The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-12
FLEE FROM SULKY
and SELFISH GIRL.
SAYSDOROTHY DIX
ILL., Tempered Sweetheart
Makes Still Worse,
Wife.
By DOROTHY DIX.

II he is a minute late in keep
ing an engagement she goes into a
state Of frozen silence that sends
his heart into his boots. II they
have discussion and she wins on
any point he has to back down and
apologize all over the place, even
II he was in the right, in order to
piacate her, and get things on a
cheerful footing once more. II he
ialls to show her any attention
mat she thinks is due her, she
sulks and has to be propitiated by
oHerlngs of flowers and candy and
having her adorer grovel before
her.
Often the poor young swain
doesn't even know how he has Of
iended his divinity, and her moods
keep him SO bewildered that he
appeals to me for help in solving
the problem OF how to avoid wound
ing the sensibilities of one whose
feelings are spread all over the
place
/ know no reliable recipe for
coping successfully with the tenn
per OF temperamental lady, but 1
can give the young man one piece
or advice that will be money in his
pocket and peace in his life II he
takes II. And that is to make his
getaway from the girl while the
going is good, and before he let's
himself In for paying alimony to
her.
For, of all wives under the sun,
none Is so hard to endure as the
seInsh, egotisUc, unreasonable
woman who is always going into a
Hleases her. and before whose out
breaks of temper the boldest man
cringes in terror.
The one absolute necessity for a
successful marriage is for both the
husband and wife TO be willing to
give and take, and to make excuses
for each others faults. No happy
nome has in IL women who is she
who-must- be-obeyed and who
makes OF her husband a bond slave
TO do her bidding
What a man wants in a wife Is
a pal, companion. friend. some
body who will understand and sym
pathize and make allowance for his
shortcomings and for the particu-
lar circumstances in which he is
situated at the time. He doesn't
want a wife who is merciless
Judge, who holds him to the strict
letter OF the law, and so when he
hnds girl who refuses to under
stand why he had TO break an en-
gagement with her on account OF
business. why he could not be at
her beck and call: why he had to
pay some attention to some other
woman. he does well to refrain
from marrying her, no matter how
good looking she is, or how she
fires his fancy for the moment.
For a man does not stay long
IN love with that sort of a wife
The woman who holds her hus-
lands affections TO the end is the
GOod-fellow woman who is pleas
ant TO live with, and who makes a
cheerful home No man looks for
ward to returning of an evening to
= homo where grouchy, sullen
wife is waiting To haul him over
the Goals about everything he has
done and forgotten to do.
Furthermore. any man who is
afraid Of his sweetheart may be
very sure that he will live in alb
ject terror Of his wife, for the girl
who does not conceal her temper
before marriage, will not hesitate
to give il full rein after marriage
When she is misunderstanding a
woman puts her best foot foremost
and il is safe bet to estimate
her faults at about ten times their
apparent face value.
We speak OF marriage as gam
ble. a lottery, a leap in the dark
II is that only because we shut
our eyes to the danger signals
that every man and woman uneon-
sciously hold out. and that we
might see in time to have our
selves IL We were not purblind
fools
Any man in his senses. for in
stances. must know that if he mar
ries a girl with whom he always
has 10 agree to save a row. he will
be henpecked out OF his life.
The man who marries the girl
who is suspicious and Jealous
would never even dare to take his
own mother out to lunch after he
is married.
The man who marries the girl
who runs her own family. and
whose mother and father are afraid
Of her will never he anything but
an upper servant in his own house.
, The man who marries a girl who
. dresses beyond her means will toll
all Of his days to pay her bills
and never be more than jump
ahead Of the sheriff.
The man who marries a sloppy.
untidy. shiftless girl will have to
eat meals that would kill an os-
trich and live in a house that is
like piEsty.
The man who marrics nervous.
ncurotic girl will pass an exciting
existence between Mysteries and
scenes.
whereas, on the other hand. the
man who marrfes good natured.
sensible reasonable, thrifty girl
may count on getting a wife whose
price is above rubies, and who will
he real helpmate TO him.
There are plenty of both kinds Of
girls, and II man gets the wrong
sort il is his own fault. because
he picks her out. She's his choice
II man wants to be happy.
though married, let him watch out
for the danger signal. and when a
girl flashes the red light of a high
temper. or unreasonableness, or ex-
travagance. or laziness. and thrift
Iessness before him to beat it back
10 safety.