Evening star., 1936-02-11

We see them wrecking the careers Of
fine young men whom they are drag
ging to the altar before the men are
ready, and we wonder why this mania
for marriage. But no one has the
answer.
1t is no new thing, though, that
men have the advantage over women
in picking out their mates. They have
always had that because convention
has given them the initiative in court
ship. For this reason I have always
felt that men were more to blame for
unhappy and unsuitable marriages
than women were. A mans wife repre-
sented his taste and judgment, where
as woman's husband is her oppor-
tunity. The man could look them all
over and take his choice, but the
woman has to take what she can get.
Your order for wife is so moderate
that it amounts virtually to a table
d'hote menu and you should be able
to get it filled anywhere. All around
you there are plenty Of girls who are
home-loving. good cooks and intelli-
gent. and who will be glad to work
shoulder to shoulder with their
husbands.
RUT the trouble with most men is
that, while they desire all of these
qualities in their wives. they still want
them to be Miss Americas and man
ikins and night club dancers. And
inasmuch as you are willing to waive
the cinema-star stuff and take girl
who knows how to make biscuits in
stead of how to make up her face,
all you will have to do is just sit
still and let some one of the 10000
husband-pursing damsels capture you.
Also. perhaps the reason you have
not found this paragon you seek is
because, like most men, you have looked
for her in the wrong place. Perhaps
you have hunted for her around cock
tail bars instead of at home. The
reason lots of girls seem so silly and
frivolous is because that is the type Of
girls who have the most dates. The
sensible ones don't dare show how
much intelligence they have.
DOROTHY DIX.
DEAR MISS DIX: I have fine
husband and children. I smoke
cigarettes My husband and children
want me to quit and complain about
the house reeking with tobacco
smoke. My husband gets on my
| nerves when he says cigarettes are
what make me nervous, easy to take
cold and with a sallow complexion,
and that he has lost his desire TO kiss
me because of the stencil Of cigarettes
on my breath. Also, he says he con-
siders smoking as degrading spirit
ually and morally to a woman If I
quit smoking, my woman friends. who
smoke, will think I am lowering our
standards. I don't want to give up
my cigarettes, but my husband is good
to me and the children and a fine
provider. What should I do?
ANXIOUS MOTHER.
Answer-When you put kind and
generous husband. your children and
your home and your domestic peace
and happiness on one side of the
scales and a cigarette on the other,
you must see how the one outweighs
the other. and not only how wrong
but also how foolish you would be to
give up all the big and really worth
while things in life for puff OF
smoke.
T DO not smoke myself, but have
never been able to see cigarettes
as a moral issue, or why it is any
g., more harmful for woman to smoke
than it is for a man. But the right
or the wrong of it does not matter
when it becomes a family issue and
breaks up the peace and harmony Of
a household. This is your case. 1t
is offensive to your husband and
children for you to smoke. 1t lowers
you in their eyes. 1t is killing your
husbands affection for you and
weakening your influence with your
children. You would be lacking in
every attribute of the true wife and
mother if you were not willing to
sacrifice whatever pleasure you get
out of smoking for the general good.
Don't bother about what your
friends think. No doubt they will
tease you about giving in to your
family prejudices. But in their hearts
they will respect you for having had
the courage to do the right thing.
DOROTHY DIX.
(Copyright. 1861