The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-18
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.
The Charm of the Reai-z.

And there's Marion. Marion is a
sober minded girl. sweet and serious,
but she hasn't got a funny bone In
her whole anatomy. She's intelligent.
thoughtful, practical and efficient and
altogether the sort Of q girl that you'd
pick out for your fAvorite son to
marry, or as a companion for a long
journey for yourself.
That is the real Marion. but. alas.
in an evil hour Marion, who has no
sense of humor. met up with tenn
peramental young woman who had
champagne in her veins instead OF
blood and who was like set of fire
works The men were flocking about
this gay laughing Young creature like
bees about a honey pot. and Marion
got the idea into her head that to be
attractive to men a girl must be
vivacious. so she began giggling and
screaming and registering hysteria in
every key, trying to be like the
frivolous one.
And she doesn't know yet. poor
thing. why people flee at her coming.
for while we are all charmed with
spontaneous high spirits. there is
nothing else on earth so deadly as
forced gaiety.> Manufactured laughter
is the cracking of thorns under pot.
Laboriously memorized jokes and
witticisms bore the nearer to tears.
self, would be a delight. Marion try
ling to scintillate and be mercuriai
gets on your nerves. And that's where
Marion loses out.
Then there's Anna. Anna comes
from the best people in a little New
England village. Anna has two hum
dred years Of virtue behind her. and
was brought UP to think that certain
things were right and other things
were wrong. independent OF whether
you wanted to do them or not. Anna
has a conscience. but she hasn't
enough sense to knew that con-
science is a really interesting piece of
brio a brac in these days-quite as
interesting as an inherited grand
fathers clock, and that it sets one
apart>as being among the elect.
No. Anna has come to the city. and
she thinks 1t makes her seem provin-
cial to be shocked at anything. AMI
must pretend that she is little less
than abandoned. So Anna swigs
cocktails that taste to her like a mix
ture of hair oil and epicac. and she
brags about having to have her n1orn-
ing eye opener before she can settle
for the days work, and about how
many highhalls she had last night. and
she talks about subjects with perfect
freedom that decent people don't men,
ton in mixed company, and she fets
men take familiarities with her that
| makes her flesh creep. and she flat
tiers herself that she's deceiving every
body into thinking she's a real sport
whereas the dullest eye could see that
she's merely a miserable little tin
horn sport.
And Anna is SO cheap, common and
repulsive in her affectation Of being
a tough girl. when she'd be SO ador-
fable and refreshing if she would only
be the simple. sweet little unsophisti-
Gated country girls she really is.
And there's Bess with the nimble
fingers. who makes most fetching hats
and gowns for next to nothing out OF
| remnants that she buys at marked
down sales. but who lies about having
paid Celestine $3.50 for this little gown
and Felix $125 for this hat. Every mar
would be after such q capable wife if
Bess only told the truth about her
hustle. industry and ability to spread
a nickel over the space of a dollar.
but no man Is going to take a cha nee
| on marrying her as long rs she poses
as a spendthrift.
Believe me, girls. you cheaper
yourself when you put on imitation
airs and graces and affect imitation
tastes and accomplishments Just as
much as you do when you wear near
silk and paste diamonds. Be real. Be
yourselves. 1t Is the genuine article
| that we all want.