Subject: Proper behavior of a wife

The following is from a 1950 high school Home Economics textbook:             

Have dinner ready.  Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a              
delicious meal on time.  This is a good way of letting him know               
that you have been thinking about and are concerned about his needs.          

Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good            
meal is part of the warm welcome needed.                                      

Prepare yourself.  Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you will be           
refreshed when he arrives.  Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in             
your hair and be fresh looking.  He has just been with a lot of               
work-weary people.  Be a little gay and a little more interesting.            

His boring day may need a lift.                                               

Clear away the clutter.  Make one last trip through the main part             
of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school            
books, toys, paper, etc.  Then run a dust cloth over the tables.              
Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and          
it will give you a lift, too.                                                 

Prepare the children.  Take a few minutes to wash the children's              
hands and faces  (if they are small), comb their hair, and if                 
necessary, change their clothes.  They are little treasures and he            
would like to see them playing the part.                                      

Minimize all noise.  At the time of his arrival, eliminate all                
noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum.  Try to                    
encourage the children to be quiet.  Be happy to see him and greet            
him with a warm smile.                                                        

Listen to him.  You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the              
moment of his arrival is not the time.  Let him talk first.                   

Make the evening his.  Never complain if he does not take you out             
to dinner or to other pleasant entertainment.  Instead try to                 
understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to unwind and           
relax.  Make him comfortable.  Have him lean back in a comfortable            
chair or suggest that he lie down in the bedroom.  Have a cool or             
warm drink ready for him.  Arrange his pillow and offer to take off           
his shoes.  Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice.                
Allow him to relax and unwind.                                                

Some don'ts:  Don't greet him with problems and complaints.  Don't            
complain if he is late for dinner.  Count this as minor compared to           
what he might have gone through that day.                                     

The goal:  To make your home a place of peace and order where your            
husband can relax in body and spirit.