn't more. and if he sees that
she regards him as nothing more than
a slave to toll for her, he will hold out
on her all he can and she will have
to fight over every dollar to get it.
Husbands are human like the rest
Of us, and We love to give to those
who fuss over us and gush over our
kindness and puff us up with a sense
Of our own benefactions. and we resent
having to do things for people and
give things to them who take them as
their right and not half what they de-
serve.
Y y
THEN there is just one sure-fre way
Of keeping husband That is by
making him want to stay put. Every
man starts out in marriage in love
with his wife, or else he wouldn't as
sumo her board bill and shopping
ticket for life. He stays in love with
her just as long as she keeps herself
attractive to him. 1t is when she be-
gins to feed him on vinegar instead
of sugar that he loses his taste for her.
Wives profess to think that the