The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-08-20
BY DOROTHY DIX
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman
Writer

Perhap, you read it in the paper
Che other day. The story OF a feeble
snd decrep, old man who asked the
court TO force his children to supper,
him
'If | could work and feed, and
elo,he five children, and raise them
90 manhood and womanhood, | think
that the five OF them, among them,
'hould take care OF me now that |
nm too old to work any more he
aid pathetcally.
lie, US hope for the honor OF hu-
manity that such cases as this are
rare, and that not many men are so
unfortunate us 10 raise a large fam
lily without rearing some son or
. daughter at whose hearthstonc he is
an honored and welcome guest, or
having some strong arm on which TO
lean as he tot,crs down the western
slope.
No other crime Is so black as that
Of fllial ngratitudc God, Himself,
has pronounced curse upon II. and
woe betldc the man or woman who
returns the love, and tenderness. and
self sacrifice that hedged in his or
her childhood with the niggard crust
and the grudgingly given shelter.
when the hands that have toiled for
him or her are weak with age. and
the shoulders that have borne so
many burdens can no longer bear
their load.
Duty to ones parents is an obliga-
tion that can only be repaid in kind
love for love, care for care, tender
ness for tenderness. patience for pa
tienoe-and those who default on this
great debt OF nature have failed in
their first and most sacred obliga-
ton.
And for their sins they shall be
bitterly punished. for as we SOW. we
reap, and they, too, shall see the day
When they are Scorncd OF their own
children, and their sons and daugh-
tiers wait impa,iently for death to rid
them Of the burden Of n parents sup
port. or to divide among them his
money
In all the world there is perhaps no
other figure SO pathetic and so for
iorn as that Of a helpless and dc
pendent old man. Sad as is the lot
OF the poor old woman, his is saddcr
still, for q woman can fiji herself IN
some sort into ano,her's home better
than a man can. She can nurse the
baby, and do little household chores,
40 that she feels that she earns the
food she eats, and the roof that COW
ers her.
But the old man has no eonsola-
tior. His hands are empty. His
wayk is done. He feels himself a
cumberer OF the ground, and unless
affection. appreciation, and gratitude
hedge him round. he tastes the bitter
ness OF death itself.
The. poor old father has spent his
fife fighting the wolf away from the
door. He has given the strength OF
bis youth, and the vigor OF his man
hood that little mouths should be
fcd. that little feet should be shod.
that tie boy and girl who were more
than pleasure or comfort, or rest 10
him might have the advantages OF
EDUCATION that he never had.
His children grow mp 10 the sound
OF his heavy step going out to work
early in the morning. and coming
home dragging and weary At night
II is what they mark time by. II is
like the ceaseleN swing of the pen
dulum OF a clock, and they are so
used 10 that. that they do not even
consider what an unending grind OF
labor II represents.
As the children grow older they
have greater needs. The girls want
pretty clothes. The boys want the in
diligence that other lads have. Father
gets the things somehow. He cuts
down OIL his tobacco He has his
broken shoes mended once more. He
wears his shiny old coat a little
longer, ..
No one notices Least Of all the
children. Father always has had thu
worst Of everything - the shabbies,
clothes. the poorest cut Of the meat
They are used to il. They think oI
II even a. one OF his peculiarities ot
which they are little ashamed, bu