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Show H THE CALL OF THE H TELEPHONE H A man who was kept at homo a H week by an attack of grip, remarked on his return to work, that ho had H been amazed by tho part tho telo- H phono was playing In his family life. sssiiiiH it wii hln estimate thnt tho bell rang H thrco times an hour on an average, H from 9 a. ra. to 10 p. m. H Ho bclloved tho conversations over H 1ho wlro averaged at least live mln- H utcs apiece. Ho figured -10 conver- H sntions during tho day, totalling ov- H cr thrco hours of time. His wife at H times becamo dospcrato, and begged him to Intercept tho pestiferous calls. Yet tho vivacity with which sho con- H vorsed over tho wlro suggested that H Iho Interruptions were not wholly un- Much of this conversation seemed H to bo merely soclul visiting. Some H of It of courso represented consulta- H lions over tho work of church and H other organizations, while snmo of It H was tho ordering of household sup- H Tho severo philosopher will say H that the modern woman Is wasting a H lot of time over tho telophono which H Interferes with tho pcrformanco of tho housowlfcly tasks In which n Jor- H incr generation used to oxcel, Prob- ably there aro cases whero this crlt- H lctsm Is correct. It Is bo very easy H for any ono and every ono to gain H access to the homes and time of oth- H or pcoplo merely by ringing up Con- H tral. Peoplo who would nover think of calling In person win call by wlro H anil women with social natures find H . . H dlfllcult to resist tho Invitation to H ' aimless gossip. H There Is much to ho said on tho P other sldo though, of tho service tho H telephone renders In breaking tho isolation of women's lives. It used H to bo stated that many farmers wives went crazy, by reason of the lonoll H tiess of their lives. No need for that (tow, with tho telephone making pos- H ' slblo social visiting for ten hours n H lay, and If tho lonely person can't think of anything to say, sho can pull H down tho receiver and hear what tho H neighbors aro saying. It Is not sur- prising that It Is almost Impossible H (or tho men to get tho rural lines to h closo up busluuHH deals, at any tlmo oxcept when tho houso wives aro H preparing meals. H lu town life tho telephone fnclll- tics marvellously tho work of tho H many organizations through which H women perform ho elllclently their lvlc nnd philanthropic tasks. Many H jv woman Is' kept from becoming mor- H Vild by tho constant sho now gets H with tho life of other once isolntetl H women about |