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Show Dorothy Dix Talks ji ! HOW TO BREAK OFF A MATCH 1 1 MJyJJOROTllY DIX, the World's Highest Paid Woman Writer U I j A woman writes me thr.t her daugh- j ter is in love with a man of whom she highly disapproves, and she wants to know how she can break off the 'match, for the-girl is determined to i marry her unsuitable suitor, t Of course the only reliable method of preventing an undesirable marriage lis to forestall cupid, and prevent young i people from falling in love with the j wrong parties It's a case where an i ounce of prevention is worth a pound jof cure, and if parents' foresight was lonly as good as their hindsight in sentimental matters, they could save themselves and their children many heartaches. , Quarantine Your Home Quarantine your house as rigidly against beautiful girls, and fascinating ; young men that you do not. wish yourj sons ond daughters, to marry as you', would against small pox. Keep your young people as far. as possible from! associating with those whom you -U3m;p put! suos su juuooioav iou pino.-A' lers-in-law. Follow these rules, and) you are reasonably safe from having' to interfere inyouiu.childrfln's love af-j fair's. But there are times when all rules I tail, and all precautios are in vain, and j when faters and mothers are forced to nip some youthful fancy in the bud to save their children from the folly of wrecking ihulr lives by making disastrous dis-astrous marriages. The great difficulty about doing tlsis is that when boys and girls are in love, or think they are in love, , lliey arc-temporarily arc-temporarily insane and beyond the reach ol reason. They cannot bo argued ar-gued with because they have lost all judgment, and all perspective on life. They may admit that the argument you advance against their marrying' the individuals in-dividuals they want to marry would be cogent in other cases, but they are convinced that their own cases are exceptions. ex-ceptions. John will agree that for an educated, educat-ed, cultivated gentleman to marry a frowsy, illiterate 'woman is to court misfortune, but he is sure that in his case marriage will immediately turn a coarsclv nrettv servant cirl into an accomplished woman of the world Mary may agree that for any other girl to marry a drunkard and a roue with hectic past is sure to end in disaster, dis-aster, but she is certain her marriage to such a one will bring her nothing but domestic bliss. Love Thrives on Difficulties A still further difficulty is that love thrives on difficulties, and there Is no surer way to make a match than to oppose it, and in their anxiety, and their panic at the danger that threatens threat-ens their beloved chtld. parents are nearly always betrayed Into the fatal step of asserting their authority, and forbidden the bans which precipitates the calamity they dread. if, therefore, you wish to break off a match never openly oppose it, for that puts the youngsters backs up and makes them determined to assert their Independence, and show that they are not children to be dictated to. Neither be guilty of the folly of continually harping upon .the unaeIred sweetheart's sweet-heart's shortcomings. This makes the lover rush to the defense of the girl of whom he is enamoured, and not only marshall her every charm and good quality, but manufactures addi- tional ones to justify his choice ffi! Many Ways to Choke Love w There are, however, many ways of J$j choking a cat except upon butter. You jft will recall that the wily old Major Eft Pendennis, when called upon to break ?r off the match between his nephew and j a fascinating but blowsy actress, mur- ja mured as lie read over her letters ft ' Ah, yes, lovely creature, lovely crea- rj. lure. Adores you. I see she spells j 'affection' with one 'f, lovely creature, levely creature." y But that one "f" did for Aruthur jwhat all his mother's tears and en- a treaties and prayers had not been able K I to do. ' cf Mother Outwits Son W A certain mother, whose young son imagined himself in love with a ei; & 'common girl, wa3 agha&ted when the Ki boy announced lib choice of a wifi ' She did not bat an eye, hwever. when 1 pg he delivered the blow. that dashed all r I of her hopes for him to the ground. I "Whatever is for your happiness, is jj I for mine," she said. Bring Willabellt g ' tt stay with us at once." Joyously the V jboy .brought -Wllbbella, but prudent & mother had filled the house witfh the' B most beautiful and charming young M girls of her acquaintance, and when b the boy saw Willabelhi against this K background instead of hei: own, the' scales fell from his eyes and he was( D disenchanted. i r He perceived whaL no argument could have conviced himn of. that he would be eternally ashamed of her, j g that they had nothing In common, that E !he did not belong to his world She did not i von know how to hold her, fork, or eat soup. Still less how to Li dress, or talk like a gentlewoman. And jv 'Willabella was as bored as the boy, and glad enough to return to her own I kind. j I Overdose For Young Girls t Another mother, who has saved sev ' R eral of her children from making fool- g ish marriages, claims that there is no K other such euro for love sickness as giving the couple an overdose of each Jf other's society. Especially in hot wca- g ther. She avers that three. days of tin- . interrupted talking will break up an n match. i ( Still another mother, whose daugh-' h ter was fascinated by an undesirable! 'i suitor, brought her batteries to bear upon the man instead of the girl. ; Mother Disillusions Suitor '. "It is such a comfort to me to think' j of Maud marrying a man who will g cherish her as I'm sure you will," rao' j ther confided to him "for Maud isn't at all strong, and couldn't possibly attend, much to the housekeeping, or worry over the prices of things as so many 1 . men expect their wives to do, and it would be quite out of the question for' her to do such a thing as cook. "In fact she doesn't know the first J I thing about any housework, or sew- A ing, or anj thing of that sort. I am afraid I have rathor spoiled her by ,il- fl ways letting her have her breakfast In P bed. And the dear child is so extra-. 1 vacant. Really her bills are something p awful, but I know you will want to 1 Indulge her in everything. And you are g so patient, and Maud has such a quick, I temper, though sho lias the best heart , I in the world and never means the I dreadful things she says when sho is J angry." But somehow, after this little con- H fidence. mother says the man seemed reconciled not to be her son-in-law. These few suggestions are offered for what they are worth. Perhaps they may throw some light on how to break off a match. Dorothy Dbc's articles appear rcgu- i larly in ihlsTpaper every Monday, Wed nesday and Friday. IH |