The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-15
DOROTHY DIX Mother Jealousy

I death l put It off for ever. for ] shall
myself be then too old to think OF such
a thing.
what shall I dor Has my mother
the right TO exact the sacrifice OF my life
as the price OF her care OF me when
was q child2'
No. A thousand times no. Children
owe much TO their parents, but not a
thousandth part OF the duty that parents
owe to their children. None OF us ask
TO be born. and when our parents thrust
life upon us. they are morally bound TO
do every possible thing they can TO
make It tolerable for us. There are
mothers like this one. who are willing
to wreck their childrens happiness In
order to crafty their own morbid jeal-
ousy, and their sons and daughters do a
wrong and foolish thing in giving in TO
them.
A woman who 10 not willing for her
son OF forty to marry a nice girl Is n
eElo-manac, and should be dealt with
gently but firmly, as one who Ia not
quite sane, and Incapable of Judging
clearly Of the nature OF her acts. There
Ia something even abnormal in her nf-
fection for her son. that makes her want
10 Isolate him from the regular lfe OF
man. 1t 10 love that is stranglinR,
blighting. Huffocating and unhealthy. in
stead OF wholesome mother love.
Every woman who Ia in her right sense
knowR that hlial love cannot take the
place OF romantic love. and that no mat
ter how devoted q son may be to his
mother, or how necessary she II TO his
happiness. the feeling no has for her does
not prevent him from yearnIng to ind
his mate.
Also the woman knows. from her own
experience. that the love one has for
ones wife or husband or mother. 10 AZ
husband or wife arc not antagonistic.
because they are no more alike than day
and night or flre and water. They are
entirely different passions. springinE
from different emotions, and 80 the jeal-
ousy between mother and wife, or
mother and husband Ia the most sense
less waste Of emotion in the world.
To ask which ono loves the better,
ones wife or husband or mother. 10 a
futile rs to ask whether ono prefers
roast beef or Ice cream Indeed. instead
of wife or husband supeTscdinK their
mothers In their affection most men
and women love their mothers better
ntter they are married than they did be-
fore, because they realize the more nil
their mothers have done for them, and
30 appreciate them more
And any woman who has the courage
to look facts square in the face know that
while her child may be the one person
OF absorbing interest in the universe to
her. her companionship Ia not enough
for her child, She can sit entranced
for hours listening to her son tell every
little detail OF his daily life, what he
has done at tho office. whom he saw,
what they did. and no on; hut when she
begins TO reminisce about her own at
fairs, he Ia bored stiff. He care nothing
about the sewing society. or the mis-
hA taNA 1T
rhcumatism OF his mothers old cronics
Youth calls to youth, and ago may not
answer II. No mother can possibly DO
the comrRds to man that q wife can
he, because, after all, the mother and
son belong to different generations. and
zach generation has Its own viewpoint,
ana between them . great gulf is fixed.
Therefore the mother who keeps her
son from marrying 10 booming him TO
loneliness Che II cutting him off from
that companionship OF husband and wife
that In the greatest Joy Of life. and sho
does not make up for Il by feeding HON
on just the things he likes. and keeping
his socks darned with q care that no
wife would beatow upon him.
And tho mother must surely realize
that In the ordinary course OF events
her son win outlive her. Has she no
pity then for his desolAte days II she
has kept him from forming any other
ties9
The man who marries the woman he
loves, who has children about his knees,
and grandchildren 10 cheer his old age,
10 ninety nine times out Of q hundred
A happier man. u better man. and q more
prosperous man than the one who never
marries. This IL the natural destiny OF
man, and no one has a right 10 inter-
fere with IT,
Not even a silly and selfish old mother,