Evening star., 1943-01-08
Be Good Sport If
Husband Must
Go to War
Whining Woman No
Help to Morale:
Be Brave!
BY Dorothy Dir

Dear Miss Dix; My husband and
I have been married five wonderful
years. My problem is that I can
not face the fact that he will be
going into the Army very soon. I
would never admit to myself that
he would ever be drafted, but now
I can't escape the fact. That is why
1t is so hard now. just can't stand
the thought of being separated from
him.
When he is asleep at night,
watch over him and think how
tragic 1t will be when he is gone.
My heart is breaking and I cry at
the very mention of his leaving.
have grieved over it until 1 have
made myself ill. He is so brave he
is willing to do his part, but I just
can't bear it.
And what shall I do when I am
left alone? My parents have in
vited me to come and stay with
them. but I do not want to do so
because they are so possessive and
treat me as if were a child. I want
to stay in the lovely apartment we
have furnished together and that is
my home. What shall I do?
MRS. E. s.
Answer-Well, the first thing
for you to do is to get yourself to-
gether and act like an intelligent,
reasonable woman, instead of cry
baby. Don't say you can't do it.
You can if you will use little will
power and courage. instead OF in
dulging yourself in an emotional de-
bauch.
If you love your husband as much
as you say you do, prove it by con-
sidering his feelings little and
trying to make things easier for
him, instead of turning his being
drafted into tragedy. He is being
called upon to make far. greater
sacrifice than you are, for he has to
give up his profession in which he
was getting such a good start, he
has to leave his home and live
among strangers, he has to face dis
comforts and dangers and death.
and that is no picnic. 1t is as hard
for him to leave you as it is for you
to have him go, but he is making
no outcry about it.
Can't you see how much harder
you are making all of this for him
by your conduct? Can't you see how
selfish you are being in adding to
his troubles the thought of your
misery. your loneliness and your
heartbreak? 1t will break down his
morale as nothing else could possibly
do to lie awake at night thinking OF
you wetting your pillow with your
tears and making yourself i'll pining
for him.
II ever men needed wives who put
their husbands welfare before their
own feelings and who braced them
up with their own courage it is now.
Be one of the millions of wives who !
are sending their husbands away
with smile, instead of a spell of
Mysteries. They love their husbands
just as much as you do yours. They |
hate to be parted from them Just
as much as you do, Many of them
have to give up their pretty homes |
and their comfortable incomes and |
double up with others and scrimp on
war allowances. but they do it with
out whine or complaint. They
don't consider themselves martyrs.
They are proud that. they can give
Uncle Sam soldiers when he needs
them.
I think you are quite right in not
going back to live with your parents.
Stay in your own home. Your own
furniture can be a lot of company
to you. and your husband will like
to think OF you among familiar sur
roundings and of coming back to his
home just as he left it. And fill in
your days so completely with hard
work that you will be so tired you
will go to sleep at night, instead of
lying awake grieving over the thing
Won cannot helm