The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-04
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.

| BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.
A School for Husbands.-2.
But there are other things that he
should know, and it is this specific
knowledge that the School for Hus-
bands could teach with such great
profit to the man, and comfort to his
prospective wife. for the sins of the
American man towards the woman he
,marries are generally sins of ignor-
ance, and not of intent. When he
tramples all over the flower bed in
his wife's heart it is because he doesn't
know any better, and is SO dull he
can't read the Keep Off the Grass"
signs that women erect all over their
little feelings and sensibilities-
To begin Will then, the School for
Husbands should commence with
kindergarten class in which the art OF
letting a girl down gently and grad
ually from the soft snap of being
sweetheart to the strenuous job of be-
ing a wife should be taught. Most
men do this trick by simply kicking
the props out from under courtship.
without a word of warning, and let
ting the bride drop with dull. cold
thud on the actualities of life. with
nothing to break the fall, or soften
the jolt.
No sane person can go thru the
world with a hectic flush and hun
dred and four temperature asking an
other creature daily. "Ooose ducky
daddle is oo?" but it is worth while
to teach men that affection is as nee
essary to a woman as sunshine to life,
and that if a husband wants to make
existence worth while to his wife, and
save himself money. and being sailed
down in brine, he should hand out
n fav Mi
speeches that sound as if he meant
them.
Also husbands should be taught
that when they cease to make love to
their wives it is cue for other men
to begin to do so. Especially when
eyes.
Another thing which the would-be
bridegroom should learn is the valu-
able information that matrimony
works no miracles in character. You
can't lead a giddy butterfly up to the
altar and escort practical cook and
wash woman away from it. An idiot
before marriage is going to be a fool
afterwards. A wedding ceremony
does not turn a sharp tempered maid
en- into a Patient Grizelda. If men
were only taught these facts 1t would
save many a man thirty or forty wears
OF acute misery and bitter regrets, or
the price of a residence in Reno.
Ihere should also be commercial
department in which the men con-
templating matrimony should be fami-
ilarlzed with the fact that while a
courtship can be conducted on hot air.
II takes cash to run a family. In this
department the pupils should be
taught to chant q morning hymn in
which they would repeat butchers
bills and i'll to which a married man
Is subject. Then, at least a fellow
would know what he was going I'D
against in matrimony and wouldn't
be so amazed when he finds out that
takes ten. times as much for two
to live on as it does one.
In the arts department would be
husbands should also have it i'm
pressed upon them that if flattery
Is useful in courtship it is a necessity
In marriage. It is incomprehensible
but true that a woman's idea of a
perfect husband is a man who will
tell her that she looks beautiful in
mother hubbard and curl papers. If
he will do that she will let him beat
her and starve her and still think her
self blessed among wives
When you come to the range of ac-
complishments that should be taught
In school for husbands, the field is
unlimited. The most important is
to develop talent for collecting Cos
sip. faculty in which men are natur-
ally Sduly QeIlClenC-. linen When a man
comes home at night and HIS weary
wife, who has been shut in the house
all day with the children, asks him
what he has heard, he won't growl
out, nothing" and spend the evening
doing a life like imitation of a store
dummy. Instead he will be walking
encyclopaedia of spicy news. and do
nestle life will take on a charm.
Undoubtedly, a conversational hus-
band will be a startling novelty, but
one that will appeal strongly to
women.
AS for a husband who had been in
stfucted in the arts of ladies' maid,
and who could hook up a dress with
out profanity or tearing the lace, and
who could talk intelligently about
ciJthes-but why sigh for perfection
in this imperfect world. Such a hus-
band would be too good for any mere
mortal woman to even hope to be
blessed with.
And yet school for husbands
might turn out these paragons. Why
not organize one?