Show kathleen norris says tivo letters present shady in contra st bell by dacate feature t M i r IA 0 00 M U I 1 0 too 0 00 ell chere are shortages of all sorts but we get along famously and look forward to days when we shall laugh of all this by KATHLEEN NORRIS HAT is the matter w WHAT with a woman when she has everything that makes life desirable writes anne and yet her days are filled with restlessness outsiders kut and discontent to an outsiders siders eye I 1 would seem to be one of the fortunate fort binate women of the world but in my own heart there is hardly ever a moment of happiness my husband is in the service the letter goes on and we are stationed through the peculiar and secret nature of 01 f his work at a small dull post there are two other officers fama families here neither of the wives at all congenial to me though intimate aith i each other john is absorbed in his work often returning to his bast I 1 laboratory abara ory after dinner or 9 going to bed ech exhausted a as soon as he be has finished lt it my daughter 10 Is away at L school h 00 L I 1 can take walks read 1 I 1 books bo 0 ks knit manicure my nails we ar are e in m magnificently beautiful country which no one at the post ever seems to see I 1 have a horse ho r se but john like me to ride very far ar from th the e settlement sin alone ne exciting early years tears perhaps anne goes on if I 1 told you something of my earlier life you might understand the situation better dont think me vain but it is only fair to say that my appearance marked me out from my very small girl days for especial notice I 1 haday had my first offer of marriage at it t 14 at a t 17 1 I was in hollywood rapturous with excitement over being in very small parts to be sure but actually in pictures here I 1 met john handsome rich clever everything a girls heart desires ir e 5 he was 34 when at 18 1 I became his wife that was 12 years ago i after nancy was born I 1 was in V elidea elided tor for four years gradually getting back to health and strength in the mountains of new mexico here john who had never done anything serious in his life met the scientist who developed to in him the real gift he apparently has for chem astry and that was the end of tun fun tor for mel nomore trips abroad no more flying visits to new york to see the plays and buy hats no 0 more feeling myself pretty and ad ralfred long before america entered the war john was dedicated to this research that they say will be of great value to our armed forces some day nearly mad with boredom he is comple completely tily happy in his work faricy loves her school but what about met me I 1 have a fine cook and housemaid there is plenty aty of money but I 1 am bored bored boreal A delightful english officer M came here herb a month manth ago he has lust just gone and I 1 miss the companionship ion ship the stimulating friendship friend p to so terribly that I 1 feel lonelier an and d kr more completely useless than before we have no hospital here h ere the women meet every wednesday tor for red cross work to discuss children rationing icebox ice box cake and having the porch steps painted and though I 1 often join them I 1 am nearly mad wife boredom all the time what use it la is to me to have lovely clothes and know how bow to wear them to be ready tor for distinguished friendship and have no chance to make them please dont tell me to read good books and thank god I 1 am so lucky I 1 dimply canti I 1 efly by to pieces at the fae mere idea that this may go on TWO SIDES in wartime as in peace there are two sides to every question and the question of part in the war is no exception the fact that we are all working toward the same end does not alter the fact that there are two ways of going about it the right way and the wrong the anne who writes to kathleen norris this week is taking the wrong way how much better bet te rae for 0 r a all is the attitude of the th e cheerful erful woman who writes that they are getting etting along famously in in spite of shortages separation and even physical peril tor for the duration and I 1 get cl duller uller older plainer every second se condl I 1 one letter I 1 answered anne briefly that my one suggestion would be that she turn this dull interval in her exciting and luxury luxurious existence into a book an english mothers reaction now heres the other letter it Is written by a woman in england maude smith Is about annes age and has three small children richie owen gwen and stella richard senior is away in the service she has seen him once since january and that for a two day visit only maude smith was in london during the most furious raids and has lost an eye irom from an injury done by a splinter of shrapnel this splinter was in her eye for or almost a week before it was removed by that time she was up near the scottish border with her mother and so thankful to get into a hospital bed and have my shoes off after a week on pavement without a chance to take them off tor for a momen moment tl she wrote 1 you cant think what it meant in bant t to 0 have my feet clean c ean and bare and stretched on a clean amoo smooth t h sheet to be ou out t of pain and to know that there was milk tor for stella and that they all were with Mo mother therl getting along splendidly that was the first letter later she wrote me that she had feared at that time she might lose the other eye too which would have been aule quite a pity it she said with the kiddies so small however the right eye was saved and even the babas quite used to the black patch and crazy about her mummy so were getting along splendidly ive made lots of jam and the children have been wonderful with vegetables ive gathered a lew few mothers and quite a flock of babies together and d we combine forces and have a sor sort t of little school and weve had the g iving giving out of the things in the wonderful barrels I 1 did so BO want your granddaughters coats tor for my girls but they were sizes too small and just right tor for two other small sisters who were too adorably happy to be so warm and wye no men of course and shortages of all sorts 0 of f things that I 1 wont list in this letter tor for I 1 dont know how much you all over there know about it but we all get along famously an and look forward to days when we win will laugh at au all this and she ends by as asking king me if the children on my ranch like good things tor for supper and if they like this war pudding that her youngsters in england adore somehow this simple recipe touched me more brought me nearer to the situation than has many an important pronouncement from yar war authorities |