HOUSEWORK NOT HATEFUL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 2, 3 January 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOUSEWORK NOT HATEFUL.

Acting is undeniably mare attractive than liousework, states an English writer, if we can persuade a producer to allow us to act. There is some hope of being appreciated on the stage—but in the home, oh, dear, no! Running a home is a duty according to the opinion of almost every husband, and quite a number of other folks, and duty is a thriving, meaningless word, and the ever-busy housewife who does her work only as a duty is never really happy, no matter how well she may do it. It is no wonder that the emotional nature of such a woman explodes in futile little revolts against the deadly dull days of mechanical monotony. Then there are those aggravating people around her, meaning her husband and children- Why will they not try to understand how positively disheartening and nerve-racking is the perpetual washing of dishes and cooking food for folks who haven't the common decency to utter a word of appreciation? Countless girls set off to become wives feeling that there can be no greater joy than pleasing and keeping the home nice for the man they are going to marry. Life is filled with such golden promisee for the young. Possibly the bride-to-be is trusting enough to believe that her husband will pass along just the same amount of praise and compliments as lie has done while they were engaged; but, of course, she doesn't get it for long, though she may for a little while. She is up.against human nature, which rarely values that which is possessed. One wonders if men realise what a lot they are losing when they prove too indolent to pass along a few words of appreciation. A wealthy friend of mine married a quite poor man. Instead of being waited upon herself she had to wait upon her husband, and do countless other horrid things which at home had been done by the servants. The couple are still living only just above the poverty line, and they have been married eight years, but both are ideally happy. Of course, everyone said she would never stick the monotony of housework, which cannot honestly be regarded as interesting or thrilling, and it is doubtful if she would have done so had not the husband never failed to give her a few words of encouraging appreciation. "By Jove! you can cook steak, Nell. This couldn't be beaten by a chef." "Say, kiddy, what a dinky little show you've made of this place!" or "Those curtains look fine," he would say, or something after the same style. Simple words, trifles light as air, but magical in their result. The value of expressed appreciation cannot be over-e6timated. As a contrast to the couple above mentioned, I recall another man and wife whose happiness to pieces in a short while. The wife had been a business girl, and knew very little about the home,, so her best efforts were not always a success. Yet she did try, and sometimes she would work very hard, and get almost everywhere as nice as possible. Not a word about this from her husband, though, despite the fact that he always grumbled when things weren't in order. If she asked him if he liked the way she'd done this room or that he would reply tactlessly, "Oh. yes, it's all right; but I notice you haven't dusted the hat stand." How could any woman enjoy woric when this was the best form of praise she could get in return for it?