Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-18
Choose Your Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey With intelligence
Dorothy Dix Says
Women Don't Have to BE Slaves
To Their Husbands NOWADAYS.
EAR MISS DIX: I consider
that my mother was the ideal
wife, and until I find a girl

~ EAR MISS DIX: I consider
that my mother was the ideal
wife, and until find girl
- like her I will never marry.
She worked from morning until night,
with never a day off for recreation
as the women of today want. She
never went anywhere without my
father, nor did she ever do anything
without asking his consent. A new
dress lasted her for six years or more.
She never took the initiative about
anything. She waited for my fathers
command. He did as he pleased, with
out ever consulting her or considering
whether she would like it or not. Don't
you think that If all girls were like my
mother there would be fewer divorces?
A SINGLE MAN.
AnsWer-I think that If all hus-
bands expected their wives to imi-
tate your mothers example there
wouldn't be any more marriages. No
modern girl would think for a minute
OF letting herself in for the abject
slavery that your poor unfortunate
mother had to endure. So If you are
starting out in search of a wife who
will toll like galley slave, never speak
until she Is spoken to and wear the
same dress six years, you will be too
old to marry before you find her.
Patient Griseldas are scarce as hens
teeth these days.
Every normal girl would like to mar
ry, but what she wants is a husband,
not Simon Legree. She is willing TO
do her part of the work and be a real
helpmate, but she doesn't want task
master who will work her to death.
She doesn't want husband who Is a
grinding tyrant; nor one who is an
autocrat who must be obeyed; nor one
who considers himself so superior to
her that he orders her about. Nor
does she want husband who is such
tghtWaC that he considers a dress
every six years all that any woman
needs to keep in the fashion.
X x
~ YOU see tndt your chance OF
finding wife like your mother is
virtually nil in these times of the
emancipated woman, when any girl
who has ordinary intelligence and
energy can get a job and support her
self, and so is not driven to marry for
a meal ticket. 1t will surprise you to
learn-but take it as a fact-that
young women are so unreasonable
nowadays as to expect to marry men
who will be kind and considerate and
generous to them, and who will Go
everything in their power to make life
pleasant for them. They expect to
get husbands who will treat them as
their equals, not their interiors; who
win take pride in dressing them in
pretty clothes; who will give them a
square deai and go fifty-ffty with
them in all the pleasures and perqui-
sites as well as the work and sacrifice
of marriage.
This Is the enlightened modern con-
ception of marriage. That idea which
you and your father entertain belongs
to the Middle Ages when a wife was
a chattel, as much the property of her
husband as his horse, and he could do
with her as he pleased. That time
has passed. No woman now would
knowingly marry tyrant, such as
your father was, who would grind her
under his heel. and if she did unWit-
tingly get such a one she would di-
vorce him and soak him for alimony.
So fear you will have to change
your ideals about the perfect wife, or
else remain an old bachelor.
X
YEAR DOROTHY DIX: Our teacher
has asked us to write a compost
ton on What is the difference be-
tween house and a home?" 1 am a
schoolboy and do not know. Will you
please tell me? TIRED.
Answer-Well. Fred, a house is lust a