The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-26
Dorothy Dix Talks
The wife NWho Understands.-1.
BIZ DOROTHY DIX
worlds Highest Paid Woman WKsseE.

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There is no complaint oftener on
women's lips than that their husbands
do not understand them. Indeed, 1t
is this lack of sympathetic comprehen-
sion that turns matrimony into Gin
ders, ashes and dust to many woman
who is married to a man who is a
model of all the virtues. and good
provider, to boot.
The lack of vamps and sirens on
her horizon, and the possession OF
pearls and limousines do not atone to
the wife for her husband not under
standing why she sheds tears to ex-
press JOY, or nags most where she
loves most, or for his being unable to
tell beforehand which way she will
jump in a crisis.
1t is curious that women, who so
long for this sympathetic understand
ing themselves, so seldom realize that
men are possessed by a similar yearn-
ing. 1t is very seldom that they do
so, however. The average wife makes
Just as little effort to get beneath the
outer skin of her husbands person
ality as he does to get under hers.
The result is The woman is to the
man merely a, more or less decorative
and useful piece of household furni-
ture, while the man is to the woman
only a cash register, and marriage is
failure because they have missed
the one thing they most desired to
ing love that knows the things of ones
soul without having to have them
labeled and diagramed.
Wives do not often think of their
husbands as pining to be understood,
yet if you wish to measure how great
is mans desire for sympathetic COM
prehensions you have only to note how
readily he falls a victim to any woman
who shows any intuition into what he
has done, or any appreciation of what
he is 1t is significant that when a
married man, strays off of the straight
and narrow path he is far more apt to
go with d. good listener than with a
peach.
Between a mans happiness and
misery in marriage lies his wife's abil-
ity to comprehend why he IS whatShe
is, and why he doeS~certain things If
she doesn't. if she sees in him only
the children's father, and stodgy
Individual who is wrapped up in busi-
ness, and without a thought beyond
the stock market, marriage is failure
to him. He is desperately lonely be
cause he realizes he is tied for life
to the woman who doesn't understand,
and never can understand.
What he would give his life for is
a wife who could see that his ceaseless
toll so that she may live soft and easy,
woven out of the warp and wool of
romance. What he yearns for is a
wife who comprehends that in work
ing thru burning summers and freez-
ing winters. and keeping to his task no
matter how loudly the highroad calls
or feels the woods temptation. a man
offers himself a daily living sacri-
flee on the family altar.
Also he pines for a wife who appre-
ciates that a man does not labor and
strive for bread alone. and that sue
cess is not just so much more money
in the bank 1t is his crown of VIC
tory. the tangible proof that he was
no weakling. but a man among men;
one who has striven with worthy adj
versaries and fas not been defeated,
when it was his strength against
theirs. his wits pitted against their
acumen.