The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-12
Reflections of Dorothy Dis
Oq,ly Drunkenness, Immortality Or Laziness Are I,cxrable; Therefore, Parents Who Prevent Children Ma,ryipg For Any Other Reason Aye
 Almost Certain to Bri1oq Unhdppi1,ess To Them.

tless girls who let papa marry them to nice, fat, rich, middle-aged widowers. And have known many spineless men to permit mamma to pick out nice; homely heiress. or a good, domestic girl for their wives. But I have never known one of these marriages that turned out 
 Whatever parents prerogatives are, is not one of them. Neith- CT have they any right to break or a match, except for the most drastic reasons.
 Parents are justified in moving heaven and earth to keep girl from marrying a man who has led an immoral life, because the wife and children harvest the biggest part of the rounder's wild oats crop. They are justified in keeping girl from marrying a drunkard, because the chances of his reforming are too small for woman to stake her ilfe upon. They are justified in keeping girl from marrying neer-do- we'll, because lazy man drags his wife down into poverty and the woman who has to work to support a shiftless husband soon comes to have a contempt for him that kills her love.
 Parents are justified in keeping son from marrying a girl with past, because the woman who does not go straight lacks either prlncl- pie or intelligence, and because man seldom ever forgives such woman or trusts her, or finds any real happiness with her. And also because a loose-living woman is no fit mother for his children, and be- cause q woman who is taboo with other women is almost an insur- mountable handicap to her husband. But beyond these objections to pros pective son-in-law or daughter -in-laW there are very few causes that justify parents in refusing their consent to marriage of their children with the man and woman of their choice.
 Certainly parents have no right to try to break off match because of difference in religion.
 A man and woman who love eact other can walk hand-in-hand along sep arate paths to God. And those who ar' so narrow and so bigoted and so lntoler ant that they cannot concede to eacf other any individual right of thought ol conscience would quarrel just as mucf over politics or pie as they do ovel creeds.
 Nor does nationality justify par ents in breaking off match.
 No one race has monopoly of all tn virtues, and the men and women Of on race are just as honorable and true ant faithful, and make just as good and ten der husbands and wives as Of another
 Family is no reason for breaking off match in this country.
 In America the wheel turns perpetual ly, and the aristocrats of one generation are the truck drivers of another, and tn denizen of the slums move in twent' years up on Fifth avenue.
 Nor are parents justified in for bidding the banns because of the lack of money. Nine-tenths Of the women who are wearing real pearl necklaces and riding around Tn
 limousines had their wedding rings
 bought on the installment plan, and
 took their bridal trip on q street car across town.
 all moor DOW become millionaires, too many humbl clerks rise to place, too many extrava gant girls turn thrifty when it was thel own money they were spending instea of fathers, too many butterflies becom grubs to feel that anybody can prophes surely enough what young man O woman is going to become to make safe to venture prediction about nov any marriage will turn out.
 For. after all, the success or fail
 urc of marriage depends on the
 spirit that is put into it. If man
 and woman love each other, they
 can work miracles, but if they do
 not love. and bring only to mar
 riage a dull distaste, it is doomed
 from the very beginning.
 That is why parents have no righ to break off q match because they q not like the mans or womans tamll! or the color of his or her complexion, Q his or her politics, or the color of hi or her blood, or the size of his or he bank account.
 They should bear in mind that
 their judgment is fallible, that
 tastes differ, and that it is more
 important for their children to be
 pleased with the ones they marry
 than it is for them.
 Certainly, those who have to live
 together should have the right of
 choice-which is a fact that par