The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-07
Dorothy Dix Says
TO MUCH FAMILY
BY Dorothy Dix
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.

family thinks that he or she has per
feet right TO dictate TO her about every
thing on earth that she does or thinks
OF doing
This girl say, that she is y, hut the
family persists in considering her
mere infant in arms who lacks tht
judgment and intelligence to make any
decision for herself, and in particular
they hold that she is so young and
tender and unsophisticated that she
can't be trusted to look out for herself
IN good American girl fashion, but has
TO be chaperoned in An inch OF her life.
Worse still. the girl complains that
her family is blocking her way to the
altar
Il don't want TO be an old maid like
my sisters" she walls, but how am
ever to get married II they scare every
man away from the house by sitting
around looking sour and slum when
ever one comes to see me' There's a
young man now that | like very much
and who likes me He suit, me, but
because he doesn't happen to appeal
to their tastes they have succeeded in
making my mother believe that ! don't
know my own mind, and that ! would
be throwing myself away on a man
who has his own way to make in the
world, and that they know so much
better what is good for me than |
know myself that my mother has for
bidden me to have anything more to do
with this young man.
Won't you please write an article
telling older sisters to keep their
hand, off Of younger sisters affairs,
and let them live their lives in their
own wayI"
certainly will, poor little youngest
sister in 4 big family. ] have seen
your tragedy happen over and over
again, for it is sad, but true, that more
heart, are broken and more lives are
wrecked by our friends than our enc
mics, and mistaken love and kindness
can do US more harm in a minute than
malignant enmity can devise in a week
IT is the pity OF goodness that it so
! often puts its stupid foot in things and
ruins where it tries to help.
! Big sister is aetuated by only the
purest Of motives when she interferes
with everything little sister wants to
do. Martha adores Mary and would
risk her life to guard her, and all that
her well-meant efforts amount to is
Just shutting poor Mary off from her
opportunities in the world.
because they are oelibates at heart
They stay single because they prefer
their liberty to any man 'Domesticty
and children have no attraction, for
them, and they find in spinsterhood the
condition OF life that most appeals to
them.
These are bachelor women In con.
tradistinction to old maids. The ole
maid is the woman who wanted e
marry, and for some reason OF othe
has not married, TO her, husband snc
home and children are the only word,
that spell happiness, and, lacking these
she is miserable no matter what else
she has. Her world is bounded by q
wedding ring. and il she never gets thi,
all the balance 10 einders, ashes and
dust
This type OF woman has no impos
,ible ideal OF a husband. She doe.n',
ask very much OF man except that he
shall be q man, and when she docs moi
get married and live happily ever a.
terwards, she almost aiway, can lsy
the blame at the door of her meddins
family.
Sometimes she has had q mother
whose fierce maternal Jealousy ha, no,
been able to brook the thought>of her
daughter loving some man better thar
she does her mother and feavina her
mother to go away with him. Such ,
mother will make every young mar
who comes TO the house so unwelcoms
that he will not repeat his visit.
She will hover around her daughter
so closely that no young man ha, a
chance to get acquainted with the girl
much less TO become sentimental, ant
II, in spite OF too much mother, IN,
girl does get engaged, mother never
rests until she breaks the engagement
of, OF course. she will tell you tha
she want. her girls TO marry, but ,h,
wants them to wal, until they are ole
enough and the right man come, along
shape OF figure OF fun.
| The young man may be worthy snC
estmable young man, but there ar,
none OF us in whom q lot OF con,cien
tious investigators after flaws canno
find defects. and when the ordinar,
youth has run the gaun,le, Of famil,
criticism, he hasn't a shred Of char
aeter left to him.
| Sister Annie has discovered that h,
is knock kneed Sister Susie that h,
combs his hair the wrong way Si,,e
Ella that his olo,he, don't iit Sy,s
| Hannah smells smoke on him. Si,te
Julia fear, he doe, not take a serlou
view OF life, and so II goes until tn
poor girls little dream OF romance i
burn, up in the hot fire Of criticism.
And while she Is waiting for the i'm
| possible man to come along who woul,
meet all OF her sisters requirement,
| youth goes and old maindenhood come
but she considers anything under 90 to,
| young for ma,rimony, and the rish
! man would have to be a combination
| Of perfee,ions tina, unfortunately doc
not exist in this wicked world
| So, unless the girl has the nerve Il
elope with some man she has met OF