Show Dorothy Dix Talks We Have Raised th Standard of and Ir pr ved Them Until the Most Moat Ordinary Common or Garden Variety of the Modern Species Would Hat Ha Taken a Blue Ribbon Prize In a Husband Show 50 Years Ago Says Say Dorothy DI A CORRESPONDENT l asks How do 10 you think the tho young men of today compare with the young oung men of the past as husbands and fathers Dont Don't you think that nowadays when a Sill girl sets gets married she takes a far greater risk than her mother and grandmother did Do you ou think that the mod pm era man makes all as good a husband and father as his father and grandfather did 1 c I think that tho modern young 5 man Is the greatest modern Improve ment and that the girl who marries S him has a SO 50 per cent better botter chance at happiness than her mother and andt t grandmother did Also Alao that the mod l fr ern em father Is I. the first father In the S whole history of the world who hu has even tried to understand the obliga c of fatherhood to uy say nothing of making an honest attempt to pull off a good job at It AND If you throw up our hands and cry DOROTHY DIX out Look at the Increase In fn divorce and cite the number ot of sidestepping husbands I reply that it Isn't because there are more more unfaithful husbands or more drunken husbands or more cruel or trilling trifling husbands Its It's be be- because cause women wont won't stand for the things now that they formerly did Mary chucks chuka her husband out of the door for doing the very ery things that grandma would have endured f In patient silent suffering be be- because cause she thought that a wife's role was to be the understudy ot of a marty The truth Is we have raised the standard of husbands We have educated them Improved them them so that the most moat ordinary common or garden variety of the modern species would have taken a blue ribbon prize in a husband show fifty years ago ll TN PACT FACT the women that we pity pHy and poor Sally now have got L just about the sort or of husbands that grandpa was For grandfather without knowing it or Intending It was an overbearIng arrogant ego ego- egotistic egotistic selfish tyrant who talked n a lot about gallantry and chivalry and protecting women and then proceeded to make a a. doormat of poor grandma He grabbed her pocketbook on her wedding day and doled her out of It just what he saw fit to give her And he felt that she should be so eternally grateful to him for saving her from beIng an old maid that he didn't need to do any any- anything thing else to make her happy the remainder of her life IF ji ND GIL GRANDMA A had asked grandpa for an all allowance on which to run A the house and for tor her own personal use lie he would have thrown a fit Why the thing was unheard of oC Dl Didt he pay the bills Couldn't she come to him like a beggar every time she he wanted a nickel for tor soap oal or a a. pair of new stockings Perish the thought that a woman had an- an right to nn any money that she could spend without giving an itemized account of It to her lord and master But It Is a mighty mean and tight fisted husband In these days who does not voluntarily give his wife an allowance not as a favor but merely as a square deal desi and because lt Is a faIr and honest return for her cervices as housekeeper as and wife and mother The modern man recognizes that Ii fl independence Is just as necessary to a womans woman's self respect as It Is to a mans man's GRANDPA A was a tyrant In his household If Ie he was kindly natured d dand and amiable he was a benevolent tyrant If he was surly and ill III- tempered he was a brutal tyrant nut But in either event his will was waslaw law Jaw and poor grandma had bad never a word to say about anything All that was expected of her was to meekly accept his mandates and do his august pleasure The modern man ma has even eliminated the word obey from the marriage service He regards his wife as his equal not his slave He consults with her advises with her makes makes' her his his partner his chum his companion thought that being married to him was picnic enough for 5 any woman and that she couldn't possibly desire any more Ing amusement than sitting at home watching for his return at The modern husband realizes that housework is dun dull and monotonous and he makes an effort to bring all the pleasure he can into his wife's lite He takes her out to places of where she will wUl see the bright lights and bear laughter and music and get something new to thInk about Grandpa left grandma at home when he went forth for his pleasures John takes his wife along and they have good times together It was grandpa who used to travel Now Its It's Mary Jane and the children who run over to Europe while husband stays at home and makes make's the money to pay the bills bi i is jF IA had any talents except for fol cooking and haIng ha babies grandpa ruthlessly squelched them The modern husband encourages encourages ages his wife to develop whatever gifts she has and it If he is very modern Indeed he is willing for his Ide wife to go on with the career that site she has spent thousands or of dollars and years ot of study fitting her herself herself self for Cor and In which she Is winning success lie He would not like to give up hIs lIfo work with all ot of its interests and Its emoluments just because he got married and he e extends tends the same privilege to his wife Oh there are a million mill ways In which the modern man shows justice and generosity and and human fellow ship to his wire wife by which grandpa never dreamed Indeed it Is not too much to say that nearly all of the bad husband nowadays the husbands who are breaking women's hearts and making them are men who are the old ed kind just like grandpa THE rr modern father Is also a better bettel father because grandpas grandpa's idea I of being a good father was to be a martinet who enforced implicit obedience on on- isis his children and to make them do and thInk exactly as he did and thought lie picked out Johns John's profession proCession for tor him without regard to Johns John's talents or desires lie He selected Marys Mary's husband for tor her and JC It John and Mary rebelled there was a grand family row and they were turned out into the cold cold nIght The modern father tries to help his children make mako the thet best of themselves He studies them and tries to understand them He sympathIzes with them and Is their best loved friend Instead of their most feared oppressor And so I say that while the new husband and father has his faults he is a million miles in advance of the old Why no w woman man of today would stay married a week to her grand father Five days or of his tyranny would send her to Reno DOROTHY DIX Copyright by Public Ledger |