The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-05-26
Domestic UnhappineSs Would
be lessened If Husbands
and Wives Would Cultivate
Common Interests,
By DOROTHY DIX,
Worries Highest Paid Woman Writer.


A poor, unhappy. middle aged mil
iionsire husband and wife have Just
been divorced on the grounds OF in
compatibility Of temper
The woman weeps and says, in a
eewildered sort of way, tha, she is
sure she doesn't know how it all came
about--that nobody could have loved
each other any more than she and
John did when they were married or
could have been any happier than they
were when they were working side by
side, and shoulder TO shoulder, making
their fortune. For they were poor
when they started out in lie, but they
were determined TO make money, and
they planned, and sChemed, and toilcd,
and sacrificed together, and had every
aim and aspiration, and thought in
common.
&. Riches Parted Them.
1T was only after wc became rich
that We began to drift apart, the wiie
says, my husband go, absorbed in
Wall street ] in society was crazy
for the gaieties had been too poor
TO have in my youth They bored him
TO death. He wanted to live one sort
OF life. wanted TO live another Il
got so we moved in different circles
that never touched. We had no tastes,
10 interests in common We didn't
even have anything to talk about, and
so we decided we would both be hap
pieSuFGe we're free TO go our different
I'VE were oopgenial in our youth
but we arc not congenial now and !
don't know why"
1t takes no Solomon to read the poor
6dy's sad little riddle and tell her
why she and her husband are no long
er happy together, or necessary TO
each other, as they once were, 1t is
because they havenn mutual interest,
no common object for which they are
striving. This is the rock on which
more American marriages are wrecked
than any other in the whole matri-'
nonial sea. The great romance in this
country is when poor young man
marries a poor young girl and they
start out to make their fortune. II is
great adventure. full OF thrills, and
dangers, and anxie,ies, and excite
ment and bitter disappointmeutS, and
fierce joys, and while they are strain
Ing on to their goal they have every
ambition and hope in 'ommon.
Lose Common Interests.
They are necessary 10 each other.
They are Accordingly interesting to
each other. They are fascinating
companions to each other, but when
the objective is once reached. and the
fortune made, il the desire for riches
was the only thing they had in COM
mon. they iipd that marriage has gone
stale and flat TO them, that they bore
each other TO extinction and that they
have not even anything tossay to each
other.
The humorists have long made mer
~ over the fact that yoa can always
spot a married couple in any crowd by
the dull and weary expressions they
wear, and the silence TINT relgns be-
tween them, but it is not funny. II is
the most tragic thing on earth that the
average middle aged couple have no
subjects of mutual in,cres, Oh which
they can chat agrceably After they
have exhausted talking about the
children and the bill, they must re
main either dumb or else quarrel to
put little pep into life
II is worth while calling attention
10 this subject as warning to young
married people, and to advise them TO
begin during their honcymoons to de-
liberately cultivate an interest in each
others pursuits so that they may still
have a mental point oi contact in their
old age, just as Talleyrand advised
young people to learn to play good
game OF whist in their youth so that
they would have sorc amusement for
their declining years
Difference Of Interests.
When a woman absorbs herself in
her house, and her children, and her
clubs, and man absorbS himself in
his business and his clubs, they little
dream that their difference of occupa-
! tion and interest IS the entering OF the
! wedge that will eventually divide their
q