Evening star., 1936-08-26
Dorothy Dix Says
Women Should Be Thankful That Their
Husbands Don't Understand Them.
ME chief complaint Of wives Is
that their husbands do not
understand them. This is no

TIME chief complaint of wives 1:
that their husbands do not
understand them. This is nc
- cause for grief. Rather is IL
a reason for gratitude to Heaven, for
its mercies, for one Of the greatest
allures that woman has for man is
that she perpetually piques his in
terest in her by keeping him guessing
which way the cat is going to jump.
Gracious powers! Suppose our hus-
bands did understand us and knew
why we acted like women instead of
human beings! Suppose they could
tell when We weep for sorrow and
when we weep for revenue, or to get
our own way, or because it is the
easiest way to get out Of tight place
Suppose they knew when our nerves
are just temper! Suppose they could
tell when we needed a new frock in
stead of having to take our word for
it that we haven't got decent rag
to our backs! Suppose-but let's not
suppose anything SO horrible as hav-
ing our best graft taken away from
us, as it could be If our husbands
really understood us.
Il X
IF YOU will notice, you will observe
that the women who marry the
half feminine men who understand
women never stay married to them
long. They simply can't stand it and
they get divorces.
But when wives beat upon their
breasts and wall out that their hus-
bands don't understand them they
overlook the fact that they no more
understand their husbands than their
husbands understand them. If their
husbands do not speak their language,
neither do they comprehend that of
their husbands. If their husbands
nave not the keys to the doors Of their
secret souls, neither do they know the
passwords into their husbands holy
of holies. And that is why 1t Is so
hard to establish the domestic entente
cordiale.
If wife understood her husband
she would know If her husband had
the head-of-the-h house complex; that
all he wants is to have his authority
recognized, and that if she will ask
his opinion first she may do as she
pleases afterward. She will know II
he is stubborn that the way to manage
him is to let him think that he
thought Of everything first.
She will know that nine times out
of ten when man comes nome
grouchy of an evening it Is because
he has been beaten black and blue by
the outside world, and his gruffness
Is just his crying out like a hurt
child for his mother to kiss the aching
spot and make it well. She will know
that no matter how big and important
q man Is, or how little and insignifi-
cant, he wants his wife to make a
fuss over him and tell him he is q
world wonder.
4 X X
oh, IF wife understood her hus-
hand, she would save herself lot
of heartaches, because she would
know that most Of the things he did
that hurt were done just in sheer
dumbness and not with malice afore-
thought; because he didn't any more
understand the workings Of a wom-
ans mind than he did the workings
of his radio-he never knew when he
turned the button whether he was
going to get q symphony concert or
static.
One Of the chief grievances of wives
against their husbands Is that their
husbands take them for granted.
Millions Of women shed rivers of tears
over that. They think it shows that
their husbands no longer care for
them because they are no longer jeal-
out Of them, and aren't forever telling