The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-16
DOROTEY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.
They Are Sisters Under the Skin.

that she was such a good mother that
she was hardly human
Be that is it may, there is certainly
something about motherhood that
seems to rob the average woman of al
most human intelligence when it
comes to dealing with her own off
spring. She may be a wise and sem
sible woman, with clarity of vision
and sound judgment in all other mat
tiers in life, but where her children are
concerned she takes leave of all sense
and reason and becomes binder than
any bat.
She cannot even see that her own
children are of the same flesh as all
humanity subject to the same weak
nesses and temptations. She visions
her own as little godlings living on
plane lar above. The hardest thing in
the world is ever to convince mother
that her child is at fault, and when
she is convinced of it against her will,
she invariably lays the blame on some
other child who led her precious limo
cent darling into wrong doing.
This settled conviction that every
mother has that she has Matched out
perfect white swan is the greatest bar
rier that stands in the way of women
helping their children and protecting
them. The mother wants her child to
be perfect and she shuts her eyes TO
its imperfections and refuses to see
them She never takes stock of her
child, calmly and dispassionately, as
she would of some other child; she
never recognizes it's bad qualities as
well as its good qualities, so the child
is denied whatever opportunity there
might be to have his wednesday,
steal, mental or moral-corrected.
A famous alienist once told me that
Nf ,ffh
children as they are, doomed 1nnurner-
able men and women to go thru NE
hideous deformities or gibberlng lolotS'
Surgery can do wonders in stralgn teh-
ing out soft little bones. Skilled a1eH-
lists can perform miracles in RAINING
the flicker of intelligence into a bright
er flame in a baby's brain. But the
mothers will not see that anything is
the matter with their children until
the time to change has gone by.
This strange obsession OF mothers
that their children are not like other
children is the real reason why moth-
ers are so careless about protecting
their daughters, and why they fail
so signally to teach their girls the
things they should know about life
There is no woman who is OLD enough
to have daughters who does not know
the temptations that assail a girl, and
the pitfalls that lie in wait for her
feet There is no mother VINO could
not give the wiSest and most helpful
advice to her neighbor's daughter, and
who could not present the girl across
the street with a perfect code of con-
duct that would insure her safety
anywhere if, it was carefully followed.
But this same mother will never
say two words of real heartfelt coun-
sci to her own daughter because she
is so perfectly convinced that her
daughter doesn't need it. Mamie
Smith may be tempted by the bright
lights and the desire for pretty clothes,
and joy rides, and good times. Sally
Jones may fall so head-over- heels in
love with some handsome scamp with
a glib tongue in his head that she may
be as wax in his hands. Mary Tomp-
kins may be a wild, thoughtless
reckless harem-scarem girl who
thinks it dashing to show she's a
dead game sport by smoking ciga-
rettes and drinking high balls, until
some day she drinks a little too much
and goes reeling along the street
Every mother except those concern
ed, can see the danger that lies in
wait for these girls, and could guard
them against it, but each mother re-
CARDS her own daughter as such an
impeccable saint that she doesn't con-
slider that she needs any danger signs
erected in front of her. Other girls
have undisciplined natures, other girls
are the victims of their infatuation for
men, other girls long for the flesh
pots, but not her own daughter. Oh
no, every mother is convinced that
her little girl is as cold and passion
less as a marble statue, and a model
of discretion, and a pattern of mod
esty. So what's the use in warning
girl against the things she couldn't
possibly want to do anyway?
This inability of the mother to re-
alize that all girls are sisters under
the skin, with the same emotions and
nd
mothers from teaching their daughters
how to protect themselves against
themselves as well as against men,
but it prevents them from seeing
when girl is in danger in time to
stop her and save her.
For in the curious mother psychol-
ogy when ones own child does a
wrong thing the wrong immediately
becomes right Or at least innocuous
and harmless. Questionable relat ton
ships become entirely proper, and con-
duct that in other girls would be de-
serving of the severest densure be-
comes beyond criticism.
A curious illustration of this mother
point of view has recently come under
my observation. A beautiful and bril- |
liant Young girl is carrying on a vio- !
lent Irritation with rich married |
man. The mans automobile is at her
disposal. He males her magnificent /
presents They are seen together con |
tinually at fashionable restaurants.
And incidentally the girl is break |
ing up a home in which there are lit
tie children and running another |
woman's life, for the mans faded. |
middle aged wife is naturally eating
her heart out in jealousy of her fair |
young rival.
A friend spoke to the girls mother |
about it and asked her why she did |
not put a stop to the affair and at
least. do something to save her daugh- |
ter from being mixed up in an I'M I
savory scandal. The mother was
highly indignant. She declared that |
nothing but the purest and most ex-
allied friendship existed between her /
daughter and the man, and nobody I
except some one with an evil mind |
could see any harm in a girl going
q bout with a poor man who was mis-
at home.