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Show Kathleen Norris Says: The Perfect Wife Really Exists! (Bell Syndicate WNU Service.) J In a worried time she was never at a loss for surprises kindnesses, discoveries discover-ies of the first spring flower, or a good book, or a new little dish for my tray. By KATHLEEN NORRIS HOW near are you to being a perfect woman? wom-an? This is a fascinating question, ques-tion, and the answer to it may suggest to you a fascinating occupation. It may amuse you and keep you busy and happy for years trying to turn yourself into a perfect woman. wom-an. A man's letter suggested this idea. He writes me that he has the perfect wife. They have been married seventeen years; they aren't rich or famous or 3roung any more; they're both close to forty. But his letter makes thrilling reading, and I pass it on. A Tough Beginning. "We had to wait seven years for our happiness," he writes. "They were long years, and sometimes discouraging dis-couraging years. Dee was taking care of her mother, a helpless invalid, in-valid, and teaching school as well. There seemed to be no reason why she might not be so held for many years. I was in medical school, with the hope that a hospital appointment might some day pay me $75 a month. "When Dee was 23 and I 30, however, I was ofTered a position in a small country town, with $100 a month and free rent guaranteed. At the same time an aunt of Dee's was widowed, and came to live with her mother, and we persuaded the old folks to let us turn the upstairs floor of the home into a flat The rent was $35 and we sent them another an-other $35 and they managed easily. "We went at once to our own home, and I took up my clinic duties at once. My wife kept a wonderful table and we could entertain simply sim-ply on her food allowance of $25 a month. Presently I began to get an outside case or two; every dollar counted, of course, but we never hod any sense of anxiety or scrimping. scrimp-ing. Two boys came along, nnd their mother took care of us nil; always gentle, sympathetic, understanding. under-standing. "I think gentleness is Dee's outstanding out-standing characteristic. She is always al-ways neat nnd fresh, always merry and adequate and wise, but her outstanding out-standing characteristic is gentleness. gentle-ness. If something comes up that troubles her, she is silent, thoughtful, thought-ful, gentle about it. Always Sees the Bright Side. "Dee never will have a bill or a standing debt. We may have to go on short rations for a while, but she must pay bills first. Her mother's moth-er's final illness was a long one; we had doctors and nurses, but Dec managed to make us nil feel that it was a privilege rather than n burden bur-den to do nil we could. "She makes picnic, parties, festivals fes-tivals of ordinary living. In a wor- ried time for I had a long, dull ill-ness ill-ness she was never nt a loss for surprises, kindnesses, discoveries of the first spring flower, or a good book, or a new little dish for my tray. Our little girl, coming when her brolhers were 9 nnd 7, was born almost blind. Normal now, for her first two years her mother had to be eyes for her. Deo never showed me her hitler worry, never grew tired. "Her home Is n place of rest and music and laughter and happy meals nnd happy talks. winter we are to coziest family in town. In summer Dee's beloved garden has our supper table In it, 'under nn oak. For vacations we have n three-room lake collage; for hobblesbut hob-blesbut we have them nil! "The vivid, eager, loving woman who has done nil this for a man nnd three children In, I think, (he lined PERFECT WIFE Almost all wives are very nice women in many ways, but Kathleen Norris is told about one wife that is "perfect." An appreciative husband hus-band writes Miss Norris, telling her about his wife, and hotv thouchtjul, kind and generous she is. His letter let-ter offers a "measuring stick" for women everywhere to test themselves them-selves and see how high or low they rate. Why not make this little test yourself? human being I ever knew. You hear the other side; you write of divorces and problems, mean mothers-in-law, money troubles, faithless husbands, extravagant and discontented wives. But there are a lot of us on the other side of the picture; men and women who through the trials and changes of many married years have only come the more sincerely and truly to love and need each other." That's the letter. It did my heart good. The writer did not give me his address, but I hope his Dee will see this column and know that she is appreciated. How Would You Kate? How close to her measure would you come, if your husband wrote a letter describing you? What characteristics char-acteristics would you select if you were choosing those of the perfect wife? What 10 would come first? Well, perhaps first of all a woman should be gentle. She should have a sense of humor. She should be capable, a good manager of home, nursery and budget. She should be neat about herself nnd her belongings. belong-ings. She should be prompt Affectionate. Af-fectionate. Economical. Patient. Imaginative. Cheerful. This is a big order. Most women never stop even to consider these qualities, much less to ask themselves them-selves if they happen to possess them. Many women resent the idea that they could change; they are as they arc, with no need for change. "Y'ou know me," they say complacently, com-placently, "when anyone tries to put anything over on me, I never forget for-get it!" Or, "Jim's mother spoiled him for 25 years. Well, he doesn't get any more of THAT! I've got a good hot temper of my own, and it's about time Jim Baker found it out." Other women tell you prettily that they arc always late for things, and it does make poor Bob so mad! Or they're very poor cooks; Mama said she never wanted her girls to slave in nny man's kitchen. Or they never can keep their books straightened out; don't know the least thing about money. Wives in Name Only. Some wives save all the dav's annoy an-noy ances nnd worries until dinnertime, dinner-time, nnd then regale the weary man of the family upon them. Others Oth-ers quarrel and complain ronslantly with nnd of the children. Many nro extravagant nnd vain, home nnd husband hus-band serving them only as n background back-ground for constant trips to the beauty parlor nnd the frock shops Then there is always the wife who puts somebody else ahead of the man she married; whoso heart is really with her family, or whoso whole devotion goes to herehild. And the wife who has numerous love af-lairs. af-lairs. Nothing really wrong 'of course, but such fun. And so harm-less, harm-less, if only Hob wouldn't bo so ridiculously ridic-ulously jealous! All these wives are considered very nice women. Nobody expect i perfection, and we all i,avo ,. faulls, wo say leniently. Which Is perfectly tn',o. And vet t Is ns refreshing ;.,. breeze to hear .sometimes of wom-u;lm wom-u;lm l'-v '''"' "id ci.'oumslance aud her own line nature has reached so high n point of human develop. 'iK'"t that the man who has hved will, her for 1? years shll llnds her perfect. |