The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-11
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman wsiter.
To the Sweet Girl Graduate.


You have just graduated in all the
oiogies and isms and perfect dear Of
a white dress. and now, after you have
hung your diploma on your bedroom
wall. you are wondering about the
words Of the song, Where Do We Go
From Here?"
The next station used to be matri-
mony. After a girl left school, she
played around for a year or two, and
then she marched up to the altar with
some young man to the tune of Men,
delssohn. and lived happily. or scrap
ply, ever after.
A girls destiny n our grandmoth-
ers and mothers time was all cut out
for her, and all she had to do was to
sign her name on the dotted line and
accept whatever fate handed to her.
No maiden worried her pretty head
over the future, nor did parents lie
awake at night discussing what Mary
and Jane should do. Everybody knew.
They would get married.
That halcyon day is as dead as MIN
nevah and Tyre. 1t is gone. never to
return. No girl sure nowadays of
getting married; nor If she does get
married is it certain that she will get
a husband who can support her. Men
are scarce, and the high cost of living
discourages all but the reckless from
undertaking the burden of a family.
Therefore, ] would urge every girl
who has lust finished school to go to
work at once 10 learn some way of
making her own living to the end that
she may be independent and happy
and of use in the world.
II her family is poor she has no
right to burden II any longer with her
support. There is no earthly reason
why a worn, tired, overworked old
father should have to toll TO support a
strong and husky young woman. Nor
should the mother, who has sacrificed
so much to rear ana educate her little
girl, be called on to make still further
sacrifices to keep her big girl In IDLE
ness.
1t is an obligation of nobility-it is
the fair and square and decent thing
for the children to emove themselves
from their parents backs as soon as
possible. and give the old people a.
chance of little ease and comfort in
their age. And this goes for girls as
we'll as boys.
Even If girl belongs to rich or
well-to-do people. she should learn
some trade or occupation, by means of
which she can support herself, bee luse
it will give her something definite and
| interesting and worth while to do, in
stead of wasting her life in silly
amusement. killing time is not only
| the wickedest crime in the world. it is
! the most deadly bore that has ever
been devised. Nearly all of the sick
ness. the nerves, the morbidness and
the general tomfoolness of women is
to be attributed to their lack of useful
employment.
If you don't believe this, just look
around you and see now much better
poised, how much more alive and alert
and intelligent the great mass of
working girls are, than those we call
society girls. Furthermore, another
reason for the rich girl learning to do
something by which she can make a
living is that money has wings and it
flies from us much more easily than it
flies to us. The girl who rides in her
limousine today may lack carfare to-
| morrow, and whether poverty is a
tragedy or is only an Inconvenience
depends on herself. II she is skilled
in some gainful occupation she can
| turn her hand to it in her hour of
need. but il she has never been taught
to do anything she is as helpless as a
! rudderless ship in storm.