The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-06-14
tBen syndicate-wNu Service,

which she would probably marry.
But my husband, although devoted
to her, refuses to consider this. What
do you think Of this plan? 1t would
be only for a few years. Later we
could move into much less expensive
quarters and, by economizing, re-
pay the entire sum by degrees. My
husband synpathizes with her and
with me, but he is not at home all
day, to struggle with her apathy and
unhappiness, and consequently feel
that he does not fully understand.
Please advise and help if you can.
Louise's Mother"
Poor Louise's Mother, and Lou
ise's Father, and Louise! One hard
ly knows which to pity most; the
father, CALAMITY struggling not only
to support them now, but trying also
to lay aside enough insurance to
care for them should he drop in his
tracks; or the pretentious, super
fetal mother who never has learned
anything of the true values of living;
or Louise, spoiled and idle and dis
contented, destroying by her own
young ignorance and selishness the
years that might be the happiest of
her life.
An Unhappy Household.
What a wretched failure that
boxed-up little apartment in the ho-
tel must be! Dad tired and discour-
aged; one of the million men who
were deceived by false prosperity
before the crash, who never really
deserved the high positions and high
salaries to which national prosperity
swept them, and who will never get
back again. Mother straining every
nerve, physical, mental, social, to
keep up appearances; to maintain
her diminished household upon the
scale that luckier women can at
tain with no worry at all; to secure
for Louise friends, amusements,
clothes all just little too expensive.
And Louise, hating the small rooms,
hating the small salary, hating her
clothes and her parents and above
all herself. There the three are,
tied together, failing each other on
every count, destroying each other
and themselves like three unhappy
animals in cage. Here is a family
where definite readjustment is abb
solutely necessary.
Louise's mother ought to lift that
load from the man of the house by
moving Immediately to smaller,
cheaper quarters, to an unfashiona-
BILE neighborhood and $25 rent,
and Louise ought to lift herself and
her problems from the shoulders of
both parents by getting job, any
job. There would be real adven-
ture for all three, stimulating
change, a re-birth of affection and
confidence between them all. His
wife ought to convince this worried,
struggling man that two healthy
women can get along in this world
without draining the life-blood from
a fellow-creature to do it, and the
daughter ought to begin to bring
into the group not only financial as
sistance, but cheerful daily reports,
healthy contributions to the CONVEX
sation at the dinner table, bracing
reactions to her first contact with
realities.
Change in Living, Thinking Needed.
Louise's mother probably doesn't
know it, but once she was removed
from the misery and humiliation
of constant contrast with women
luckier than herself, she would find
life extremely pleasant. Among
humber neighbors she might find
herself considered the fortunate one,
the women to copy and admire. So
cial standards are poor things, if
they inspire us to extravaganza and
idleness and envy. Far better to
get into the open air of honest work
after so many years shut into the
unhealthy dollhouse of having to do
what the Joneses do.
AS for borrowing money to boil
ster UP Louise's decisions of gram
deur and idleness, that would be
sheer madness, and would wreck
whatever chance is left to escape
from the net.