Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-01-31
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
Bell syndicate.-wNU Features.

"D IGHT in the middle of
X times so bad that they
L y see m ed absolutely
frightening" writes Mrs. John
Porter of Minneapolis, "they
suddenly grew worse. know
just how depressing this sounds
to many women who are finding
today's times hard and puzzling
enough, but that is the way it
was with us, and will be with
others. One year ago, when
prices began to skyrocket and
we were practically evicted, the
nightmare of house-hunting, the
piling-up of bills, the strain upon
my husband and the children's
discomfort, were giving me long
wakeful nights and anxious, fret
ted days.
"We have raised three children in
city apartment, Amanda is now
II, the boys 10 and 9. For long sum-
mers and many weekends we took
them to mountain cabin, where
they could have swimming, fishing
and hospitality. That hospitality! It
doubled my bills, of course, but it
meant that the children could re-
turn winter favors, theaters, dances,
skating parties. We have beds for
IA at the lake, and all summer long
they were never empty. struggled
to keep up; Amanda's clothes must
be fresh and smart; Jack needed
tennis rackets and college fees; it
was too much for John and me, yet
it wasn't enough.
"One car wasn't enough, Jack
said. One sitting room wasn't
enough for Amanda. I talked of a
job, but couldn't be spared at home
Amanda talked of Hollywood, but as
a minor couldn't try that. It was
an impasse, with John and me roll
ing away one stone, only to have
another block our path.
Disaster Struck.
Then, when meat and butter
were at their maximum, little jim
my guaranteed with mumps and
Amanda desperate because she was
not included in a certain dancing
class, the blow fell. John was
brought home helpless, never to be
fit for work downtown again, and
for few weeks we were ship
wrecked indeed. Jack was offered
his fathers job as salesman in a
linoleum firm and accepted it Bit
terly, only for vacation But he
has had to keep it; his college days
are over for the present.
II took a job in a hotel, making
beds, for $3.50 a month, and-well,
we ate. The children were so out
ragged that they hardly spoke when
at home, but we didn't die. Amanda
cried for days, then she got
ashamed and rose to the situation,
calmly announced that she was quit
ting school, and took over at home.
We were more than three thousand
dollars in debt, and I showed her
just where the money had gone.
Her comment was made gravely, I
think you and Dad were to blame.
We kids aren't half-wits.'
Last October I moved us out to
the country; no, not the smart coun-
try, not the lake either. The lake
cabin is rented. Amanda teaches in
private school five days a week,
boards in town with an older teach
er, comes to us Fridays. Jimmy
goes to public school and loves it.
Jack is doing nearly as well as his
father ever did, and we'll be out of
debt in exactly % more months if
all goes well. Amanda has boy
friends; boys who work hard and
know the value of money. John is
quietly busy all day with vegeta-
bles, chickens, cat, dog, flowers,
plans. am happier than I have
ever been in my life. Our place was
an abandoned farm. 1t will never