Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-13
DOROTHY DIX DISCUSSES LIFE
TALKS ON HEART AND HOME

crn youth, and that when they WIS.,
tied O girl they sat up and discussed
serious topics instead Of skylarking,
and giggling, and talking foolish
ness, as they do now.
That's fathers position. Daughter
would like to set forth her side Of
the case to him.
She would like to tell him that she
belongs to the year of grace 1928,
instead of 1888. That this is prac.
tically a new world since the war,
with new standards. That custom
makes ths right or wrong of many
things, and that the things that 1t
used to be scandalous for a girl to
do, are perfectly proper now.
She would like to tell father that
she Is more worldly wise at twenty
than her mother was at forty, and
above all, she wants to tell him that
she is Young, that she must have
some pleasure.
She wants to tell him that she
must dance, and have good times and
have beaux, and that she has to play
the game in the way her generation
plays it, or else not play it at all,
and that if he shuts hec up at home
and won't let her do he things the
OIL err young people are doing, he is
booming her TO bleak, joyless old
maidenhocd.
II the girl could tell her father
these things and they could thresh
them out together, they could arrive
at some sort of q compromise, in
which she could have her fun, while
he stood like guardian angel in the
background. But they can't do it,
because when they try to talk to-
gether he gets too angry to listen.
The result is that father is l44isera.
BILE, and anxious all the time about
the girl, and the girl sneaks off, and
meets boys on the streets, and looks
upon rer father as a tyrant, and a
t killioy.
I know wise woman, married to
al irritable ana quick-.empered man,
VINO never discusses any important
family matter with her husband. In
stead, she writes him a letter in
which she sets forth her reasons
why she things, such and such a
thing should be done, and mails it to
him at his office.
eff l attempted 20 tell him that I
think John ought to be sent off to
| college, or Mary should be permitted
to accept an invitation to visit a
school friend in a distant city, he
would go up in the air, and want to
know if 1 think he is made of money.
He would tell how re had to go to
work before he was their age, and
d nand to know what the younger
generation is C. ming to, and launch
forth on a general TRADE on the de-
generacy of the times.
Il couldn't get in a word about
tt e advantages of education, and
forming good associations, or Mary
needing a change, and 1 would
! finally have to shut up to end the
scene. But when 1 write it all out
he is bound to read my arguments
and he is perfectly reasonable about
agreeing with me-"
And how many men have their
whole home life ruined by never be-
| ing able to speak freely and frankly
to their wives! They can't talk over
tina rearing of their children, or the
household budget, or any plans, be
cause the wives go into Mysteries
or rave like fishwomen in bursts Of
| temper.
1t is a great pity, for there is moth
ing like being able to sit down anG
talk things over. When we do thai
we can nearly always reach a gooC
working agreement.
Copyright, 1929