INVISIBLE HUSBANDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20000, 16 July 1920, Page 9

INVISIBLE HUSBANDS.

Each week-end our railways find themselves struggling with a huge and increasing husband-carrying trade. In this seething, unsettling period of human -affairs a husband gives up Ins business, say, in London, and_ restart s in some country town, possibly in a totally different profession. Here tho alternatives dor his wife* and children arc a. turablodown cottage purchasable, for a. fantastic sum, or rooms with a landlady who will not have Into meals, or early meals, or washing, or boot-cleaning, or duties on Sunday or Wednesday afternoons—who, in fact, appears only to have about an hour and a. half in the middle of tho day available for work. A simple sum in subtraction proves that as ho cannot live, with his family be must live by himself and his family must remain in.London, To Ids surprise ho finds himself run after as a, lodger. Whereas even a. bachelor wants at least a homo, and a woman lodger wants early tea, before breakfast, a. preparatory lunch at eleven, afternoon parties for friends, uso of the garden, and, in fact, is “always there,” the absentee husband asks only for a place whore ho can sleep a, little and gulp -one or two meals live days a week before- be hurries back to London and bis wife and children. Ho puts up in tho house, probably, of a. “peace widow” whose, husband is called away by Ids business to some other part, and his own wife, if times are bard, may put up ycl another husband who has been compelled to come to London and leave another assorted lot of wife and children in tho country. Tho homeless husband leads a. happy careless lile, free from domestic troubles. His children rarely meet him. He used to see them constantly - —chatted with them for live minutes nt breakfast time (in the intervals of newspaper reading), and called good night • Ui them up the stairs in tho evening when !m came back from the office. : Tbo : o happy days of family life, are Past- Now ho only sees them late cn Saturday night when they are asleep. Ho writes them. a. picture postcard occasionally, and they redirect Ids letters to him. I'eacc, has broken up many happy homes. England is heavily over-hus-banded.—H.R., in the “ DaiW. Mail. ’