The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1943-07-29


L L many women who
finds a wartime schedule
somewhat .distracting. She
works at a lathe from seven
at night until midnight;
comes home exhausted to
drink a cup of coffee and sleep
until perhaps nine or ten. Her
husbands hours are from
eight until four, nominally,
but he often works until early
evening. The daughterteac
in night school and folds band
ages for the Red Cross every after
noon. Harriet goes to market at
about two o'clock, gets her own sup
per at six, leaves something inviting
for Larry, and goes off to work.
Linda and her young man usually
join Larry for dinner, but they have
to hurry off, too, to their waiting
classes. The sons of the family are
in the navy.
sometimes ask myself if we are
the happy group of ten years ago."
writes Harriet. My lovely eight
year-old girl, my boy twins, were
busy and content then with home
work, Scouts, movies, comics, radio,
helping mother make doughnuts,
going off for long picnic trips in the
old car-not cloud, and not a
bomber, in the sky. Now it's all
higgledy-piggledy, laundry not home,
tailor called and gone away again,
dust everywhere, telephone not an
swered, marketing a long, slow
process, weekly letters to the boys
often real burden to write. For
like to put in little jokes and clip
pings and show a certain amount of
spirit and courage-and they simply
aren't there!
But now let me explain why
am working. l will say honestly
that, while l would make any sac
ri6ce for my country, and am indeed
facing the possibility of the supreme
sacrifice of my sons lives with what
philosophy can, the money ques-
ton also makes a difference to me.
While I am working I can put al
most two hundred dollars a month
toward the mortgage we have car
ried on our home for II years. I
never thought of attempting to raise
it until 1 got this war job. Other
bills have been paid; we are solvent
for the first time in our married
lives.
Savings to Meet Peace's Drain.
Il blame myself now for the old,
slipshod years when 1 never was
quite caught up with monthly bills
and regarded mortgage as some
thing about as essential as a roof.
Now feel differently. Now l feel
that we may have some years of
serious social upset after the war;
hundreds of women losing jobs, thou
sands of men seeking them, certain
war businesses that are booming to-
day completely extinguished; peace
time enterprises slow to start up
again. 1t will be a great comfort
to me if I can say then that we
own our home clear of membranes
and that have some money safe in
war bonds.
MY husband and daughter want
me to stay home and keep the house
in the old way. That means careful
management, money shortage, and
no more payment on the mortgage,
which is now down to 81 300. Larry
can give me about SOS a month for
expenses; Linda pays odd
bills-sometimes telephone or gas,
and for her own lunch and clothing
costs. Now and then the boys send
Ma a special check, but most of
their money goes to government
bonds. I didn't say, but you may
have inferred it, that counting pay
and overtime, I am being paid more
than husband and daughter together.
I know that is only temporary, but
would be glad to make good use of
It while it lasts"