The Nervous Housewife

Its Psychi

nd Poverty. Theologians and the sentimentalists are unanimous in their praise of poverty,-the theologians because they seek their treasure in heaven, and the sentimentalists because they are inc

all poor housewives suffer from the neurosis,-that would be nonsense. But poor food, poor housing, poor clothing, the lack of vacations, the insufficient c

o the bearing and rearing of children, does more than any human being should do. It is very well to say, "See what the women of a past generation did," but could we lo

g. After all, what is poverty in one age is riches in another; what is poverty for one man is wealth to his neighbor. More th

at bulwark against fatigue and obsession. But contentment leads away from achievement, which springs from discontent, from yearning desire. Whether civilization in the sense of our achievements is worth

verty-fear and worry-and we must pass to their con

or he dies,-dies of starvation, disease, disaster. It is true that worry may be excessive and directed eit

nt on charity by unemployment, a long illness, or any failure of power and strength, cannot be as philosophical as the man fortified by a nice bank account or dividend-paying investments. These well-to-do adviser

either a workman or a struggling business man always on the edge of failu

period, there is a reaction of the "time of life" that is found very commonly. For old age is no longer far off on the horizon; it is close at hand, around t

n dependents are now sustainers; those who have been led now guide; the inferiors are the superiors. This is not cynicism, for with the best

truggle of a lifetime is part of the worry of poverty, t

ngs are true; the difficulty is not to make people believe it, it is to make people feel it. Deeply ingrained in poverty is not alone to be deprived of thing

ll daydreaming builds this air castle; all ambition has this as its goal. No matter how we disguise it to ourselves and others, the main ends of purpose are power and place. True, we may

s in everything, from the cleverness and beauty of his children to the excellence of his taste in hats. Money has the advant

ildren, her home, her housekeeping, her money,-vies with her in folly as well as in wisdom. How much of the extravagance of women (and here is a difficu

or effort rises from these feelings, and an incredibly large part. Many a man who bends unremitting in his effort has

dissatisfaction and discontent of the world are envy and jealousy. In many cases it may be a righteous sort of jealousy or envy. A woman, especially because she is a rival of

to be poor all their lives like we are." Here is the woman who works herself to the bone, yet is content and well save for her fatigue, if her children respond to her efforts by success in study

other love is blind to,-that the average child is unappreciative of the parents' efforts and takes them for granted. The man is more apt to think and say, "Let them stand on t

ly the psychology of the masses is being altered by education, by the newspaper, the magazine, the movie, the automobile, the fashion changes that make a dress obsolete in a season and above all the department store and the alluring advertis

funds, a fact of great importance in bringing about discord in the house. As the shopper the poor woman now sees the beautiful things that her ancestors knew nothing of, since there were no

al sequence of the publicity luxury to-day has. The most successful commercial minds of America are in a conspiracy against the poor Housewife to make her discontented with her lot by increasing her desires; they ar