The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-04-16
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Dorothy Dix Says
The Old Superstition That the Chief End of Wife Is Love
Has Given the World the Love That Kills
BY Dorothy Dix
The Worlds Highest Woman Writer
BY Dorothy Dix
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer

career has been blasted whose aSpi- .
ra,ons crushed, by his wlle'S love, /.
which intcrtered with his Advancement .
at every step and was like the Old .
Man OF the sea on his back when he .
tired TO climb.
Who has not known some mother
who wrecked her chlldrcns lives be
cause she kept them tied TO her apron
strings when they wanted To so out
into the world and seek their for
tunes?
These are the women who love not
wisely but too we'll and their love IS
a curse on the individual on whom It
/, bestowed lar more bhghtlng than any
hate could be
Among my aCqualn'anccs IS tat
placid middle aged woman oi this sort,
a woman who puts herself upon ,hc
pedestal OF wlichood and motherhood,
and makes a great virtue ot perfect dc
yoton 10 her family, and thinks II ter
rblc that any woman should have any
interest outside OF the home
II YOU should tell this woman that
her love Tor her husband and children
had been the greatest possible mlStoy
tune that could have happened to them
instead OF heng blessing to them, She
would not believe YOU II YOU should
tell her that she was vampire woman
far more ConSciencclcss than the rag
and a bone and a hank OF hair" lady
OF kiplng's immortal verse and Burnc
loneS' picture she would be horricd
beyond measure
But it is true. She has lived by suck
ing the very lie blood Cf those nearest
and dearest to her, She has grown fat
and comfortable and calm by robhing
them OF the hopes and aspirations on
which their souls were set She has
sacrificed everything that was worth
while IN them to her own selfish pleas
urc
This woman married in her youth a
brilliant and talented young doctor. He
had already made inc start IN his
profession He had begun to get ar
ticles in the medical journals and TO
be spoken Of by the big doctors as a
coming man
He was very much in love with his
pretty Young wife, but he was also very
ambitious and he never dreamed that
matrlmony was to be the cXfingulshcr
OF his career Rather he ti&Ggnt that
with a wife to work ior and struggle
for, he would have an added stimulus
10 effort
lie had not been married long, how
ever. before he found out that "he trav-
els the fastest who travels alone" His
vile made OF her love handicap under
whose weight he could not run. He
could only crawl
When he tried to study Of nights or TO
write she walled and wcpt that he no
longer loved her. or else he would want
to spend the evening holding her hand
and telling her how beautiful and love
ly and wonderful she was, as he had
done during the days Of courtShip. He
argued with her and showed her how
imperative II was that IN a science that
changed from day 10 day as medicine
docs. doctor must be a student or be
hopclcNSly lett behind the procession
She had no answer 10 his logic but
tears and protcStatlons OF how she loved
him.
Her love also caused her 10 regard
every feminine patient a. a deadly riv-
al, and made her continually spy upon
him, with the inevitable result that
women were afraid to 20 10 him and
-fhc gradually lost IN, best paying prac-
ticc.
Opportunity came 10 this physician
10 serve upon = commission that would
cause his name 10 he associated IN IN,
public prints with some OF the Leading
scientist, OF tht dav He could not &C.
ccpt the honor which would have mad,
hls fortune, because It would have tax
en- HIM away from home and his vii,
had Mysteries at the mere mention u
beng separated from him
IhWartcd a. every turn hy the bog,
Of his wlic'S love. the man gradually
lost ambition and energy and sunk int.
lu>t an ordinary, commonplace hack q
a physician who makes prccariou,
living The best OF him was killed b,
his wife, love
One u the maryclS oi lie is the he
roic and cheerful iortrude with whict
SO many men sustain the loss Of wiyc.
who hlyc been noted for their dcyo
tIon to Her husbands These are III,
womcpSwho have loved not wisely. bu
too VAL and whose husbands draw IN,
first breath Of real freedom they hay,
had since their marriage dav whcl
they put about two tons oi granite suit
ably inscribed ITO Devoted Wife
on the grave OF their late urants.