Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-05-14
Bv KATHLEEN NORRIS
Bell Syndicnte.-WNI

MINE is nerve problem, I
AsA think" writes Carol Mack.
eve are getting horribly nervous,
all round, as family, and 1 don't
know how to handle it any longer.
cts rather Mixed" she con-
tinues, ''but the person most respon-
sible for trouble is, think, my hus-
bands son by an earlier marriage,
Jerry, eight years old. His mother
was, and is, an invalid; she resents
my existence as her successor, and
whenever Jerry has been with her
he comes back completely demon
allied and tells me he hates me.
You can imagine my influence over
him after that!
81 am 81, and although was
Ben's secretary, and was the reason
for his divorce, believe me, am
nicer than l sound. His first wife
is seven years older than he, sick
and complaining, and her sole devo-
ton seems to be to the niece who
is her nurse and to whom she says
she is going to leave all her money.
ben had no home life, no chance
for hospitality or domestic peace,
he was becoming bitter and pessi-
mistic when I met him. He spent
most of his time at the club, and
Jerry was being completely spoiled
or else neglected by his mother and
the nurse. My mother and l loved
Ben, welcomed him to our home
where we live now, and his return
to real living and real happiness
presently led to our marriage. We
are completely devoted, and Moth
er's presence in the house-and she
is real mother!-means that we
can be away evenings, go on little
trips, and trust much of the house
hold management and the care of
our adorable new baby, to her.
Jerry Misbehaves
But Jerry behaves so terribly,
kicking. screaming, rude, and DISC
bedient, that Ben gets cross and
respondent and talks sometimes as
if the whole thing had been mis-
take. Ben feels that he must thrash
Jerry, and then Jerry shouts that
he hates his father; Mother asks
him not to punish the boy and that
makes Ben mad. am nursing baby
Ben, and not back to full strength
yet, and this racket and fighting
makes me cry. Ben says he won't
send Jerry TO school, indeed we
could hardly afford it, and Leila,
the former wife, will give no help
unless we give up Jerry complete
ly, and that Ben will never do.
Are there any secrets as to deal
ing with a bad little eight-year-
old?" the letter ends. believe me,
I pray about it and will make any
sacrifice for it. Ben's salary is
small; we pay no rent, we have no
servant, and yet we could not pos
sibly spare the $1,000 or 81, 500 a
year that a good school would cost
Please help mel"
To Carol would say that an &C
tual sacrifice may be demanded of
her but somehow, judging from her
unusual letter, l believe that she
may be strong enough to make it.
Deplorable as these office wife
versus bonneville affairs are, she is
into it now. and she may be able to
pull a success out of it.
Your best chance, Carol, is to build
up friendship between Ben and his
older son. Boys of eight are singu-
larly susceptible to love and praise
as indeed, which of US isn't? You
will find him almost babyishly vul-
nerable to the proper approach.
Don't hurry it. but begin with a
little flattery of both father and
son. Find common interests for
them; if they can't actually 60 fish
ing or hunting at this season, they
can talk of it for hours if you get
them started. Encourage Jerry TO