The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-01

DOROTHY DIX TALKS
By DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman writsr.
The Lovers Litany-2,

Probably no man before marriage
ever inquired into the state of health
OF the girl he is counting, or tries to
find out whether she has got the kind
of nerves that make wife easy going
and comfortable to live with, but after
marriage that is the thing that he,
wishes most, that he had found out in
time.
And woman's questions to a man
would be just as different as the ones
he asks her.
No woman-after marriage-would
ever ask a man if she was the first
woman he ever loved. She would ask
|. him if she was the last, because she
would have found out that a man only
loves for the time being anyway, and
she would know that men don't treas
ure dead loves as women do. They
forget them.
Nor would the woman vivisect his
soul as girls always do the souls of
| the men with whom they are in love.
She would devote her energies to try
ing to find out what sort of a disposi-
ton the man had, whether he was
grouchy or good tempered; whether
he was overbearing and tyrannieal or
| gentle and chivalrous, whether he was
| the sort CT a man who thought that
| women were designed by the Lord to
be mems -laves and playthings or the
| kind of man who would regard a
wife as regular human being and be
| willing to divide fifty-fifty with her.
For the woman would have found
| out that not every man who talks
loudly about his soul has got one; that
| many of the most poetic love makers
| are the poorest performers when 1t
comes to expressing their affection in
deeds ami that many man who
| swears to girl that he asks nothing
| of fate but the privilege OF holding
her lily white hand. makes her take in
| washing to support him after he has
married her.
Neither would a maiden ask a youth
IL he would commit suicide ON her
grave II sh. should die. She would In
quire of him if he loved her well
enough to hustle out and work for her
| and she would ascertain his views on
the allowance question.
| For experience would have taught
her that, after all, love is just the
meringue on the pudding of life
| Underneath there has got to b sugar
raisins and spice and a lot of other
substantial things that cost money
and unless man can provide these
the meringue part goes flat and
flabby.
i Girls consider 1t indelicate to ask
what sort Of money maker he is
and If he believes that a wife should be
regarded by her husband as a partner
entitled to a fair share of the family
income; or whether he holds that q
wife should do the mendicant act with
a begging bowl before her lord and
master for every penny she needs fol
herself and the housekeeping. Yet
she finds out. after she has married
that on these two points hangs hel
happiness and comfort far more thar
Il they do upon his abstract. sentimental
attitude towards her
No. none of US would ask of oui
betrothe0 tho same questions after
marriage that we ask before. The
lovers litany runs:
do you love me? Will You Away.
love me?"
The married man or woman's Titan,
would run: Have you an amiabls
, disposition? Have you a good diges
I ton? Will you he reasonable and tr,
to make m comfortable?" rs