Are you a young wife whose dreams have not come true?
Do you sit and think of all your old friends, many of whom married young men who are progressive? Do you think of their beautiful homes, their pretty clothes, and their circle of cultured friends? You are glad they are situated so comfortably and happily, but you can not help envying them at times. How your thoughts must wander back over your courtship days. You recall that your husband was the most promising young man of that set. You recall how all the other girls envied you when you were married. You recall how easy it would have been for you to have had almost any of the other young men.
How the picture has changed!
Somehow that promising youth of a few years ago has not been the success you were sure he would be. Somehow, he has fallen into a rut and is satisfied with a small salary. He has lost his nerve. He has lost faith in himself. He does not count the “up and doing” young men of your community among his friends. He does not keep up his personal appearance. Every single thing about him has changed so. He has no ambition to climb up the ladder of success.
You alone realize and worry about this sudden change. You know what your friends are saying about both of you. How often you have heard them refer to someone in your circumstances “the poor thing. I feel so sorry for her. She doesn’t know anything but poverty and worry.”
Like all the rest there are two courses you can follow. One will lead you to poverty and hardships, and the other to prosperity and happiness.
You alone can be the stimulant for your husband. You must lead the way if you expect to revive his energy and ambition. You know very well he is capable if only he would muster up and try.
Are you content to go along hoping for the best? Each year you are both getting a little deeper in the rut—the rut that will finally submerge you so deep that your old friends who are now starting on the right road will forget about you.
Think how different life would be if you lived in a pretty home. If you felt satisfied you were going up the ladder instead of down, down, down, year after year.
Would you prove yourself capable of doing things if you had the opportunity? Don’t credit the success of your friends to luck. When they saw an opportunity they took advantage of it. We are laying right before your eyes a number of plans which will start you and your discouraged husband on the road to success. Will you pass it by?