The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-16
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BIZ DOROTHY DIX
Worries Highest Paid woman wr1ter.
To Marry or Not to Marry.-t.

To Marry or Not to Marry.-1.
have received a letter from a girl
who writes:
The young man to whom I have
been engaged for several years is now
a soldier boy who will soon sail for
France ! want to marry him before
he goes. I want the honor OF bearing
his name. I want the sense of be-
longing to him, and of having him be-
long to me. that only marriage can
give. to comfort me In his absence.
MY fiance refuses to marry me on
the ground that he may possibly be-
come one of the>poor. helpless wrecks
of men that war makes, and that he
would not be willing to inflict such a
burden upon me. That is precisely why
1 insist upon being married before he
goes, 1 want the right of a wife to
care for him In case he Is manned. l
am a business girl. earning a good SAL
airy, and amply able to support him
and myself. If need be. ~-Eite-
What do you think about this
SHOULD soldiers marry or not before
they go to the 'front.'"
This is a question that thousands of
other young couples are anxiously de-
batting, and the answer Is that in ell
such cases the wisdom or folly of mat
rimony is purely a matter money.
There is no reason why a soldier
laddie and his 1assie should not marry
before he starts forth to war, If either
he or she has enough money to sup
port the young wife. and the child
that may be the result Of such a mar
riage, and to provide for the man In
case he comes back home incapaci-
tated for making a living. -.= .ta.-.
One can see how the romance aad
the sentiment Of the situation nla9ses
an all but irresistible appeal to young
hearts, how they feel that no matter
what the future has in store for them,
they have right to ask of fate this
one sweet boon, OF being together for
the last few days before they part, per-
haps forever. What ever the morrow
may bring they feel that they have a
right to this, their one hour of love
and bliss.
The man feels that he can go easier,
having bound TO him the woman he
loves by the most unbreakable of all
human ties. This girl feels that the
wedding ring upon her finger is a
man back safely to her. Also mar
riage puts her upon the little PEDESTAL
that every community has erected to
its war brides. 1t gives her a right
to flaunt in public her service flag
with its one glittering star. to openly
proclaim the pride and anxiety, and
perhaps display the grief that tear at
her soul.
If we were all heart ana life were
all sentiment, one would unhesitatine-
ly say to every Samn1ie and his girl
Get married 4 you want to, while
you are still strong and beautiful. be-
fore your splendid young body is
marred by shot and shell and your
nerves wracked by the hell Of nattle
or the agony OF anxious waiting Per-
haps this is the only time love will
ever hold its chalice to your lips II
you do not drink 1t now. you will new
er taste its nectar"
Rut alas life 10
1T is mostly grim, hard. cold facts. Ev-
cry act has far reaching consequences,
and some time we dare not indulge
ourselves in the pleasure of the mo-
ment because of the price that we
must pay later on.
Sane people must needs face real
tiles. take account of possibilities and
look ahead of them a bit They can
not shut their eyes to the fact that
marriage generally means the found
ing OF family that will need money
to support II, or to the dangers Of war,
and the possibility that the man who
goes forth splendid young giant NAV
either be slain, or come back as help
less a