Evening star., 1938-05-31
Noted as the First Great American Furniture DESIGNER
Dorothy Dix Says
Spinsters Sacrifice Their Lives,
But Get Little Reward for It.

IN EAR Miss Dix: We have a
mothers day and father
day and be-kind-to-animals
day, and in Texas they have
even mother-in-law's day. Why not
an old maids day? Why don't we set
apart one day during the year to pay
tribute to the many old maids whose
lives have been sacrificed for others?
MARIE s.
Answer-I don't know. Maybe II
Is because most elderly unmarried
women resent being called old maids
and would take 1t as an insult instead
OF a compliment to have public at
tention focused upon their being un-
appropriated blessings. You can't
very well cheer for dear old Miss
Susan who isn't proud of being Miss
instead of a Missus.
But, anyhow and anyway, I am
strong for the old maids whether they
chose the single estate, or it was
wished upon them. And I am ready
to throw confetti, or march in pro-
cession. or wear flower in my but
tonhole, or attend a banquet, or dc
any other old thing in their honor.
And I think it will be fine thing
for all Of us to be forced to remem-
Der for one day in a year what we
forget the remainder of the time
that Is what we owe to the women
who are the cornerstones of the
churches, the philanthropies, the cul.
lures and the civic movements In
every community and who, having nc
families Of their own, pinch-hit fol
all the mothers, sisters and aunts who
can't or won't, make the grade. They
offer up their lives as sacrifices on the
altars Of strangers without even ex.
pecting a reward of love and graft
tude. Theirs the cross without the
crown Of glory.
y *x
THERE is the name of many an old
maid written large on the scroll
Of fame-Florence Nightingale, the
saint Of modern nursing; Clara Bar
ton, founder of the Red Cross; Jane
Addams, social worker and founder OF
Hull House; Frances Willard, founder
Of the Women's Christian Temper
ance Union; Christabel Pankhurst
organizer of the women's suffrage
movement in England; Susan B
Anthony, who did more than any one
else to give American women the
right to vote; Mary Lyon, pioneer Of
education1 q in the United States
founder Of Mount Holyoke College
and an endless list Of other spinster,
whose work In art, in literature, In
science, in commerce have won the
respect and admiration of the world
But the old maids whom we should
honor most are the unhonored and
the unsung Aunt Carries, Aunt Sallies
and Sister Sues Of whom the world
never hears. They are the saints and
martyrs who have denied themselves
love and marriage to stay at home
and take care Of querulous old people
or to support younger brothers anc
sisters and give them their chance
They are the penniless old womer
whose life earnings have gone to edu.
cate nieces and nephews who do no,
even remember to be grateful and who
need an old maids day to reninc
them Of what they owe to Aunt
Hattie.
i X 4 Il
DEAR DOROTHY DIX: We are
two young men still In our teeni
and we are both in love with thu
same girl. She does not seem ablt
to make a choice and leaves us swing.
ing in the balance Of uncertainty
Because of d-fashioned social laws
We feel an obligation to our parents
not to marry just yet. Can you solve
our problem?
JAMES ANb OLIVER.
Answer-Easily. Don't take puppy