Show KA KATHLEEN NORRIS S Thus This Wife Prays Plays Degrading Role Roe VT IT T IS a thoroughly y unhappy wife who is writing you says the letter of Harriet Evans of Chicago And if you think I ever dreamed I could write those words you are arc entirely mistaken Two years ago when I was married at 19 I thought Justin was the most attractive impressive impressive impressive im im- im- im handsome adorable man manI I ever had known known and and I think so still But two things make me desperately desperately desperately des des- sad and I get sadder and sadder and I cant can't bear to look ahead to months years months years to my whole life going this way This is the situation When we married Justy was 39 and I was 19 It was terribly exciting especially I as Mother and all my relatives were pleased I came to a lovely apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment and we have a little lake lakehouse lakehouse lakehouse house where we go in summer Justy told me all about his financial fi fi- fi financial affairs and what he planned and I felt very proud to be trusted by him He said he did not w want nt children for at least five years at which time he should be assistant superintendent of sales and perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps one of the vice presidents and said of course he did not want his wife to go on working Had Good Job For a year I had had a good Job with my aunt who employs about 12 girls In her millinery store or or rather rooms for she is on the second floor of at a big building She makes hats for some of the smartest smartest smartest smart smart- est women in the city I was one of her salesgirls and was paid 50 a week I r loved this work I had friends and it was fun My aunt is ver very f N ft adorable man strict with her girls but they adore her I miss them I would not mind if it I had a baby or one coming for I love babies and always wanted two girls and two boys But ButI I did tell Justy when we were engaged engaged engaged en en- that if he felt it would be silly to have them too soon I would agree to whatever he liked We have an excellent cook who does everything I dust th the rooms fill vases write notes and sometimes some- some t tunes times es go downtown to a 1 movie Justy usually has lunch at his club and quite often goes in fn for a rubber of bridge after his office day and andI I am glad of all that and that he plays golf gal and sometimes go goes s fish fish- Ing But this leaves me very lonely Am I ungrateful to feel this way with all the blessings I have I feel like a puppet dressed up to play a apart apart apart part when I used to feel fecI as if life ille wasn't long enough for all the fun that was in hi it Please help me out The Thc answer is Harriet that you have two problems one not serious and the other fundamental To take the unimportant one first It is unfortunately unfortunately unfortunately un un- fortunately true that there are still men left leU in this world who feel that thatto thatto thatto to have a pretty useless devoted little wIle wife as a sort of appendage to their own magnificence is flatter latter I i ing to their self She must mustI I look pretty she must be obedient she must be out of the way when more interesting things absorb him and ready to amuse him in leisure hours This is an unsatisfactory and even degrading role for a woman to play but since you are his w wife e. e and he is generous and kind and steady and devoted you'll probably have to play it for a while at least Right to Motherhood But the other thing the calm decision decision decision de de- de- de to cheat you of your right to motherhood is much more serious and you should not tolerate it for a 9 moment Whatever silly promise you made in your girlhood about a situation and conditions of which you were entirely Ignorant no decent decent decent de de- de- de cent man would hold you to in these early years of your wifehood It isn't only the moral consideration tion and that delaying the coming of children works physical miseries and often lessens the devotion between between between be be- tween husband and wife but it has hasa a bad effect upon a womans woman's nerves She feels herself belittled supported and dressed and taken about as an exhibition of beauty and charm and wifely devotion but not considered worthy of the deeper and more basic responsibilities and joys of her position |