| Show Kathleen Norris N OlT S Says Sa Sar yEi The Shoe on the t le Other Cher Foot Bell Syndicate Features Futures HM t l 7 I on l y J r- r 1 a z y J. J Two of them o them are fond of 0 children and glad gla o of f the 50 SO cents an hour I f pay f for or baby care housecleaning gardening and dish dishwashing washing By KATHLEEN NORRIS I A MOST ridiculous situ situation situation situa- situa a- a tion has arisen between between be- be 1 JL tween my husband and me writes a young wife from Portland Me Jerry erry is in an office that employs several several several sev sev- eral attractive girls Ever since our marriage seven years ago I have taken quite serenely the fact that when 1 I telephone Jerry during business business business busi busi- ness hours a charming voice answers and that sometimes instead of calling Mr van Arden it calls Jerry From time to time I have cometo come comeI cometo to know some of these secretaries and bookkeepers liking some not I liking others just a little uneasy now and then as to what my husband husI hus hus- husband I band thought of ot this one or that Jerry is tall handsome and magnetic magnetic magnetic mag mag- and It isn't human nature that the admiration of some of these girls should not affect him We women who stay at home with our children I I have three small chilI children chil chit I dren have dren-have have a way of worrying about aboul I the trim smart perhaps unscrupulous unscrupulous lous women in the offices I Well heres here s my problem We live Uve close to a mans man's college and some have into the habit of ot the boys got i of wandering over my way between eight o'clock and one or two o'clock classes Two of them brothers are fond of the children and glad of the 50 cents an hour I can pay for baby care housecleaning g gardening even dishwashing They are gentlemen gentlemen gentle gentle- men born lots of fun full of college college college col col- lege gossip and delighted to escort me occasionally to some college show or lecture Jerry doesn't mind the occasional occasion occasion- I al date but he gets white with fury if he calls me at home and a mans man's I voice answers the telephone He points out that these boys come ola ofa of ol a good family have lots of idle time can afford to read books see shows be amusing company While he he reminds me is shut in an office all al allI allday I day and comes home jaded and andI I quiet Stimulating Companions' Companions I He says that he would be only too glad to fool around the house with the babies get out into the garden experiment with special dishes I am ama amI I a writer ghost-writer for one of the New NewYork NewYork I York magazines that handles many manuscripts not ready for the printer print print- er cutting and correcting so that I have a fair income of my own and can afford some help These undergraduate undergraduate undergraduate under under- graduate helpers of ot mine save save me much time give me stimulating companionship and are sufficiently younger than I am to prevent any nonsense about love affairs I Since my husband expects me meto to tobe tobe be unsuspicious and happy about his office relationships with younger and dressed better women this letter concludes do you think it consistent in him to go into rages of jealousy because personable young men are assisting me with my work Of late he has been muttering muttering muttering mut mut- about the boys taking his place alienating his children andI andall and andall all that sort of nonsense If It I talked I that way about the girls in his office he would think I was an idiot Should I concede him this Ws point double my housework give up amusing frIendships friendships friendships friend frIend- ships jeopardize my job simply because he cannot see that there is isa isa isa a parallel in our positions Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times It seems to me that men are arc the most ridiculously inconsistent creatures alive aUve I On this last point my dear Martha Martha Martha Mar Mar- tha I emphatically agree with you There never has been any consistency consistency consistency con con- In the way men regard women their charms their faults their wisdom their to A Aman Aman Aman man will marry a woman for her 11 1 L. L S Beautifully groomed alert SAUCE FOR THE GANDER Its It's a poor rule that doesn't work both ways says the old adage but few jew men are willing willing will will- ing to allow their wives the same social privileges I they enjoy en en- enjoy enjoy joy themselves Men expect to flirt with the girls in the office but any similar on carrying by their wives are viewed with alarm and stern disapproval To revise another old saw salU what's sauce for the gander isn't sauce for the goose as they see it Folkways are slow to change and the emancipation tion o of f woman is far jar from complete A Portland Me Ale wife writes Miss Norris that her husband Jerry is tall handsome mag mag- The girls in his office cant can't cant can't help but admire him and enjoy his attentions Jerry is a good husband faithful and a good provider his wife attests but she cant can't help worrying worrying wor wor- about the attractions of oj the women who surround him 1 She tries to take a light view o of 0 f it however and to hope for forthe forthe the best On the other band hand she often employs college boys to do gardening housework and I tending baby-tending and the presence o of 0 f these young men stirs u up I jealous rage in her husband She sometimes goes to a lecture lec lee lecture ture or school show with a i the intellectual intellectual intellectual in in- college man just for companionship co Jerry Jerry Jerry Jer Jer- ry cant can't see that this is the counterpart of 0 his office flirtations flirtations flirta flirta- I and that what is all right for him is also all right for his wife wi I conspicuous beauty and then bully the poor thing into faded plainness because other other men men admire her He will hold forth before marriage upon his longing for a home and babies and a few years later represent rep rep- rep 1 resent himself as a martyr to the nursery and stay out every night He will grudge her a scanty allowance allowance allow allow- ance and wonder why she never never nev neve er looks smart If he Isn't telling I her that he is ashamed of her dullness dullness dullness dull dull- ness he is reproving her for talking too much Men len Are Old OId Your husbands husband's position is basically basically basic basic- ally and completely reasonable If he is to be trusted with the sirens of the office then surely you may maybe may be trusted with a couple of agreeable agree i able and helpful college boys especially especially especially espe espe- on an employer and employee basis But ask nine out of ten men how they feel when a mans man's voice answers the home telephone and they will flush up angrily and mention the lynch law A hundred years ago there were no no women in downtown business and that particular danger did not ex ex- ex- ex 1st T There ere were no office love af of affaIrs affairs fairs and the only women in a mans man's day lay were those of his own om house hold sold Now the most attractive women in the world special trained coli college e g e graduates beautifully groomed roomed alert sexually free are on in the prowl through all downtown I think that with your literary work tad and your friendly college neighbors you rou have quite innocently provided yourself with a safeguard that will keep cep both you and Jerry straight in in- Jn marriage As long as this arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment neat works as a help and pleasure pleasures I II I think you might say to Jerry that until he takes work In an office tailed staffed only by men you feel justified in continuing it 1 1 Mother l Honored The National Catholic conference I Ion on n family life has chosen Mrs Math Kas the Cath Cath- Lies des of Andale as oUe lie Mother for 1947 Mrs Lies Is isto i ithe the to mother of 14 children and lives liveson livesa an on a a farm Her husband is dead At the same time the conference made lade public a letter from President Truman Fruman in which he termed the family the root and flower of civi- civi ration He said the church had made lade a great contribution toward development of a sound and responsible sible ble family life I |
