Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-12-23
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
There's Away a Way
Copyright, 1920, by the Wheeler Syndi-
cate, Inc.
N one of his admirable essays about
women, w. l.. George says that wife
is an idiot if she doesn't find out on her

most effective Win ner nuSDdhd'
And a husband is equally obtuse if he.
doesn't ascertain within six months OF mar
riage whether to pull the cave man stuff on
his wife, or spread the salve.
There's always a way to work the partner
of your bosom, but the trouble with most
married couples is that they never take the
trouble to find out the combination They
are as stupid as people would be VINO PARK,
ed their shins, and tore their Clothes and
risked their necks trying to climb over a
stone wall, when not two feet away was
doorway through which they might pass
with ease and comfort, if only they had
wit enough to turn the knob the right way.
OF course there arr Jew men OF such
a sullen and morose disposition, or such
tightwads that nothing but their own brutal
and selfish desires appeal to them They APP
pear to get married only to have some help
less creature in their power on whom they
can practice their cruel humors, and moth
ing that any woman do or say would
alter them.
Such men are, however, extremely rare.
and any woman can get along with the aver
age man, and get her way with him, II
only she has sense enough to find out how
to rub his fur the right way, SO that ne
will purr under her hand.
To do this she must study her man, and
find out whether swearing or crying is more
effective, as Mr.. George puts it.
There is the traditional belief in the fem
mime sex that the easiest way to run man
is by hydraulic power, and so they turn on
the waterworks whenever they want
thing. Probably this is good, as general
measure There is something in a woman's
tears that melts down the average mans
backbone into pulp, and makes him give
in to the cry baby to stop her bowling.
But tears do not avail with every man.
There are men who feel like inviting every
lachrimose lady to come and sob it out on
their shoulders. There are other men to
whom woman's tears are like red rag to
mad bull, and who jump up, and grab
their hats, and bang the front door behind
them the minute they see a woman's upper
lip begin to tremble, and her nose COM
mence to get red.
Therefore, the wise woman makes care
full note of how her husband reacts to
brine, whether it softens or pickles him, and
she pins her faith to the tear jug, or throws
it into the junk in the garbage can accord
ingly. If the rst time bride weeps her hus-
band pats her on the shoulder and says,
There, there, Of course you can have it,
she does we'll to cultivate her tear ducts,
but, If he scowls at her and tells her not to
be fool, she is a fool If she doesn't can the
sob stuff.
If a man is inclined to be tyrannical and
high-tempered, then woman's only chance
is to beat him at his own game. She must
go to it first, and develop ways that have
to be catered to- and a temper that makes
him stand in awe and wonder. Women can
do this because when it comes to an argu-
ment, no man can out-talk one Of the female
persuasion He lacks the swiftness and stay
ing powers to do it.
Nerves and weak hearts are weapons with
which thousands of women keep their hus-
bands in an abject state Of slavery to them,
but to make use of physical infirmity that
appeals to mans sympathy and tender
ness to get your own way is not playing
| the game. It's hitting below the belt, it is
winning out on foul, and no woman with
drop of real sporting blood in her, or any
sense of honor would make i'll health, real
or pretended, the means of getting around
her husband.
One likes to think of women achieveing
| results in subtler manner, and using more
diplomacy in dealing with their husbands.
In it's most elementary form this consists
of wifes using some discretion in choos-
ing the time, and place, and conditions in
which to make request, or to impart to
her husband some Of the necessarily I'M
pleasant facts of daily domestic existence.
Certainly any woman deserves to be in
an asylum for the feeble-minded who
doesn't know that a man who is tired, and
nerve racked and hungry at the end of a
hard days work is as dangerous to hands
as sore-headed bear, while the same man
two hours later, after he has been fed, and
soothed, and rested is so gentle and do
mesticated that he will eat out of your
hand, and jump through the hoop, or do
pretty much everything else you want him
to.
One of the things that every woman
knows is that men have ruling passion for
being deferred to, to having their advice
asked, or having official proclamation made
that they are the heads of the house. If you
will grant a man this empty honor you
may do with him you choose, and why
women so seldom take the trouble to kow-
tow their lords and masters, when the re-
ward is so disproportionate to the effort, is
thing that always fills me with amaze
ment
If a woman wants new car; if she wishes
to have the livingroom done over in brown,
or to send John off to college, she can an
nounce that she is going to have him do
these things and either get them after a
bloody fight with her husband, IL hes the
sort OF a man who will give in at the last,
or not get them at all if he is the sort that
sticks when he gets his back up.
Or the woman can say to her husband,
''My dear, believe you are right in think
ing we needed a new car. Didn't you say
that it was a Humpty Dumpty twenty, with
mauve lining, you like? You are such a
wonderful judge of motors and know SO
much about machinery" or 81 wonder If
you could take an hour off and help me
decide on the livingroom decoration. Your
taste is so artistic, and I'd like for you to
see the browns I looked at" or, 81 have
been thinking it over and am sure you
have selected the right school for john"
etc.
And husband will say, Certainly. Do as
YOU please" for the funny thing is that men
never notice whether you take their advice
or not Nor do they care. All they want is
to have their women folk pay them the
compliment of asking it.
L t. lzak