| OCR Text |
Show ' KATHLEEtT HORfllS . Failing Marriage . Bell yndICBte--VNU - Fenturca .. ny blathleen ;norris n MEniCA ' comes, first with me in everything. Ninety-nine times in a hundred she stands head 'and , shoulders . above .4 the rest of ;the;wqrfd." In the hundredth case I pjass as lightly- over x her short ! comings as I can -.'and' hope and- knoy that -coming generations will correct them. , " " .. So one evening some . weeks ago I was made" really unhappy by the . quite Innocent and. unaffected talk. of a certain French professor. We happened, as we sat about a friend's fire, to. get on ;the" subject , of European marriage ' and '. the - entirely. en-tirely. -different attitude in which young" persons overseas approach this tremendous jubject.. '. .: And as 'I "listened, I bad' tin comfortably com-fortably to admit in niy so'ul that theirs is a wiser, attitude and a wholesomer plan than -ours and one calculated- to' build -better homes and children, better . qommunities and .bfetter ; men ,and"woTncn. :. . Accept Marriage Naturally 'Marriage iwith" our-.wgmen," he said, "is an accepted state. It is not an . experiment. ; The- girl be- I comes a wife just as -definitely as she is a French' .woman, blonde or dark,, short , or tall, hardworking; well-to-do" or somewhere between. Married, she and. her husband can afford so much or so little j he needs her help in the shop.', or-restaurant or farm, as a secretary or with .the-hospitality .the-hospitality that maintains his posj-, tion. They Want arid ' are expected to have, children. "The'y?'face the facts,"' he .said.. "They ,do not attempt to deny or" elude them. They, make the' most of.' what- they have-." Our. wprnen like the.'quiet certainty of marriage; with its' plans, protection and com- . . we feel that we gain more . panionship. It is ' not. with , us a springboard;,; it lis 'a deliberately cnosen newway of life We give up- much old'.w'ays, old freedom., old .amusements. . But we feel that we gain -more... '.,. ' :- "Alimony ;'is low,-among the-great body "of1 France's sober. and industrious indus-trious . people of the, great middle .clas's -the people whose scheme includes in-cludes villas,. cars and country-holidays .'and-a: couple of steady family servants'. , whose , position is . quite as .definite and respectable as those of their" ; employers,. No Need for Pretense .-"Youngsters," -"she'i - said, ."ao-oroach ."ao-oroach marriace with-care and with the. help '.of family- interest and. ad-Vicel ad-Vicel '.Their parents knriw . the 3".oune; man, h's background, and his record. The girl knows what money she': will have to spend and her mother and father advise her as outlay; -Everyone knows every-tinr; every-tinr; so", '.there 'is small need for display or .pretense. "Once married.- she is married. Her'vhojjse.' her . Hnen,; her clvldren and her "hospitflUties- are 'aM-inipor: i,ant.JP. her. Her husband comes f!.rstViIJeN;.rriust be comfortable: he .ust be.ma'de to feel himself ;lovd ; fie. .has ". fauUs; . so has she. Ruj tradit;nn ahd trainine; save , them j both from -many:' pitfalls that your yb'un'w married persons know and. of which they become victims. "Ther.famnfeS aPri fr,Vnrc rn nT drop in on them unexnectedly during dur-ing the;fh-t vear.'" They, are nni .HXDected to take groups .of . youne fripnds'.o ex"p.ns5"e. 4nicht clubs nd foot the. bill. Chridren"afe ex-debted, ex-debted, and ' with, the'.' com in? of '?'j.rren the worn an finds herc"lf mpfe important than before. She is' wife, mistress, mother.' tinrrV. keeper,; "'.That-'.-she remains bal-apcedand bal-apcedand self-crritroned and equal 'ji c'n&'her.'di'itv'-'paps that every-!VP! every-!VP! j-p )" '-' r. ' ' 1 . ' "f'-'oW "oe? li'yiv.; : -'' :.,i.-1i0 ROid ijess in France, in" the Scandinavia's or among Belgian, Bel-gian, Swiss and Pnl;sh.'wives. These nrevwnmen.;-w.ith a job, 'a po?'ti"n nci'1PP0Mt home ties to keep them balanced. VVeiph: these, three with, ems and ynu will see what Is larking in'the !ii.?si, :so m-ay ' thousands cf. our yretrri3tr.ied women. Our youn tVdori'.tknnw whore they stand ' to:'of , the husband is as un, iyM. P.aJ.n.e!h!P arid . as "confused .the wife; SiTe-'warvfe amusement: foJMmls-. her sitting room torn to ftceand ".done, over:- she wants a fur, coat: What she.. wants has no reference -at all to what money she has to spare for it.' She and her husband go to cocktail parties and evening bars.' quarrel, come home half-sick with a sense of frustration. |
