Show Kathleen Norris S Says ys I Is Absent Husband Still the Boss Dell Ben Syndicate Features I f V iI J I 1 am a nurse and do part time duty in the hospital hospital- By KATHLEEN NORRIS T TOW OW much should the HOW I 1 wishes and opinions L J- J of a man who is overseas overseas overseas over over- seas influence his wife here at home demands Anna Sawyer of Seattle I 1 am 28 have been married six years and have two little boys her letter goes on My husband has now been away for almost two years We had been making making making mak mak- ing payments on a house when he went away but it was not nota a house I 1 had ever especially liked It is too large for us and stands on too small a lot it has never seemed homelike to me Tod's Tads father found it for us and made the first pay pay- ment About eight months ago I had a good offer for it and I sold it beginning beginning begin begin- ning again to make payments on a afar afar afar far more attractive story one-story house which was not too much for me to manage I am a nurse and do time part-time duty in the hospital My boys four and three are in school from nine to four tour For this I pay 70 a month they love their school are safe and happy and it Is a chance for tor me to do my bit of war work Last month I was was was' offered a handsome handsome handsome hand hand- some rent for my house which I decided decided decided de de- de- de to take moving in with my stepmother who is also Incidentally incidentally incidentally incident Incident- ally my husbands husband's aunt We met metin metin metin in her house Tod Tad loves his aunt and is glad we are friends but he writes me angrily that he thinks I Imade Imade Imade made a terrible mistake combining households He says it never works with two women He doesn't want the boys to be in that expensive expensive expensive sive school he resents my selling the house says he has no Interest at all in the new house and that as ashe ashe ashe he feels feels' now hed he'd Just as soon not come home wife wite working instead of caring for her children home sold and family moved In with his hisa a aunt un t. t Directions for Afar Now what I want to ask you the letter goes on is Just how much right a n man has to send directions directions' home from the war zones Arent Aren't we wives entitled to use our own Judgment and live in our own way while the m men n are gone Wouldn't it be ridiculous for Auntie and me meto meto meto to write him obediently that because because because be be- cause he disapproved we had changed all our plans We love each other she Is a widow of 38 has a aboy aboy aboy boy of ot 15 teaches school and loves me and my children Her home is comfortable and spacious with plenty of playroom and gardenA garden A letter received from my husband husband husband hus hus- band today ends with this remark please write me at nt once that you have abandoned all idea of com com- combining combining bining households with Auntie have given up your nursing and taken the boys out of that expensive schooL Otherwise I will feel very differently about this war that we are supposedly supposedly sup sup- fighting to protect the homes we left behind us What shall I write in fn answer My answer Anna is that Tod is taking a most unfortunate te and unjustifiable unjustifiable unjustifiable un un- un- un justifiable position In plain words its it's none of his bis business what you decide to do while he is away Men are arc totally incapable of visualizing 1 1 The boys boy are safe Ja and happy M A WIFE'S DECISIONS While her husband is away at war Anna has had to manage manage manage man man- age the home malting making her own decisions as well as she could She has ha two sons son four and three years old Recently she site sold old the house at a good price and has moved in with her husbands husband's s aunt The boys have been placed in a private school This arrangement seems quite satisfactory to everyone except Annas Anna's husband husband husband hus hus- band Tod Tad Tod Tad writes Crites from overseas that he t litre it at all He didn't want Cant the house sold he doesn't want the boys to be bein bein bein in such an expensive school Lastly he fears that his wife and his aunt will eventually quarrel that quarrel that no household is b big 19 enough h f for or two women what these lonely strange war years mean to women and consequently cant can't imagine why women do what they can to make home conditions bearable Go straight ahead as you are going going going go go- ing and dont don't make any explanations explanations explanations or excuses in your letters to Tod Continue to write him cheerful gossipy letters full of the childrens children's affairs news of his old friends with clippings from newspapers and magazines that are of interest to him Dont Don't argue the matter at all aU or excuse yourself Wisest Course It n seems to me you are acting very wisely You are arc helping with the great need of nurses you are certainly saving money you have I worked out an excellent solution I for the boys and have found yourself yourself your your- self seU a congenial comfortable home I and a beloved companion If every woman in your predicament could solve her problems as simply there would be much less straightening out of tangles to face after the war Of Ot course always keep on the note that when Tod Tad comes back you will willbe willbe willbe be together again with the boys and with nobody else for tor house house- mates Meanwhile consider your home problems as much your own I affair as war problems are his You are not writing him directions as to what hours to keep what friends tomake tomake to tomake make what food to eat ent You know that the dread machine of war has gripped him and that until it lets letsgo letsgo letsgo go he must do the best he can and like all aU the rest of us get through these awful years day by day with whatever we can muster Certainly we want to write the boys good news to keep them from whatever distresses them to assure assure assure as as- sure them that while they are doing their Job so magnificently we are handling ours courageously too But Butto Butto Butto to supinely take directions affecting your personal life from a man thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of miles away a man who naturally has no Idea of what is meant by shortages of gas and domestic help butter and shoes transportation living quarters and commodities generally would be to show yourself too weak a n woman to tobe tobe tobe be of any use In the heroic postwar world we must so soon construct And you dont don't sound like that sort of ofa ofa ofa a woman |