The Washington herald., 1918-01-21

EGoTISM THE BAR TO HAPPINESS.
By DOROTHY DIX.
The worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.

| they should have been singled out
by fate for some special dispensation
OF Providence. Nor do they ask what
they have done to deserve success.
or why their fellow creatures should
love and admire them when they've
done nothing to inspire any affec-
tionate regard in another's breast,
you see people who complain that
they have no friends. that everybody
neglects them, and no one cares
whether they live or die. They feel
that they have been victims of some
malignant misfortune, and that they
should be loved and cherished In spite
of the fact that they have been
utterly selfish and self-centered and
have never done a kindly or a gener-
Gus act In their lives.
II know a woman like that. All OF
her life she has been mean and hate
full and tyrannicaI. She has taken
the best of everything. She has a
tongue like a rapier and she has
spared neither friend nor foe. Now
she Is old and friendless and she
can't understand how il happens that
no one cares for her She never asks
why should they care.
And it's egotism that is responsible
for so much domestic misery. A
woman doesn't say TO herself:
I'm no living picture. I'm no mar
vel of wit and brilliance. "'I'm no won.
der Of mesmeric attraction 20 fascinats
men, so why should / demand a para.
gon OF a husband? Why would any
man who is rich and handsome and
clever. and a model of all the domes-
tic virtues. marry a commonplace
woman like me?
Il know that such a man-if such a
man there be-would have picked oui
headliner in his own class instead
| OF an ordinary Jane like me, and so
think myself very luck TO have got.
ten good. honest, kind business man
who has plenty of faults but makes
good living, and therefore / am going
TO be happy myself and make hin
happy and be humbIy grateful fol
what I've got.
Nor does a man ever stop to ash
himself why any woman who is per-
fectly beautiful, gifted and charming
domestic and scintillating. and rich
! and aristocratic would pick out such
man as he is for a husband. II he
did he would realize that he has got
all that he deserves in the wife he has
got.
It's our egotism that makes every
woman feel that she is entitled 10 a
Prince Charming and makes every
man feel that his proper mate is a
| combination of Lillian Russell anc
! Mrs. Rorer and Hetty Green, and that
| they have been gold bricked in the
matrimonial proposition when they got
! mere ordinary human beings for life
partners.
And the soul narrowing time we
have over jealousy Is nothing but ego
I tism in its final expression. We con.
| slider We have a right to be more ad.
mired and loved than anyone, and
when We aren't We tear our little world
TO tatters. Jealousy is just self love.
for most OF US never really love any
| other mortal but ourselves.
I'VE never think OF anything but
| ourselves, and We judge OF everything
from the littlest to the biggest. by
the way It reacts on ps. It's anus
ing and terrible. but We even taIl
, about this war that is drenching the
world with blood in terms OF the
eternal /. weep because my son has
gone to the front. I am complaceni
or in despair according to whether the
war has prospered or ruined my hus
bands business. 1 agree with Sher-
| mans opinion on war because have
| to pay more for food and can't gel
my groceries delivered properly.
TITS egotism that stands between
us and happiness and it's only wher
we quit thinking about ourselves anC
/ begin thinking OF other people that we
get any pleasure out OF existence"
! Copyright, lRs BY the wheele- Syndicate, Inc