Life — February 2, 1911 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Husbands’ Correspondence are in receipt of one Carnegie Hero medal, for which we here- by make due acknowledgments. The letter which accompanies it informs us that it is presented to us for our “ serv- THE PARIS TREATMENT ices in the cause of humanity.” We shall place it in our office in a conspicu- ous place, securely fastened in a frame nailed to the wall. In commenting upon this gift, and in endeavoring to show our appreciation to the donor, we may say that it is incidents like this—in the midst of a busy and horassed career—that really totch” us profoundly and make us realize that after all, our work will be recognized by posterity he sense of responsibility which at tines almost overwhelms us, the: feeling thot all over the country countless hus- bands have entrusted to our hands their present happiness and their entire future, together with the criticisms and com- plaints we are constantly receiving from those who do not understand the bur- dens we are bearing and the full nature of our work—all this, we say, at times fills us with a despondency we cannot shake off; until, out of the gloom some- thing happens like the receipt of this We have decided, by the way, on a oS be Le ead eg small increase in our rates for new cus- tomers all along the line; we have not taken this step without anxious consid- eration, but the cost of everything is going up; in particular our rent has been increased, and owing to the commenda- ble vigilance of the police, it is much more expensive to run our Secing-the- Tenderloin auto than ever before. Our Vaudeville artists command _ higher prices, and as these features are abso- lutely necessary to bring many of our suffering patrors into a normal condition of mind, we cannot, of course, give them up. Indeed, we may say that our enter- tainment program for the coming year is more extensive than ever. We do not claim to be the originator of the idea that husbands should have some desirable entertainment outside of their own homes; but we do claim to have originated the idea that this enter- tainment should not be secret, but should be open as the day, and administered as a kind of moral palliative. Our course in Paris, for example, while on its face it has naturally been subjected to the jibes of the prudes, has been the means of regenerating many a husband. What we aim to do, in short, in our superb entertainment, is to disillusionize our patrons. When we get through with some husband who has, for example, been living in a small western town all his married life, he must be convinced “ PLUNGED INTO A VORTEX OF PLEASURE.” “1 SNEAKED AWAY FROM HOME.” that after all home is the best place. We sate him with pleasure, so to speal Of course, many husbands have re- lapses; here is a sample of letters which we occasionally receive: Drag Ovo Bureau: About a year ago you took my case in hand, and, after looking over all the possi- bilities, vot prescribed a course of treatment in the Metropolis under your able entertain: ment committee. By your instructions I sneaked away from home in the dead of night, left my wife in doubt as to my where. abouts, and “plunged” into the vortex of pleasure you so ably provide. After a month's whirl, I returned home, perfectly satisfied to settle down. My wile forgave me, and, indeed, has loved me ever since with a ‘splendid affection, Recent signs, however, indicate that some of her old symp: toms are returning; she's getting too sure of me, and, with your permission, I will leave here next week, and renew old ties. Give my love to the tall, handsome blonde, and let me have my old’seat in your Seeing-the- Tenderloin auto. Recklessly yours, pes Ges This is a case of matrimonial wander- Just which we alone know how to treat. Under ordinary circumstances, this gentleman would long ago have had ir- reparable difficulties with his wife, lead- ing to a divorce, and now both of them would be joyless outcasts, looking in through the brilliantly lighted windows of hymen’s winter palace with frozen noses. All we do is to recognize a per- fectly normal tendency, and to permit its artistic expression under the charge comicbooks.com