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Show Kathleen Norris Says: The Much Younger Husband Bell Svndlcatt. WNO Feature. "What can I do to hold this young husband of mine, uhnm despite all hii unkindnvsses, I love so passionutvly?" By KATHLEEN NORRIS THE problem of Marigold, Mari-gold, aged 39, is that of a clever, successful woman wom-an who has married a man 12 years her junior. They have been man and wife for less than two years, and already Larry shows signs of restlessness. restless-ness. Marigold is frantic with helplessness and despair, all the more acute because she keeps everything bottled up inside her, and manages to keep a serene exterior before the watching eyes of the world. "When we were married," writes Marigold. "I was a different woman. wom-an. I am healthy, an out-of-door sort of type, and at 37 I looked at least 10 years less than my age. Some years ago my parents left me a small farm; I was Just home after glorious college years when they were killed in an accident, and idly, in the first summer of loneliness loneli-ness and grief, I secured a few small-girl boarders. From this grew my school, a school for so-called so-called difficult and problem cases. I have been unbelievably successful, success-ful, not only in a financial sense, but In the fact that I love this work, it is easy and natural to me, and repays me richly in friendships with children and parents. A Very Handsome Man. "Larry came to me three years ago as physical culture director. I knew he was less experienced and less useful than he had represented himself; I built him up. We studied his work together, he improved, he became a different human being. He is magnificently made and very handsome, and I fell in love with him long before he did with me if he ever did. We were married, and Immediately Larry began his attentions atten-tions to other women. He opened adult classes in gym work, long country hikes that took place during dur-ing hours when I was not free. After the first weeks of blissfully deceiving myself I saw that no one woman ever could hold him, but I hoped to be his rock of safety and understanding through aU the storms of his undisciplined nature. "After the loss of my baby a year ago I was ill for a long time. Not sick in bed, but rather dragging drag-ging myself about through my school duties, and not able to keep control as I should. Larry drew large sums from our Joint account and on one occasion signed my name to a sale of property without my authorization. At that time he moved to another room and he has not returned to mine. "Now he tells me he- wants to be freed, to drive about the country looking up pupils for a much enlarged en-larged school, and dreadful as it sounds I am afraid that he would not be alone; I think I, know the charming young companion of 19 who would accompany him, although al-though he tries to quiet my suspicions suspi-cions by saying that Miss M has an agency tor children's books and would be stopping In many ot the towns he would visit to that accidental encounters would be very natural "What can 1 do to hold this young husband of mine, whom despite all his unktndncsscs, I love so passionately? passion-ately? I know I am not young and charming any more; I was never glamorous. But I am slim and tall A school or $itU ... irmAG II 1M BACK When a woman marries a man much younger than her-self, her-self, she is taking a chance. This is especially the case when he is handsome and flir-tatious, flir-tatious, as is MarigohVs husband. hus-band. She is 39 now, 12 years older than Larry. They met when he joined the faculty at MarigohFs school for girls. Soon after the marriage Larry Lar-ry began paying attention to other, and younger, women. He has drawn considerable money from their joint account, ac-count, used Marigohts car for dates, and in general behaved in a way no good husband would. Note he wants to go on a long tour of the country "to obtain new students for the school." Marigold suspects that he will be accompanied by a pretty girl of 19. With all his shortcomings. Marigold still loves Larry "passionately." "passionate-ly." She asks Miss S'orris how she can "hold" her errant husband. hus-band. Miss Norris tells her that the best thing Marigold can do is to try to pretend she doesn't care what Larry does. If she busies herself with her own interests in the school, Larry will probably come back to her in due time. and clean-looking, and my yellow hair is untouched by drugs or gray-ness gray-ness yet. There must be something to me; the children love me, and so do their families. I am well again now, I'm not ready to be a broken, crying, wakeful failure as a wife. Help me to get back again." Don't Take Him Seriously. Help, my dear Marigold, has to come from within. When you make yourself a whole woman again, absorbed ab-sorbed in other things than Larry's physical perfections and love conquests, con-quests, you'll get him back. When you are always happily busy, amused, planning picnics for your charges, dressing with the old charm, enjoying the same old books and music, Larry'll see you as he used to see you. Stop the crying, reproaching. lying ly-ing awake nights, analyzing. Nothing Noth-ing is so fatal to married peace as the long "reasonable" talks in which a man and woman hurt each other's feelings deliberately and systematically. Forget Larry. Yes. forget him. Listen to his complacent recitals absent-mindedly; have other things to think about. If he goes oft with the car, see that he hasn't too much money. Suggest casually that he find a Job as physical phys-ical culture director in some other school. Explain that his flirtations are undermining yours. Laugh about it Warn prospective students that he is youthfully amorous. In other words, become yourself again, a charming, capable, successful suc-cessful woman, who knows how to live and help small unfortunates live on happier terms, who dresses well and has many Interests. The sooner Larry drifts away to Impose upon some other heart-hungry older woman, the sooner you'll regain your moral, mental, psychological and physical balance. I'slng Up Dry Bread Dry bread has many uses. It makes good trench toast, hot milk toast bread and custard pudding and baked fruit scallops- Turn odds and ends ot bread Into a supply of dry crumbs that every thrifty cook likes to keep handy for coating foods in frying and for topping baked dishes and stuffing vegetable! vegeta-ble! or meat There are bread crumb specials tco-psstry like cream pies and crumb cake and cookies. Toasted crumbs maka good breakfast food. |