The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-18

fond of children, and feel that I could make a devoted father and husband, but =
 Has man, such as I have described myself to be, right to ask a girl to take a chance" knowing that if she accepts he is sentencing her to a, finan- cially speaking mediocre existence? would like to play fair.
 Answer: No man has a right to starve girl. John, but if he can make enough to assure her of three meals a day and roof over her head, 1t is up to the girl to decide whether she is willing to marry him on the bread and-cheese- -and-kisses basis or not. No man should feel that he has to stay single because he cannot give his wife pearls and a limousine.
 The marriage that plunges a man and woman into dire poverty brings happi- ness to neither, but between penury and riches there is a long gap. No mar bands and wives are as close together as are the moderately wellto-do, the cou ples who work and struggle and plan
 
 other, and whose whole happiness de- pends upon each other.
 Why, John, that is the great American romance! A young couple who marry on just barely enough to live upon, who build their love nest with scarcely more furniture than the birds have, to whom the buying of a new suit or new chair is a great adventure and the starting of bank account an event; who share every hope and burden and thought and who build up their fortune together; why, John, that's the stuff that real marriages are made of
 Many men are like you, John. They think that a man should not ask the woman be loves to marry him unless he can offer her a gilded cage and soft cushion to sit upon. Let me tell you that real women are not waiting for soft matrimonial snaps. They want love and the mans attention, his interest, and many millionairess would trade off her jewels for a little of her hus- bands society, few spontaneous at tentions, and a warm kiss or two.
 Furthermore the WOmau WuO mdt- ries man who does not need her help has missed the greatest privilege Tn the world. She is never part of him as the woman is who has made of her shoulders ladder upon which her husband climbs up.
 Once upon a time, the wife of the most famous engineer in this country, man worth many millions, said to me that the happiest time of her life was when her husband was poor, struggling, young chap, and she lived Tn a shack and washed his shirts.
 Don't hesitate to ask the girl you love to marry you, John, because you can't start houseqeeping on East street. If she is worthwhile, she won't care for the money, and you never know how much you can do yourself until you get wife and children for whom to work. DOROTHY DIX.
 Dear Miss Dix-We are young couple in our early twenties who are planning to be married in few months. Since we have been almost constant companions, for fifteen years and have always found our thoughts, ideas and ambitions to be identical; since we have always preferred each others company to any one else. and since we have sym pathy and understanding, and perfect trust, we believe that we can be married and yet continue our congenial, though to a great extent, independent lives.
 We are not in love, as the term is generally understood, and we do not in- tend to let any shackles of marriage interfere in any way with our personal O. social liberty, since our faith in the sincerity of our regard for each other has always precluded jealousy.
 To be crudely frank, we want the freedom of youth with the safeguard of marriage. Do you think our chances avenue, Birmingham, has left for her daughters bedside