The Washington herald., 1921-12-02
ING ENGAGEMENT
OBSWEDDINC OF
| REAL ROMANCE
bans Hoodoo for the
Bride, According to
Dorothy Dix.
By DOROTHY DIX.

Wheres Maud Blank" asked a
ng man of my acquaintance tho
er day. Last winter I met you
ying around with her every
ere, and this winter I haven't
you together a single time.
pats happenedT
Nothing" he replied. You know
m studying to be a doctor. and
am following my own prescrip-
p, and taking the proverbial
nee OF prevention that is worth
pound of cure. Maud was be-
ming too dangerous for me. All
my symptoms were beginning to
picate violent. and perhaps fatal
e OF love fever, and so the only
Re way was to quarantine my
against it by not going near
You see." he went on seriously,
\ uncle Is paying for my educa-
fn and he has a right to expect
10 make good, which I couldn't
IL L was giving the best of my
[oughts to sentiment instead of
fudy. Besides. after 1 graduate
re l am to have two years at the
PSI hospitals in New York, and
|ree years more of study under
|ecialists In London and Paris.
II there Is anything in me at
T. L shall come back a changed
Pm, with different tastes, different
pals, different needs, a different
look on life. l shall have read,
studied, and met distinguished
fn and women, and learned much
t don't know about the great
Prld- do not know what sort
man 1t will make me. 1 do
Pt know the kind of wife that I
Ill then want and need.
am more than half In love
nth Maud now. and 1 have a
'spiclon that I could win her
part II 1 tried to very hard, but
le might not care at all for the
ranger that I will be nve years
ON now, so it seems to me that
wouldn't be fair to her to ask
er to wait for a husband she
lgnt not want. So / am going to
ave her free. and / am going
way unfettered, and what happens
our little romance in the future,
IS on the knees of the gods"
There spoke a man os honor, and
good, hard, horse sense. For
there is one sentimental COM
icatfon that almost Invariably
'ells disaster for both the man
Id the woman ii is the long en-
lgement And this is especially
-ue when the long engagement
Is to bridge over a long separa-
On.
A long engagement rubs the
DOM on romance, and takes the
lrin out of love. even when a
an and woman live in the same
immunity. and see each other
ally, and are developed by the
me environment. A wedding cake
ust be eaten while 1t is hot and
esh from the griddle, or else it
lis as fat and stale as yester-
.y's pancakes.
An engaged couple are neither
h, nor flesh, nor good red herring.
hey are neither married nor
ngle, neither bound nor free. and
ey have all OF the disadvantages,
I'd none of the privileges of either
ate. They are just near enough
sether to get a clear view of all of
ch others faults, and not so
ose together that they are blinded
: their very nearnsss. Each feels
at he or she has claims on the
her that he or she has no way
enforcing. and so jealousies and
Ispicions forever exist between
EN-.
Worse than all, just waiting
ears the fine edge of anticipation,
Id when, at last, the long de-
rred marriage does take place,
e bride and groom can register
me of the rapture they expected.
hey have as little appetite for
as We have for the feast that
Is been delayed too long.
The case is still more tragic
hen the parties to a long engage
ent are separated. when. as
.nerally happens. the girl stays
1ietly at home while the man
1es forth to adventures in the
-eat world. She changes little,
,cept that the years take their
evitable toll of her youth and
bod looks. She hardens in the
old of her environment. but he
anges with every changing scene.
2 learns to adopt himself to new
He gets a fresh view
int. He Is polished by fiction
it'll other minds. He learns to eat