"The Ideal Husband"

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 64, Issue 2, 16 February 1942, Page 148

"The Ideal Husband"

Our Com petition

AFTER reading your entries for this competition I am quite convinced that none of you want to possess a perfect husband, but that a lot of you evidently possess an ideal husband. And so your ideals have been coupled with plenty of commonsense and practical knowledge. First prize this month goes to “Puckling,” Wairarapa, and second to “Mini Haha,” Otago, while highly commended we have “Roundabout,” King Country.

First Prize

“THE Ideal Husband” dreams of ■ youth! Through experience I have formed my ideal. He is a man who loves his wife with an everlasting love, even after discovering her weaknesses. His love is not silent.. Nothing keeps a woman happier than to hear that she is loved. My ideal is not above telling his wife she is beautiful on occasions—this gives a woman pride and self-respect. He is a man with love of children inborn. No man can hold a woman unless he is a good father to her children. ' My ideal possesses an abundance of patience, and is determined to the point of pig-headedness. No woman is really happy if she can master her man in a clash of wills. My man is interesting. He keeps to himself a little of himself—-enough to invoke curiosity. A woman likes to be kept guessing. . . /In ’ sickness my ideal is tender, tlioughful, and , helpfulbut stern when necessary. And he has a courage that nothing will conquer. He can surmount all life’s difficulties with a cheery heart, but his troubles are always taken to his wife. A woman needs the opportunity to comfort.

My ideal is ambitious, not greedy for gold dr position, but seeks to gain a place that will make for family happiness, and respect from all. And lastly, my ideal husband must have an unfailing sense of. humour. / Nothing will crush, the wings of love more quickly -than ■ the lack 'of that attribute.Ruckling, Wairarapa.

Second Prize

QO many promising lovers, yet how few develop into ideal husbands! The ideal husband would not be perceptibly different from the lover, he would still, when occasion warranted it, compliment his. wife, upon,her’ appearance. He would also, as of yore,' suggest. little outingseven a moonlight walk, for all women, irrespective of age or status, are - incurably romantic. _ Then there is no more admirable quality in any husband than a sense of humour, to laugh with her, not at her, to share all the fun, but never under any circumstances hold her earnest attempts at housekeeping up to ridicule. One thing an ideal husband would never do, and that is make fun of his wife in public. - Without being effeminate or fussy, he should, in the case of illness, be able to' do the essential jobs about a house, prepare a plain meal, and make things presen tidy. . Between husband and wife, there must be interests in common. A united front upon important questions, such as religion and politics, is very necessary, but in minor matters a husband should not force his opinions upon his wife —-rather should he encourage ’her to form her own opinions, and express them lucidly. There is no better insurance against boredom than a good friendly' argument. When the. “ideal,” through mutual consent, becomes plain “dad,” he must be a sensible one, treating the children as individuals, not as playthings to be teased and laughed at, and occasionally ' spanked. Neither should he take credit, unto himself - for all their good points, leaving all the bad ones to his wife. Mini Haha, Otago,.

Highly Commended

TTOW true are your words, Mary, that no husband is ever “perfect,” but he may be ideal, nevertheless. My conception of ideal is that which has reached such a standard of excellence (albeit perfection) that it gives one the capacity to idealise, it. Were ’'l the ideal , wife (and she is the correlative. of the ideal husband) . I would have no qualms in depicting the qualities that go to form an ideal husband, but having no delusions about my own short-comings, I shall just set forth what appeals ,to'me most in this ideal husband quest. This embraces: 1. A solid, reliable anchor, one on which I could depend for both the ups and downs of life. ' 2? One able to play as well as to work, for how true it is that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. 3. One considerate and broadminded —able to see the views of another as well as his own. 4. A natural person with no subterfuge— what he is not. 5. One who is undoubtedly master in his own house, yet who gives, his wife her unquestioned right of being mistress in his house. Roundabout, King Country. T AGREE. with Mary that the perfect •A husband does not exist, anyway he would be'a. terrible bore to live with! My ideal husband would be as follows: — - ■

He’d never forget . birthdays and other anniversaries so dear to the heart of a woman. " _ Z ‘ He’d never come indoors, not even for a minute, with muddy boots. " He’d always be cheerful and ready to lend a hand if necessary. If he didn’t like or agree with a thing, tell his wife privately, and not in — Plain Jane, Taupiri. MY IDEAL HUSBAND. » .He needn’t ' be handsome, or dashing, or tall, Nor wealthy, nor yet over-wise, But the man who will charm The heart from my breast Will be one who has merry brown eyes. I don’t want' a “doormat”no mind of his own, \ ..Nor one who would bluster or sneer: But a mind quick and eager, a wit keen and kind, And a voice, deep and friendly and dear. He needn’t be perfect, he may have some faults. But I’m willing to love him for those. . I may want to tease him, I hope he’ll - ’ tease me, For that is how comradeship grows. A lover of . laughter, of children, of books,' ' He’ll be true under grey or blue skies, ■ But this man of my heart, this king of my life, . Simply must have two merry brown eyes! —London Lass, Wellington. HTHE ideal husband is “easy, to live with,” and that is a perfect summing up. It. means that he is not too . perfect, or he would be very hard

to live up to; nor yet too imperfect, or he would be hard to live with. . A woman expends quite a lot of care over the selection of a hat, which is. only used for a short time, so what care should she take over the choice of a life-time partner! She should choose a companion with qualities which will. stand the test of time, the most important of these being honesty, courtesy, practicability, broad-mindedness, temperance, and loyalty. He must also be healthy, and possess a sense of humour, for a man who can never see a joke in anything is certainly a dour companion. In short, the everyday man, provided he has the above qualities in modera-

tion, makes the ideal husband, always provided that he is willing to .share all the ups and downs of life’s journey, and doesn’t expect his wife to be more perfect than he is himself. Mary Ann, Bell Block.

If you wish to use mutton dripping for pastry, weigh it (J lb. to 1 lb., of flour) and grate it on a vegetable grater. Make a hole. in flour in bowl; put in the centre with a pinch of salt, and mix 7 .to' a dough with salt, and usual quantity of baking powder.- If desired, add 1 dessertspoonful of lemon juice.