The Washington herald., 1918-06-24
How to Choose a Husband
By DOROTHY DIX
THE MQRI DIS HIGHEST PAID WOMAN WRITE

A group of young women ask my
advice about choosing a husband
and desire 10 know what type of
man is most desirable to marry.
Inasmuch as custom does not per-
init a woman to pick out the man
she fancies and pop the question to
him. the phrase, choosing a hus-
band" is a paradox in itself and is
full of bitter irony.
All that the average woman can
do in marrying is to follow the old
fashioned rule that used to be given
to children for good manners-take
what is set before you and ask no
questions. And that is particular
Iy true of these war times when
husbands become more and more of
rarity and luxury.
Still, IL a woman can't proporse,
she has at least the veto power in
mo" and before she decides to be-
stow her heart and hand upon a
man she should consider we'll the
qualities he possesses.
Ny first piece of advice is. don't
choose a man for a husband just
because he is handsome Beauty is
a woman's prerogative, and when a
man possesses it he is poaching on
her preserves. Your handsome hus-
band will monopolize the mirror
appropriate most of the clothes
money for his own behoof and bene-
fit. and be so absorbed in cOntem-
plating his own good looks that he
will never have time to notice
yours.
1t is better TO be admired than IT is
to admire. and the woman who de-
sires TO have nice. comfortable,
calm voyage across the sea of we'd
lock should never pick out a pilot
because of his good profile or ambro-
sial curls.
My second piece of advice is not to
choose a man because he is fascinat-
ing. The arts that hypnotized you
will be equally potent with other
women. The fascinating man is a
born sportsman. With him the chase
is everything. It's the bird on the
wing that he is eternally after, and
as soon as he has brought 1t down
he loses interest in II. No barnyard
fence can be built high or strong
enough to keep him in.
Don't pick out a man for a hus-
band because he makes love romanti-
cally. 1t gratifies a woman's aesthe-
tic taste, but 1t shows too much ex-
perience. The man who has presence
of mind enough to quote poetry, who
knows just when and where to gently
encircle the adored one with his arm
and draw her to his manly bosom.
has rehearsed the scene before. 1t
Is. the man whose Adams apple rises
in his throat. and who blurts out any
old thing when he proposes who
means every word he says. Besides
matrimony puts an end to love max
ing, and 1t is folly to marry a man
because he was a star performer in
role In which he will never make
another appearance.
Don't choose a man for q husband
just because of his money. You can't
get happiness without money. Neith-
er can you buy happiness with money.
There's no safety equal to that which
wealth brings, and no people are 60
bored as those who have eaten and
drunk their fill, and have come to the
end of the things that money can
buy and have nothing else.
Besides money Is the most evanes-
cent thing on earth. 1t Is the will O.
wisp of life. and a woman who has
married for money and then lost 1t
is q spectacle at which the gods must
laugh.
Don't marry man Just because you
love him. The most important thing
Is whether he loves you. A woman