The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-17
Dorothy Dix Tails
RY DOROTHY DIX
W0RaA'a Rfghesa Paid Weman wF4eew.
Patience.


Patience is the most overrated vir-
tue in the world
Heaven knows what spineless mol
lusk first evolved the idea that there
was something fine and noble in sit
ting down supinely and letting the
waves wash over you, instead of fight
ing your way out of the flood Some
idiot, however, did PROFOUND the
notion that It was sweet and beauti-
full to cultivate a meek spirit of en-
durance, and to humbly accept what
ever sort of rotten cards fate handed
you out in place of raising a ruction
and demanding a new shuttle and a
fresh deal.
Especially has patience been consid-
cred a nice, lady-like virtue. From
the beginning of time women have
been adjured to suffer and be strong.
The proper gesture for a woman. who
lived up to the traditions of her sex
was to fold her hands and bear with
out protest whatever misfortunes be-
pen her. Not one of us but who has
shed barrels of tears over some DOOR
patient drunkard's wife, or some poor,
patent invalid, or some poor, patient
lady VINO was once rich, but who is
now glad of our cast off clothes.
We have localized and glorified
patience, and it deserves all the trib-
uteS we San pay it when it means
stick ativeness. and the grit and grim
courage to hold on. and work and
work and work, at the thing we want
10 do until We accomplish it. In a.
word, when patience means impatf-
ence with the evil conditions by which
we are surrounded, it is sublime But
when patience merely means endur-
ance and the lack of resistance. if is
contemplate. 1t is a cloak for cow
aruce- II is the camounage of lazi-
ness. 1t is an alibi for the gutter and
the Stacker. 1t is the banner under
Whlch those poor weaklings camp who
INA ma u easier to run up the white flag
than to fight the battle of life.
For there is no merit in suffering
heediessly. What can be cured, need
not be endured, And there are mighty
Few things in life that can't be cured
II we have nerve enough to apply the
Take sickness, to begin with. and
especially turn your eyes metaforicaIIy,
upon the thousands and thousands of
invalid women. OF course, there are
many in the number who are hope
ierlngs with what fortitude they can
summon.
But at least 80 per cent of this num-
Der could become well and strong if
they would give up being resigned
and struggle on, and on, until they
struggled back to health. Some of
them could be cured by a surgical
operation but they are too much
AFRAID OF the knife to submit to it.
Some have not the money for the ex-
pert medical attention they need, and
they would rather be proud, and pa
tient. and sick than go into the char
ity ward of a hospital.
some are sick because they will not
eat the right food. Some because they
haven't the courage to fight their
nerves, and simply lack the will power
to be well. Doctors will tell you that
II is practically impossible to save the
life of a sick person who doesn't wish
to live. You may be sure that the
individual who desires and is deter
mined to be well and strong, is very
seldom sick, and then not for long.
Most of the patient i1fvaiids ere people
who have discovered that invalidism
is soft graft.