Evening star., 1942-08-04
Artistic Mother
Resents Marriage
For Daughter
Deblores Bringing
Children Into
Hard World -"
Bv Dorothy Dis

Dear Miss Dix: I am = young
married woman and the mother OF |
a dear little baby. I would be per-
fectly happy if 1t were not for the
teachings of my mother that keep |
me mentally upset. My mother is
an artist and lives upon such a
high spiritual plane that things that
are not of an artistic type irritate
and bore her. She is dreadfuly
disappointed and hurt because
chose to "just get married" instead
Of following some ambitious career.
She has taught me that it is =
crime to bring = child into the
world to suffer. and begs me not be
responsible for another life. But
I cannot see that 1t Is wrong to
want to be . mother when my aim
Is for the children's welfare. My
mother is lovely and I want to re-
spect and obey her, but as . woman
I desire to think the right thoughts
and do the right deeds. Can you
relieve me of any doubt on the
subject? MARGARET.
Answer-Your mother is entirely
wrong in her point of view and you
are right. The greatest career that
any woman can follow, the one in
which she can most fully express
herself and in which her achieve
ment can be of most value to the
world, is that of wife and mother.
1t is the career for which nature
intended her, and 1t is the one
in which she Is most successful and
reaps the greatest reward in hap
piness.
Also. it is the career that calls
for more intelligence, more talent,
more tact and diplomacy. more cour-
age and grit, = higher morale than
any other. For the wife and mother
must be Pooh Bah who Is master
| OF all professions and arts and
crafts. She must be = lawyer and
a doctor, a preacher and dis
ciplinarian, cook and . teacher,
a seamstress and commissary
general and heaven knows what
else. in order to pull of an even
average job OF wife and mother.
So when your mother voices her
disappointment In you because you
did nothing but get married, point
her to your Achievements. Ask
whether it is better to write a jazz
tune, or make life a glad. sweet
song for q husband and children.
Ask her whether a woman is more
successful as lawyer, or as the
mother Of a Macarthur. Ask her
whether it is better to be q film
star with a dozen divorces, or the
adored wife Of one husband. Ask
her whether the woman achieves
most who writes a novel about an
imaginary home. or the one who
makes a real home that Is a place
OF peace and rest and q benedic-
ton to all who cross its threshold
Ask her what woman does AZ
much for her country or for human
ity as the woman who rears q fam
lily Of fine sons and daughters and
sends them forth into the world tc
do its work worthily. Ask her what
woman's influence is so great q.
that Of the mother who has i'm.
pressed her ideals upon her chill.
dren SO that they will transmit then
to their children and send then
down for uncounted generations.
OF course, every child that Is borr
must suffer. It must know sickness
and struggle and hardships and dis
appointments, but 1t is wrong Il
think Of these as bringing US onl,
misery. Out Of them comes strength
and the glory Of achievement an.
wisdom and real manhood and WON
anhood. Furthermore. there is tn
Joy Of the battle that outweigh
all the pleasures of peace. Onl,
the fiabby- -souled would Away
want to be wrapped In luxury an
softness and ease.