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Merits -

Each chart came with a list of things for which you can either receive merit or demerit points. At the end, you would have to subtract your demerit score from your merit score, and the higher the number, the better the partner. Here are some merits for men.

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Husband's merits: Gives wife ample allowance or turns pay check over to her -

This generous deed will get you five merit points!

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Frequently compliments wife -

The chart gives the examples of compliments regarding her looks, cooking, housekeeping, etc., and offers men five points for those sweet nothings.

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Remembers birthdays, anniversaries, etc -

Another five merit points for simple memory!

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An ardent lover who sees that wife climaxes in marital congress -

This one would get men a well-deserved 20 merit points!

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Courteous to wife’s friends -

Your partner's friends can still be a tricky topic today, but if the husband was nice to his wife's friends he'd earn a merit point.

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Helps with dishes, caring for children, scrubbing -

It says "helps with," as it was assumed this was a woman's task.

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Polite and mannerly even when alone with wife -

The second half of that sentence is a little worrisome. 

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Has date with wife at least once per week -

If you have more than one date with your wife every week, you can collect five merit points per date.

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Reads newspaper, books, or magazines aloud to wife -

Because she can’t read?

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Steady worker and good provider -

The duty of providing for the family was a heavy one for men to bear, but at least it earned them five points?

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Husband’s demerits: Stares at or flirts with other women while out with wife -

This would cost you five demerit points, and today it may cost you even more.

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Publicly praises bachelor days and regrets having married -

The audacity of regretting your marriage out loud in public is surprisingly only one demerit point.

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Reads newspaper at the table -

Unless, perhaps, he's reading it to his wife?

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Fails to come to table promptly when meal is ready -

It was also assumed that wives would always have meals ready on time.

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Brings guests home for meals without warning wife -

They couldn't just order takeout to accommodate for the extra mouths!

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Doesn’t phone when late for dinner -

This demerit still stands today.

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Compares wife unfavorably with his mother or other wives -

This is cruel for any wife to experience, and it would earn husbands five demerit points.

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Criticizes wife in public -

It doesn't specify anything about in private, but publicly this would cost five demerit points.

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Leaves dresser drawers open -

This is still one of the hilariously petty arguments only married people have.

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Snores -

Not much you could do about this one back in the '30s.

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Wife's merits: A good hostess-even to unexpected guests -

Despite the fact that he will be receiving demerit points for his unexpected guests, the wife is still expected to be a good hostess.

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Dresses for breakfast -

No pajama breakfasts for wives!

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Neat housekeeper -

For keeping things clean and tidy, wives earned one merit point.

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Can play a musical instrument -

The chart specifies an instrument like the piano or violin. Learning it only earned women one merit point.

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Can carry on an interesting conversation -

Interesting on whose terms, we can probably guess.

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Personally puts children to bed -

Tucking them in earned wives one merit point.

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Never goes to bed angry, always makes up first -

If you swallow your pride and you're always the one to say sorry first, you will earn five merit points.

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Reacts with pleasure and delight to marital congress -

For enjoying sex, or at least looking like she was enjoying sex, she would receive 10 points.

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Religious—sends children to church or Sunday school and goes herself -

Women would earn a whopping 10 points for this one.

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Lets husband sleep late on Sunday and holidays -

While she gets dressed, makes breakfast, cleans up, and takes the kids to church, she's also not supposed to make noise so her husband can sleep in.

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Wife’s demerits: Doesn’t like children -

This is an interesting addition, since the chart largely assumed that a married couple already has children. Anyway, it would cost you five demerit points.

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Slow in coming to bed—delays until husband is almost asleep -

That is to say, if the wife was avoiding that marital congress, she would get a demerit point.

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Fails to sew on buttons or darn socks regularly -

Not many women today know how to do this, but it was expected of a wife in the '30s.

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Wears red nail polish -

Red nail polish was clearly the signal of a deeper character flaw that was absolutely unsuitable for a wife.

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Often late for appointments -

Mind you, she had to look pretty, but if it took too long, it would cost her five demerit points.

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Seams in hose often crooked -

Yes, if the seam in your nylons wasn't running straight down your leg, that was considered part of being a bad wife.

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Goes to bed with curlers on her hair or much face cream -

You had to look beautiful for breakfast the next day, but you also had to be appealing for all that marital congress.

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Puts her cold feet on husband at night to warm them -

Today, this might earn you a squeal and a giggle, but back then it was an offense to your partnership

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Is a back-seat driver -

Women typically weren't assumed to be driving, but they also couldn't comment on or criticize the driver's actions and decisions.

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Flirts with other men at parties or in restaurants -

It's interesting that husbands got five demerits if they flirted specifically in front of their wives, but wives got five demerits for flirting at all.

See also: Bizarre marriage and divorce laws from around the world.

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