The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-08-29

ders, don't go quietly ahead and
live their lives as they want to.
Their only way out is quarrels and
divorce. But I believe many wom-
an would find herself out of the
woods of headaches, depression,
nerves, discomfort, if she sat down
seriously today-or better, took a
long walk, while bordering the ques-
ton, What changes in our lives
would make me happy? What would
I LIKE to do?"
Almost always the answer is near
er than she thinks.
Set in His Ways.
my husband is the best man IN
the world" Philadelphia wife once
wrote me, ''but he is set. He hates
anything out of the way. For ex-
ample when two summers ago I
clipped my little girls hair quite
short, for their comfort and my con-
venience In the hot weather, he was
so angry and so long resentful that
I paid dearly for it, and so did the
girls. This year they wear curls,
a great care for mother. Our boy is
six months old, and as I do all my
own work I was glad to get the
baby-pen into commission again. But
Kent has decided that the pen may
curb the baby's natural daring, as
he grows, and ne won't let me use it.
Eve have a pleasant back yard
with NAPLES and elns IN it, and
have hedges around the clotheslines
and the barrels. Often l would like
to serve lunch or supper there, for
the birds do the clearing up and I
can make a meal picnic, with pa
per cups and napkins. But this con-
ventional man of mine is always
conscious Of the few back windows
of neighbors' houses that overlook
the yard; some one MIGHT be look
ing down on US and our hamburgersl
Kent hands me his pay check
every week; he doesn't drink; he
loves his wife and children. We
save, and we own a lovely roony
home. But it is trying to be checked
at so many turns, and I am won
dering If you ever had a problem
like mine to solve, and what is the
cure.
Regimented Living.
II must not send poems to the
evening paper, because II embar-
rasses him. The children are never
permitted to see the 'funnies' In the
Sunday paper. No caller must ever
be in the house when Kent gets
home. If I telephone a friend he
keeps up an undertone: Cut that,
dear. You've been six minutes
you've been seven minutes If I
suggest movie he is apt to say
kindly, 7 don't think that with all
you've had to do today you want to
sit In hot movie Never In the
nine years since my oldest was born
has he stayed at home and let me
go anywhere at night.
But we all love our daddy, and
this is not complaint, the letter end
ed. Its only that if he would be
little less critical, we would all be
so happy"
This letter is about six years old.
! quote it as q perfect illustration
of the state of vassalage IN which
some women unconsciously live. The
man neither knew he was a tyrant,
nor the woman that her life was be-
ing robbed of all its bloom. And
of course the result was frightened
nerves and haf-conscious resent
ment on her part, and the encour-
agement Of his messianic complex to
an insufferable point.
All this comes to me when they
start the should married women
work." question again. Someday it
viii be laid low, as so many other
questions resting upon the age-old
injustices to women have been. Pri-
mogeniture Suffice. The right of
man to whip his wife, to viii away
his unborn child, to annul a mar
riage. upon discovery of pre-marital
love affairs, and take away her chill
dren- Men have many other legal
rights denied to women today
rights to which they are entitled.
Should married women work2
Why not ask: should married men?