The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-05-10
By KATHLEEN NORRIS

w2aeS0 AAAo VIM
- signs himself Both
ered," ''what can a man do
with a wife who is always in the
blues?
"My wife is "a; we've been
married eleven years and
have three fine children; girls
Of 8 and 2, and a boy Of 5.
Two years ago, just before
my littlest sweetheart was
born, we had a sad winter.
MY wife's mother died, and
our boy was Ill for weeks with mas
toiditis. Lucie was up nights
we both were, and my loss Of my
job at the same time did not help
matters. We got over a thousand
dollars in debt, and as little Diana
was delicate and Lucie is not a
robust woman, she got tired and
depressed.
''Being a splendid manager and
conscientious spender, my wife did
her share, perhaps more than her
share, in extricating us from all this
trouble. With careful spending and
eliminating her parttine maid, and
with little luck in business for me,
we have paid off every cent, bought
a new stove and radio, and have
kept the car in repair. am a real
estate salesman, in business with a
brother, and in good times averag-
ing more than $500 a month.
'Everything's Wrong Theme Song.
''Now, but by all rights, we ought
to be happyl The children are in
splendid health, the older girl ex-
ceptionally advanced and attractive,
the boy still slight, but gaining, and
my little rosebud the darling Of us
all. Lucie, too, eats well and sleeps
well, but she cannot throw off her
dismal moods. Everything is
wrong; everyone else has what she
wants; the atmosphere Of the house
is beginning to be affected by it.,
and the children murmur to me
about Mothers dreariness.
"n bring home Office work,
Lucie complains that we never do
anything social. If suggest a
movie she says that Ethel's hus-
band works most nights, and Ethel
has a new fur coat. If we make
her join us on a picnic, damp
ground, mosquitoes, flies, fear the
children are eating too much-every-
thing upsets her. II we leave her
at home she is in tears all day.
When the youngsters are hungry she
will watch them eating and say that
heavy, fatty food will give them bad
dreams. # they don't eat she is
beside herself with anxiety and
wants tonics and vitamin pills for
them.
"When I come in at night call
to her, but she rarely answers. I
20 to the kitchen doorway and say
something, and she signs and says,
We'll, I wish could feel as cheerful
as you do about it. But the way
the world is now ! don't see how
anyone can laugh At dinner she
sits perfectly silent, sometimes with
her eyes filing with tears. Il one
of the children gets Off a joke. she
wasn't listening, has to have it re-
peated. Poor people can't do this
or that she says. Or If Papa
loses his job again and so on.
slave you ever handled a case
like this before, and If so what did
you advise and did it work."
Cure Up to Patient.
Poor Bothered" ! can only say
in answer that ! HAVE handled
cases. like this before, and whether
it works or not Is entirely up to the
victim Of this miserable psychosis,
this dreary state Of mind, and not
at all to the actions Of those about
her. Many women have an attitude
somewhat like this woman's, only
perhaps q little less extreme.
mean that they are quiet, dismal,
,snresuonsibla. martyred during the