Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-28
FORGET ".
BY DOROTHY DIX.


The Worlds Highest Paid Woman
Writer.
IF could choose a motto for py sex
IA motto that should be illuminat-
ed on the walls of every house and
pasted on every woman's mirror,
where she would see Il thousand
times a day-it would be tho slang
phrase Of the lay, FORGET 1T.
The main trouble with women is
.hat they have too good memories.
They remember things too long, too
much ami too often. The chief obsta-
Gle that stands In their way to happi-
I ess Is that they are carrying such
excess baggage Of recollections OF the
past that they are Handicapped by II.
8 No m6tter what q woman's expert
rnces IN the past have been, whether
GOOD or bad, pleasant or unpleasant,
sle can never bear 10 close the door
itpon them. She is always turning
them over In her mind, dwelling upon
hem, talking about them, living them
ever again in her imagination Until
she makes herself nothing but a per-
hmbulating back number, and bore
TO everyone she meets. II
This coddling of happy memories
of the past gives us that almost un-
bearabIe affliction, the woman who
has seen better days. We all know
her. You have been two minutes in
her company before she begins TO tell.
YOU OF the almost regal splendor In
which she was reared; OF the palace
her home was: OF the multitude OF
servants: of the perennial gaiety mat
went on OF what belle she was, and,
how many ranks OF suitors-all rich
end handsome-were signing at ner
Feet; OF the inagnlficence OF ner
rousseau; of what grand wedding
Ehe had, and 30 on, and on, and on,
and on, until she comes toSthe place
where she begins to weep and says
abe never expected to come to this,
and wants to know IL you won't help
her with the rent
OF course It may seem q harmless
hing for those who1i the present
have only bread and water to eat, 70
feast upon the memories Of the cakes
and ale that they used to have In the
rast, but in reality It Is most dem
oraiizing thing to do. A woman can
make q dope dream Of her former
rraudeur that Will Just as much In
capacisate her for dealing with pres
ent copditions as II she was drugged
with opium.
I when you find q woman who lives
IN the memories or her golden past
Won viii invariably find one who ts q
Stacker. who Is shiftless. lazy, untidy
and inefficient. She 10 the kind of q
woman who, II she takes boarders,
viii expect her "reminiscences Of her
Great uncle WHO was senator to-
atone for the fact that her rooms are
dirty and her meals never on time;
or. II she takes IN sewing, viii ex-I
bect her pedigree to make up for
hooks and eyes never fitting and
skirts hanging In points around the
bottom. All the energy she needs to-
use in her business she exhausts In
remembering the past.
1t is q great blessing to have been
we'll born, to lave had q childhood
and yorth full OF sunshine and happi-
ness and plenty. but when they are
ever. they are over. They are done,
finished, past beyond recall, and the
wise woman is she who puts them be-
hind her, who forgets them and lets
other people forget them, and who
wastes no time IN dreaming of haicyonl
DAYS that are gone. but who rolls up.
her sleeves and grapples with today
and wrings something out Of It that
Il better and more substantial than
b vague memory.
IL however, the woman who Is
sloshing over with happy memories Of
the past Is q pest, the woman who
has unhappy memories s q scourgeI
from which the boldest of Us fiee.i
She Is an incarnate wet blanket, D
human kill Joy. q tear jug whose con-
tents are being continually spilled
over. us.
st her approach every smile packs
% its little kit bag andebeats 1t for
The tall timber. She has hardly
takeu her seat before she commences
tho HAD or her woes. She is poor.
hcrsecutcd creature whom nobody
loves or wants about and whom every.
BODY sights. II she's poor she Acom-
plains that her employer doesn't ar.I
prectase her and shows fsvoritisra to-
othe.s Ia. the office. II she's rich the
peorle she does things FOR are moi
eratefui enough. II she has children
flln worries over them. II she has q
husband he fails 70 conc up 20 her
saaais IF some ono she loves has