El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-30
Dorothy Dix Writes on
Shall the Bride Stop Work ?
The Question of Marrying Man Who Can't Support
You Has Several Angles To It.
BY DOROTHY DIX.

parents are Mortified at the thought
of their marrying a man who can't
support them. and say that they must
wait until their sweclhearts are in
position TO provide them with a home
Old and New View.
There you have the new view and
the old view of the subject. and IT'S
the new view that is going to prevail
in the future If we are to have many
more weddings. For we had lust as
well wake up to the cold fact that
the average man, alone and unaided
cannot make enough money TO sup.
port a family comfortably, and that
unless the wife contributes something
to the family cEchequer it puts natri-
mony in the list OF not-to-be-thought-
of Injuries like keeping a watch. or
racing automobiles.
This is not the fault of the men
They work as hard as they can. They
are not responsible for small salaries
and the ever increasing cost of living
but the result is that every year fewer
and fewer young men feel that they
can afofrd to marry.
This is hard on the girls. hard on
the men, and a death blow to poster
ity. and the only solution of the diff
ficulty is for rs to have enough COM
mon sense to rid ourselves of the an
tiquated notion that TIE only proper
place for a woman to work after mar
riage is in her own home. and that IL
is a reflection on her husband for him
not to be able to retire her to private
life.
Ten TiHiess Harder.
Nobody contends that domestic work
is easier or more agreeable than work
in a store or office On the contrary
it is ten times as hard and about a
six or eight hours q day longer Job.
So the question of making life softer
for the woman doesn't enter into il.
So far as her comfort is concerned she
is much better off working in Mr.
Smiths office or Mr.. Jones's store
than she is in cooking and washing
and scrubbing for her husband
That disposes Of one phase Of the
matter. Another is that in the great
majority of cases the girl who has
qualified herself for a teacher. or
stenographer. or clerk likes her work.
She has a pride In it: she sees promo
tiOn in it. Her labor is in a nice, clean
office or store, under conditions that
enable her to be well dressed. and
among people who are congeniaL
There is 4 certain amount OF interest
and excitement about it. and she finds
it infinitely more to her taste than
she does domestic service. Why should
she give up this congenial occupation
for which she has no taste?
To relegate every married woman
20 the kitchen is just as absurd as it
would be TO force every married man
to become 4 carpenter or a shoe
maker.
why should They Do ItF
Why should a woman who can earn
SIS or S35 or $50 n week in business
give it up to do the work that some
other woman can be hired to do for
S. a week? Yet that is the PROPOSE
ton that is offered to many a girl who
is told that she mustn't work after
marriage except in her husbands
kitchen.
The main argument, however in
favor of q business girl keeping on
with her job after marriage, unless
she has happened to fall in love with
a rich man, is that if she and her
sweetheart pool their earning they
can get married and be happy while
they are still at the love time of life
and II they don't there viii be no
ringing Of their wedding bells VIII be
accompanied by such a howl from the
wolf at the door that it will drown out
their music.
The dearest wish of every woman
heart is to help the man she loves
II she can do this letter by working
outside of the home. in heavens name
what objection is there to her doing
it? Nor need the man feel humi1iated
by her doing So She isn't supporting
him. She is just good little partner
who is putting in her part of the caDi-
tai in the domestic firm in money in
stead Of domestic service
So say TO every girl who is de-
batting this proposition, marry your
man and hold on to your job. Then
you'll have two good things instead
Of having to choose between them.