The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-24
Fly DOROTHY DIX

Why does a man, when he goes to pick out wife. almost invariably select one who is as different as pos sible from his mother?
 It is not because he does not ad- mire his mother. A man almost al- ways idealizes his mother, and con siders her a model of all the virtues that most adorn the feminine sex. Millions of wives can testify that their husbands are always throwing mothers pies in their teeth, and quoting mothers opinions to them. and telling them how mother never wanted to go out of an evening to bridge parties. or dinner dances, but preferred to stay at home and darn stockings, and how mother was such 8 wonderful manager that she ran the house, and set good table. and clothed seven children on practically no money at all.
 Inasmuch, then, as son regards mother as such a paragon, one would infer that he would go seeking about with his little flashlight until he found a maiden who was mothers understudy, so to speak, and that he would drag her by the hair of her head, If necessary, to the altar with him. This Is far from being the case. however. It isn't mothers g double who attracts son. It Is mcther's opposite
 If mother is a tall, stately woman, with the naughty bearing of queen, you know before you see her that sons bride will be little roly-poly, cGddly creature with the dignity of a kitten, while on the contrary if mother Is pocket edition of woman hood, son is sure to espouse lady n
 If mother Is an austere woman, with rigid mid-Victorian ideas of propriety, you can count on son mar rying a free and easy little scamp, who smokes cigarettes, and dances holes in her slippers. and believes that the main object of life is the pursuit of pleasure. If mother is the most noted cook in her commun- ity. be sure sons wife will be a lady who can't boil water without scorch- ing it.
 If mother wears the same dress and hat three seasons. you may de- pend upon it that daughter Jaw will be fashion plate who looks like a daily hint from Paris.
 It is this fatal predeliction that men have for marrying out of their class, instead of in it, that is responsible for the in-1aw troubles that cause more heartache and tears than any thing else in the world. as
 A man marries "a woman whose every habit, and thought, and pcint of view, and taste are absolutely an- tagonistic to his mothers, and then he pitches the two women at each others heads, and expects them to love each other and be happy and get on tremendously together. And because they are both good women, and both love him, he can't under stand why they fight like Kilkenny cats.
 Nor is this the worst of the situa- tion. In the end the man reverts to type, and, although he has deliberate ly chosen wife as much unlike his mother as he could find, after mar riage he expects her to do lightning change act and become a rubber stamp of mother.
 This is what causes wives to cry out at the injustice of their hus- bands and say. You knew before we were married that was a busi- ness woman, or a society woman, and knew nothing about Keeping house Why didn't you marry some nice, do- mestic girl if you wanted a wife who could cook like your mother does?'
 Or, says the wife: "rhe thing that attracted you to me was my gayety and high spirits, and my joy in liv- ing. If you wanted a wife who was q meek, patient Griselda, like your mother, why didn't you marry one in the first place, instead of picking out one who was full of pep, and then complain because she isi't human doormat?"
 And the poor bewildered man doesn't know. Perhaps biologist would tell him that it is because he has inherited so much from his mother that he instinctively chooses for a mate a woman who is different from his mother, for that is nature s