Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-06
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Do Women Want to Be Petted?
Copyright, 1920, by the Wheeler Syndi-
cate, Inc.
LEARNED Judge advises husbands to
pet their wives II they Wish TO make
Fri GRAND sweet song.

ClareS that women are not K1tCenS that VIII
purr under any hand that strokes their fur
the right way She avows that wives want
their husbands to treat them as equals and
companions, not as domestic pets.
Which is right, the lady or the judge? Do
wives wish to be petted or not?
I side with the judge. 1 think that where
there is one woman who desires to be dealt
with on a cold, hard, business platform by her
husband, there ten million who yearn to
be babied. Also that about the same ratio
prevails between the number of wives who
would rather discuss what Harding is going
to do about the League of Nations than to
listen to their bubbles tell them that they
are the sweetest, prettiest little lovey-doVeys
that any man was ever lucky enough to tie
up with.
Age-long experience has amply shown that
while man takes any interest in holding
his wife's hand, she will cheertully work II
to the bone for him, and that if husband
wishes to blind his wife to his go1ngs-on' all
he has got to do is to kiss her eyes shut. The
husband that other women envy woman Is
not the man who is model Of all the VIZ
tues or the man who provides his wife with
tiaras and limousines. 1t is the man VINO Is
tender and affectionate to his wife, VINO
shows in a thousand little ways that his love
is living thing instead or expecting her "
take it for granted.
IF woman wanted merely to be treated
as mans equal and to have intellectual
companionship with him, she would Dc
great fool to take upon herself the buroen
of matrimony, for she would give up mucn
to gain little. The business woman enjoys
an equality with the men with Whom sne
works shoulder to shoulder, that their wives
can never know, because she is not depend
ent upon them, nor bound to them In any
way and their wives are. so the woman
who yearns for equality with men had best
stick to her job and her own pay envelope
The woman who wants her husband TO
treat her just as he would man friend, can
get more Of that sort Of chumm1ness OUTSIDE
of marriage than she can in 1T. That lueal
of the relationship between a man ana
woman can best be carried out in Platonlc
friendship, where two people who have
mild regard for each other and a mutual
taste in symphony concerts and literature
can golf and walk, and talk together ana en-
Joy each others best without having TO en-
dure each others worst
In these days any able-bodied, intelligent
woman can make good living for herselr az
the kind of work she has picked out because
it is congenal to her. She has liberty to
come and go as she pleases, unquestioned.
She can spend her money as she likes With
ont rendering an account to anybody she
has certain hours of the twenty-four abso-
lutely for her own.
The average married woman has to work
far harder than any business woman does,
She has money of her own. but must ASK
her husband, who is often niggardly and
grudging, for every penny. If she has chill
dren, there is no hour of the day or night
when she is off duty. She must go through
suffering, and endure sacrifices of which
she had never dreamed.
The only thing L.. the world that can re-
pay her is the tenderness of her husband.
His Kisses warm with love, ard not chill
peck of duty on the cheek, his murmured
words of endearment, are the magic coin
that settles the long score that woman
charges up against matrimony, and that
makes her rich in happiness.
The woman who has looked from the love-
1y gown and soft furs in show window, to
her own shabby frock, and knows that she
could afford nothing better because the
children had to have shoes and the coal was
nearly out; the woman who has Wrestled
with pots and pans, and the wash-tub all
day, while the baby howled and the other
children fought, until her nerves were raw
will she be soothed by her husbands treat
ing her as his equal when he comes home at
night, and conversing with her about the
federal reserve bank, and the railroad sit
uation?
trow not But if he puts his arms about
her. and pats her the shoulder, and says
''There, there, now" and tells her that she
is the dearest, bravest, most wonderful lit
tie woman in the world, and he just wishes
he had the money to doll her up and show
people that his little wifekins has got any OF
these living pictures backed off the screen,
why, somehow, the tiredness goes out Of her
back, and the envy out Of her soul, and the
suns come again n her Heaven, and she is
ready to go down on her knees and thank
God for giving her such husband, even is
he isn't any great shakes as money
maker.
And women aren't the only ones who
want to be petted, and cooed over, and
chucked under the chin, and talked baby
talk to- either. Men like it just as we'll as
women do, and the bigger and the more IN
tellectual, and the sterner-looking the men
are, the easier they fall for it.
Out in the world among other men, man
has to keep his mask on and pretend that he
is far above all human weaknesses, that his
strength is sufficient unto himself and that
he doesn't wan to be gurgled over. It's all
camoufage. In his secret soul he is yearn-
ing for tenderness, for the love that is just
for himself, Independent of what he has
DONE for somebody that understands how
big and brave 3 the fight he has made and
will tell him so. And most Of all, he wants
some woman who will just pet him as IL he
were little boy again.
Women have an idea that they have the
monopoly on being heart-hungry. They
are mistaken. 1t is a universal human COM
plant. There re just as many husbands
starving for little real love, little real ap-
probation, a little tenderness, there are
wives The only difference u.s. that men are
ashamed to admit it, while women howl