| Show Kathleen Norris Says The Unluckiest est Wife Isn't Always The Unluckiest est Woman Bell Syndicate Service n dr sn i e 1 4 1 offal o 11 Her er husband told fold her that at his hit assistant professor pro a handsome girl of 0 23 loved oved him as at deeply de ply as IU he did her By KATHLEEN NORRIS unluckiest wife In the T TIlE THE world isn't of course the unluckiest unluckiest un un- un- un luckiest woman There are thousands of women in this country country coun coun- try ry and hundreds of thousands in other countries whose lot is harder than that of Marjorie Mason There are women in your town and mine who have been fighting poverty all their lives long living along the boundary line of want able to give their children only the barest necessities of life and worryIng worrying worry- worry Ing ng constantly for fear that those necessities might not be always available Women who have never known cnown even a few days days days-a a few hours of of luxury and beauty of plenty and security Women who have to refuse their small babies the freshness freshness fresh fresh- ness and comfort and safety small babies need who have to refuse their growing children the toys the clothes that more fortunate children take ake for granted who suffer a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand deaths as the young men and women of the family demand cars and pocket money and college education education education edu edu- cation as their right This in America In Europe and andin In n the Orient the situation is infinitely infinitely in in- finitely worse Civilized Christian countries still see barefoot children begging in winter streets China knows mows that every winter a million of her people will starve slowly to death and a million more fall faU victims victims vic vic- tims to the diseases that weakness malnutrition cold and hunger bring Comparative Misery So when I speak of the bitter trial that Marjorie Mason has been called upon to bear I am treating only of the comparative misery and humiliation that can come to a woman who has a comfortable home lome fine children a car a club friends a good cook in her kitchen books leisure enough money good Health and she and she says says a a real trust that God will help me through this difficulty if I am wise enough to heed Isis Ills guidance Not much material from which to construct an appeal to your pity is it And yet there is no wife alive that wont won't feel pity for Marjorie Marjorie Marjorie Mar Mar- jorie when she hears her story Marjorie is 32 92 she has been married married mar mar- ried Pled for nine years to a man she I deeply loves He is a professor handsome popular successful with witha a comfortable little income of his own to supplement his salary The Masons live in a roomy house on a beautiful campus there are three children In the family a girl of seven and boys of five years and andone andone andone one year Marjorie has as assistant the fine colored mother of one of the undergraduate girls she is free freeto freeto freeto to do her part in campus work mothers' mothers and alumni groups hospital hospital hos hos- pital pita I convalescent home Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakes Shakes- peare peace study club dramatics She not only teaches her daughter but she belongs to a little circle of college college col col- lege mothers who take turns in amusing and watching the younger children on different afternoons Marjories Marjorie's life was lias all sunshine until some four weeks ago when her husband in one of those luxuries lux cries uries of confession that weak men menso menso menso so enjoy told her that his assistant professor a handsome girl of about 23 loved him as deeply as he did her lie He was exultant over his conquest conquest conquest con con- quest and fatuously related to his wife the details of ot the affair in which the girls girl's great love had overcome over come her scruples flitter Bitter Injustice This TIlls sounds as nauseating to me meas meas as os It does to you ou writes Marjorie but Arthur was like a crowing boy over it I did what 1 I could Told him that he must be out of his senses to jeopardize his position his whole hole lifes life's work in this way to say nothing of the bitter injustice to me and to the children I 1 tried to put my own heartbreak aside it was too late then for any outbreak of mine to do any good For days das I 1 seemed to be in a n bad dream for forthe forthe forthe the thing had come upon me like a thunderbolt and the past was all spoiled as well as the future Arthur as completely oblivious of ot any feeling of mine as he had been of ordinary decency and duty asked me if I would have the girl at the house now and then so there would be no talk This I told him was a physical as well as moral impossibility I simply couldn't do it On this point we had our first serious quarrel Since then I have not spoken to Arthur directly But Dut for the children's childrens childrens children's childrens children's chil chil- drens dren's sake a certain amount of civility must go on Arthur continues continues continues con con- to show nothing but complacency complacency complacency com com- and high spirits He tells me that If he and the girl had resisted resisted resisted re re- re- re temptation or or love as he calls it then It-then then all nU three of us would be unhappy As it Is I am the only miserable one and they dont don't expect expect expect ex ex- ex- ex me to understand The girl came to see me and was tearful I and explanatory and heroic I dont don't think I spoke at all in n the 10 minutes min I utes I endured her company Arthur would be dropped from the faculty if u this were known His fine old father president emeritus of another university would die of grief And how would my children be bettered by the shame of their father But Dut I cant can't go on as things are These few weeks have shown me that Tell me what to do Advice to Marjorie l Marjorie the first thing to do Is Isget Isget isget get out and take the children with you But Dut not with any bitterness or threats Say to your few close friends that you are taking the baby to the mountains Or that the small daughter had two chest colds last year and you think it wise to try the shore Not far tar from you there are lakeside summer cabins which rent in winter for as little as 10 a month Find one and move This will have a triple advantage It will get you away from the Immediate immediate immediate Im im- im- im mediate contemplation of an insufferable insufferable state of affairs It will scare the complacent philandering Arthur out of his wits he will be lonely disorganized and possibly brought to a realization of what wealth he had and has done all he could to destroy And lastly it will terrify the girl She may suddenly awaken to the truth that she has given everything for nothing and andIs andis andis is in a fair way to lose position and reputation When Arthur comes to his senses or rather having obviously very little sense when he appreciates that he has made an expensive and foolish mistake then come back forgive him and resume the outer shell of the old happy loving life You may never want to share his room or his affection again he could hardly expect that But Dut for forthe forthe forthe the rest take the blow that fortune has dealt you as every woman woma must in one way or another pick pickup pickup pickup up the pieces and face the future stronger in your own s soul ul if sadder sad der in your heart |
