| Show I Kathleen Norris Says Do Married Men len Live Longer Loner Bell Dell Syndicate Syndicate Features ti i J IJ I I t y a d u 4 9 i 1 iNow i Now Paul was going away Ills His unmarried uncle happened to be there when he Ilef f e t the tZe free and happy appy bachelor saw the tho mothers mother's white smiling face By KATHLEEN NORRIS married men live THAT longer than bachelors do dois dois dois is the statement of Dr J. J iV iv- Deporte of the N New ew York state health department Incidentally this statement is causing considerable considerable considerable con con- discussion and arous- arous ling ng wide Vide interest One blithe commentator upon it is a friend of mine Frank member of one of Americas America's proudest old families club man socialite writer editor lecturer er r bridge authority Mr Crown Crown- observes that it isn't a longer life that is desirable but buta a more enjoyable life he asserts that the average bachelor would rather drink hemlock outright than subscribe to Dr Deporte's prescription pr for longevity home life regularity absten abstention ion from alcohol wifely supervision care of his health I He tilso suggests that married women would be the first to object to the elimination of bachelors in inthe inthe inthe the social order they are of immense value at dances dinners house parties parties parties par par- ties giving hope to the unmarried listening to wifely wifely- tales of husbands' husbands frailties Seriously any statistics comparing comparing comparing ing the wed to the unwed state seem to me rather foolish A bachelor may be an abstemious sport-loving sport out-of-door out healthy type of man whose health is perfect and whose chances of a long life are good A husband may be a badly fed harassed harassed harassed har har- assed burdened creature who early wears himself out with work and worry Dr Deporte is quoted as assaying assaying saying Staying that his figures are taken from the death rates from accidents alcoholism homicide pneumonia tuberculosis s and the so-called so social diseases Married Men Drink Heavily But many a husband drinks too In fact I would venture to claim that of and in many salary-groups salary men women especially those lowest in inthe inthe inthe the tax income-tax scale it is the married married married mar mar- ried man who drinks most heavily In such groups there are few t. t bachelors and many children But tuberculosis alcoholism and pneumonia pneumonia pneumonia I monia by no means spare these groups These evils flourish among the crowded homes of the poor As for accidents they spare no type nor class The reeling drunkard slips unharmed between crashing 7 cars and trucks the weary bewildered bewildered bewildered dered little factory worker going quietly home is struck down c And yet when all ll this is admitted there do remain many good reasons why married men should have a better better better bet bet- ter chance at long life than their bachelor brethren Thousands of of homes may be bad but millions are good Millions of married men go home to a wifely welcome a hot well cooked dinner the love of children chil chil- dren the normal vital interests of ofa ofa ofa a husband and father Love is the very essence of life and many manya a man otherwise poor is rich in it If beside him as h he go goes s through life is a woman whose deepest concern concern concern con con- cern is for his health his safety his comfort he is not a lone indi indi- vidual He is incorporated into the very fabric of living his mate his hisson hisson hisson son his daughter his home and garden work and friends are all so many threads to keep him young and interested busy and satisfied A few months ago one boy home on leave went oft off to rejoin the armed forces He was the firstborn firstborn first- first r. r born his par parents had had to work hard to take care of him when he BACHELORS COMPARED WITH HUSBANDS AND FATHERS Since the dawn o of f civilization the natural tendency o of f most men is to find a wife with whom they can build a happy home In fact the basis of civilization is the family unit The life of a bachelor is attractive to some men who point out that they are never faced with a curb on their freedom housekeeping troubles anxious vigils at hospitals and andall andall andall all the trials of educating and raising children But who does the average bachelor live for Himself He doesn't usually expand expand expand ex ex- into a thoughtful unselfish kindly individual For his life is not the kind that brings out these qualities But of course there is always the exception was small They had four rooms then hen when little sister came it was six rooms then a modest suburban suburban suburban sub sub- I urban home with trees then a bigger bigger bigger big big- I ger home Of late years things have been seen easier for them all mother father ather Gran two sons two daugh daugh- Just a typical American home lome but perhaps an unusually happy hap happy py one Sees Sailor Leave Home Now Paul was going away His unmarried uncle happened to be bethere bethere bethere there when he left The free and happy bachelor saw the mothers mother's white smiling face heard the notes I in the fathers father's voice He witnessed the heroic efforts of both sisters to pretend that this was all merely exciting exciting exciting ex ex- ex- ex citing and normal he saw the ten- ten year-old year brother shyly hovering about Paul Paul in his blue uni uni- form Hed He'd been out to the south seas once as the decoration over his young heart testified he was going out again Was Vas he going to come home safe again Of course he was they all said gallantly His room was to be left untouched his gun and fishing rod and camera all the souvenirs of his happy boyhood would wait for him to come back The adoring airedale would wait too His sisters with last embraces promised to write little brother disappeared with the dog they fled up to the attic without any good Dad would take Paul to the station Mom r had her last kiss It was the darkest hour of that family's family s life tile And yet when Pauls Paul's uncle so free so untrammeled by family ties walked away from the house with me he seemed to have little to say And when he did speak it was of Pauls Paul's father his brother and what he said might surprise some of the younger bachelors of today who feel pretty sure that they never want to marry Dick and Mary and the kids kids kids- God knows how I envy them he said They have everything Even today Even today Bachelors Enjoy Luxuries Bachelors with rare exceptions grow in not out They profess loudly loudly loudly loud loud- ly that they enjoy their freedom they fit themselves up delightful ap apartments if they can afford the luxury they have ten invitations to the married mans man's one No housekeeping housekeeping housekeeping house house- keeping troubles for them hotels and clubs clubs' take care of all that No anxious vigils at the lying-in lying hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital no wakeful nights when Junior has a croupy cough no hurrying home because dinner is early when Grandma is there no discussion of schools The bachelor uncle sees sees the children only when they are well welland welland welland and clean and good I I |
