The man who, aided by a sore conscience, has worked himself into such a state of mind as this must be permitted to talk himself out before he can be made to see the true state of affairs.  In the minds of both man and woman there is likely to be found a superstructure of suspicion, jealousy, misinterpretation and distrust, built upon the basic fact of their incompatibility, which has to be pulled down before the true causes can be probed.  To arrest a man in this state of mind is in his eyes simply to “take sides” against him.  Eventually he may have to be arrested, but, in the case worker’s experience, the chances of success are ten to one if the man can be induced to take some voluntary step toward reconciliation without the intervention of the law.  In many instances a real interview with the man, while not exonerating him, would have thrown new light on the woman’s statements.

A family social work society writes:  A young woman with her mother and little boy were referred for aid by a medical social department because her husband had deserted and she was unable to work.  The doctors feared that her breakdown would result in insanity, so they asked that her wishes be respected in not seeing the man’s family.  She recovered, but it was later found that her husband, while not doing all that he might for her, had been living at home a good deal of the time and did not know that his family was in receipt of aid.

Some years ago a charity organization society, which maintained a special bureau for treatment of desertion cases, was asked by a Mrs. Clara Williams to help her find her husband, John, who had left her some years previously and was living with another woman, so that she might force him to contribute to the support of herself and her two children.  Mrs. Williams was a motherly appearing person who kept a clean, neat home, and seemed to take excellent care of her children.  She was voluble concerning her husband’s misdeeds and very bitter toward him, which seemed only natural.  The fact of the other household was corroborated from other sources, and Mr. Williams’ work references indicated that he had been quarrelsome and difficult for his employers to get along with, although a competent workman.  The problem seemed to the desertion agent a perfectly clear and uncomplicated one and he proceeded to handle it according to the formula.  Some very clever detective work followed, in the course of which the man was traced from one suburban city to another, and his present place of employment found in the city where his wife lived, although he lived just across the border of another state.  The warrant was served upon the man as he stepped from the train on his way to work, and he appeared in the domestic relations court.  He did not deny the desertion but made some attempt to bring counter charges against his wife.  When questioned about his present mode of living he became silent and refused to testify further.  He was placed under bond,