The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-06

Dear Dorothy Dix-I am married to very pretty young woman who believes that she could back Mary Pickford off the screen as a nov ing picture actress, and who is wild to go into the movies. Naturally, I am opposed to 1t, but If I believed that she was any great genius and could have a wonderful career, would not feel that I had any right to sacrifice her future. But I don't see any indications of histrionic talent in her, nor any beauty that will set the world afire. However, our home has become nothing but a battle ground where this question Is eternally fought over, and am sick and weary of 1t all. What shall do? THOMAS A. G.
 Answer: Why, Mir. Thomas, A G.. If had a wife who was career-mad, I'd let her go and have a try at it. I'd feel that tenn the better for her and the better for me. For there is nothing so de- pressing to have around the house as blighted genius.
 The woods are full of them I know at least thousand women who keep their husbands in a state
 
 telling of what marvellous careers they might have had if only they hadn't been foolish enough to get married while they were young girls and so extinguish their light under the bushel of home. I know wom- en who have had the nerve to tell you that they would have been met ropolitan prima donnas. women who would have been made Sarah Bern hor fcl anly h n would have written six best sellers, women who would have been world renowned financiers, and God knows what if they hadn't gotten married.
 And they still think they could do it if they had a chance. And If I were their husbands, they'd have chance. I'd buy them a ticket to New York or Hollywood and get them off on the next train, and I'd give them enough money for one months board and no more, and tell them that when they got good and hungry I'd send them a return ticket. And that would be all.
 They'd have to try out their vaunt- ed talent and see what it was really worth in the open market instead of in their imaginations.
 And believe me, ninety-nine out of a hundred of the self esteemed geniuses would be glad enough to come home and never mention careers again, for it is only In the movies and novels that fame and fortune are handed one on a silver salver. In real life they are bought with blood, and sweat in such exhausting tofl-> and labor as the woman with good husband and 8 good nome neveI dreams of.
 But the only way you can con- vince a near genius that she isn't the real thing Is to let her try 1t out and the sooner she does 1t the better If she is a child of the gods, she has a right to her inheritance, and If she is a false alarm she'll cease to dis turb her husband by ringing the changes on what she might have been been when she finds out fol certain sure that she never could have been the thing to which she aspired.
 Dear Dorothy Dix-I am boy of 19 and have just graduated from htgh school. I must go to work but I do hot know what to do, as have no special talent or inclination that urges me one way or the other What would you advise me to do?
 c. B. s.
 Answer: I askeu very successful business man once this same .ques- tion in regard to another bo.. His reply was: "It doesn't matter a par ticle O. difference what work a boy takes up. The only thing that mat ters is how he ca do the work. Ht can make a great success in any line if he does it well enough. He wi fail in anything he undertakes if ht does it badly"
 Then this man went on to say, "It a boy has no especial bent in some particular direction, and if he has no a father with a business into whicf he can go, or some family friend who makes an opening for him, one of the best things that he can do is to study | stenography, not so much with tho idea of making 1t his profession fol life-although it Is a good one-a: of making it a stepping S-stone tC something else.
 "The trouble with most boys whC go into business in any bis concerr is that they are so far from the heaC men that the head men never know the youngsters exist, and 1t take: years for them to work up into any degree of prominence. But young fellow who is crackerjack stenog rapher and who gets to be private changed into bottle," So RaggedS Andy sat way back in the corner oi the chicken coop and waited patient rescue him.
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