The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-11-02
Wife Has More Influence Over
Husband Than He Has Over Her;
It's Only Way, Miss Dix Says
Men Often Expect to Make Over Wives Right After Mar
rage But They Often FAIL Why II Is,
IS Explained

THERE iS superstition current
that a mlldens character is a,
plastic as a lump Of dough, and
that II man msrrieS Young grrl he
can mould her into any kind OF a wife
that suits his fancy.
lnnumerable men have fallen victims
OF this superstition They have mar
RED silly little girly-girles who looked
as soft as nuSh, only to find that under
their pliable cxterior' there was asub-
surface OF fool prejudiccs and fixed
ideas as hard as granite, and that they
could change the Rock Of Gibraltar
Just as easily as they could alter their
wives habits or modes OF thought
lletedty environment and mother
had already been on the job for some
twenty years or more and placed their
stamp upon the girl too deeply Tor the
hand Of any mere husband to erase it.
Nevertheless, in spite OF all OF this,
matrimony is the factory in which
character is really made. and while
blood and breeding and upbrlnglng lay
the iouIdatlonS for it, and parents and
kindred and carly associations help TO
form it, il IS the hand Of husband and
vile who put the finishing touches upon
it They are the master craftsmen who
lnScribc upon 1t, at the last, their own
personality
1t is true that no man can marry a
girl with any certainty thar he can de
yclop her into being the wife Of his
dreams, Nor can any woman cut over
a man according to her little perfor-
atcd pattern of All ideal husband But
no man and woman can live together in
the intimacy Of married life without
being changed by each other, and in
the end they are pretty much what each
has, consciously or unConSciously made
the other.
No one can tell how this influence
viii work Sometimes il works for
coil, what is line and noble in husband
or wife growing commoner TO mix with
the clay OF his or her mate. Just as
often it brings rcvulsion, and what is
highest and best in man or woman's
nature is called out by the meanncsS
and sordidnesS in the character Of the
one to whom her or she is married
You will often notice the almost
God-like patience with which man
will deal with the weaknesses and pct
illnesses of silly, vain, shallow wife
Unknowlngly she has made him what
he Is Her lack OF every fine quality
has called out the fineness in him.
Or you will see the woman bearing
with and iorgiving man who is caC
and a brute. He has made her tn,
most angelic creature she is, able t
suffer and be strong, big enough e
hook beyond the personal, and sacriiic,
herself for the good OF her children an,
! society.
And OF course there is the reverse O
this where the mean woman makes he
husband mean and where the unprinci
pied husband breaks down his wife
principles
Who has not seen generous, opeI
hearted man, iull OF kindly thoughts to
ward all the world, gradually grow
stingy and narrow and suspicious aftei
few years marriage TO a parsimon
ous and bitter woman
Who has not seen a girl OF noble an,
altruistic ideals grow purse proud anC
sordid and full OF shifty cxpedient
after marrying a man whose god wa
the money god'
Certainly the brightest saints and th'
blacklist devils on this earth are hom'
made, for no other influence on GU
lives is comparable in Importance will