OCR Text |
Show I Dorothy Dix Talks j H EFFICIENCY REAL AND THEORETIC Wt ByDUKUllli nj- the World's H islw.st l':nl Wmium Write: j HN A inothors club ajl: mc if I will she M it my definition nf nu idr-nl moDici ftjj Woll. if I were ti bah and rculd chogpe ul my mother, 1 would pick out a sunns; and Dm healthy mother. I would want a mother am who would start inc out in life with a jH jobusl body, with steady nerves, and u kh elean blood, free of an tulnt of disease. ,Wi for I should r-hoos lo be Iwni 6f a Lil mother who had eeicl&"d as much Mfi thought and Judgment and care hi select-Mi, select-Mi, - inp my father, as she o-.;ld In buying' a lFt." now hat. il ' should want n strong and healthy 'JfSl mother, also, because' I should want to l? flVI laiiod In a iulet, peaceful home, nnd I iJ wouldn't hope for that If my mother was KJ a peevish invalid, with raw nerves, that lR(l every little nolsu irritated lo distiacllon, SkW itl who warf fretful, and fault fJndlnj;, 1 and complalnim; because she wrs hn'lf fn sick all the lime, yma And I should choose n mother who IjwJi wanted mo, and who did not resrurd chll- 1M dren ns one of the major afflictions of Jgjh life. I should want a mother who was ydfa move Interested In mo than she whs in iifijl clubs, and who thought It moie fun to jJM play with mo Ihnn she did to play bridge. H 1 should Tirav that I would set a moihcr jgW a1io wouldn't tuin me ovci to liursemaids UmU and servants lo brine up by h.-inil. but JOR who would give mc her own personal Qi- Fi tentlon. Kfc. I should choose a woman who was very nhB lender nnd understandliiK for a mother. aSS I should want a mother who knew that ? i child's soul Is the win est tiling on earth gJJ and who would not tr to force mj con jjKj fldencc, or pr' Into my little secrets, but' 3H ahe would know Just what 1 meant, and ; 'jjEj Juit why I did things when .1 blundered j 'Bs out my confession to her In tho twilight jK ar when she lucked me in bod at nlrcht. I XK I should want her lo be tli,e kind of. Jfm woman who knows thlngfl b the Kfacc of J ij God, wlliiout bcins; told, end that no mat-1 mff ler how much I iimblod and foil, she WL would know Ahj, and bellevu in me to' JMh the last. WTfi And I 3nouId want my 'molhcr'H breast uiia' " to bo very soft for me to cry out my child-Jills' child-Jills' Ish heart upon, when 1 was little nnd hurt I R2 myself, and her arms to bo a refuge to' H me, to which 1 could olwajs turn when 3H I was big and the world buffeted and H'l beat me. I &y1 I should want my mother to lc a Rood-1 tfrl nnturcd woman, one who always laughed HI with you. and nol at you. I should lllco; Kji to be l canM In a home that was bright j KM and gay. where people made, merry over IP mlsad ventures, and turned deprivations' ,'' and sacrifices into jokes. j y I should like to lucve a juollscr who en (T? courRKod every form of innocent enjoy-1 d inent, und wild could enter Into Iho spirit' Ml of things, tho sort of n mother who Ih! jjfij never too busy lo put tip a lunch for a BQ boy who is golni; fishing, or to add a IBitt new frill to a plrl'a dancing frock. 1 HKJ iiiould like to eome into a cheerful borne WK where tho mother's smile made eunsh'.he. JW no mutlei what rioud of adversity dark ! jijii oned the rennundci of the world. a I should HI:o n ha-o n mothor with s iiinnybono, .md fro'ti whiuii I Inherited n fuiinboin; ni..slf. iVi fth'- would t.acli mc not to lake nijself too serlouily. oi jto grow morbid, and sour, and grumpy and Krunlled. There aie so many UihtR in life over which one must either knlf-ii or cry. and It Is only those who can lauch whom fate can never down. - 1 should waul a mother who was Intel llsent, a motber who read and who kept uii' with the times and who was alwajd i a fascinating and Intcicslin? companion. I should want a mother who would teach me to read, and guide my footsteps down the flowery path of literature, and. If 1 could Imvc frosting on my cake. I should wish my mother to be a musician, so thai In the evenings then would nol only ho a group'aiound (ho dioplighl. but also around Iho piano. , I I'd hale to belong lo one of those families fam-ilies whore the home is so dull that no-lody no-lody stays In it a minute more than they can .help, and where everybody has lo go lo the movies or tho theatre, or a cabaret to spend a pleasant evening. I should wish lo b Hie child of an ambitious mother. 1 should wth for n mother ouo of those women who set i some IiIkIi goal before their c hlldren's j cjes. and who make them feel,, that they had bel'lcr die than not reach It. 1 should . ' like a mother who was like h sper In 1 ' my side, urging me i.n and on to loine I UiinB better anil" higher, some worth-1 rhllc achievement. i I should praj the j,'ods lo save mc from t being the child of one of tho mothers who ' 'Aia content lo have their children -clods ' If onl thw remain near them, who will j balk a girl's ambition so that she inaA i stay at home and nurse them, or block I a Ivoy's ci eer because they cannot bear to have hint ko awa livm home. T should wuru a mother who had souip thing of the Spartan in her. A mother ' who'had the courage to see my faults and correct them, a mother who had the siiengih to hold me to my duty when I faltered In It. and who did not shrink from making in.: do the hard thinj; when j It wa3 the right thing I would want a t mother who would leach mo in mj outh hahlts of industiv and thrlfi. who would inculcuie in mc the gospel of ffklnc. for thus would she Insure in sufcots aud prosperity In the world. I should wish to ha. a mother who loved me. not blindly but with seeing eyes. A mother Abo would perceive my deficiencies and help me strengthen Ihe weak places: a mother who would help me fight ni.i temper ir I wero possessed i of such a devil, who would teach mo diplomacy If I were tactless, who would lnspltc ine to. effort If I were a shirker.' and shame mc Into .slicking If 1 were a emitter. , ' A strong woman a woman strong of ; body, strong of heart, strong of brain. sttoiiR of spirit. These are the auallties that I should ask In m mother if I wore I a baby to whom Iho i.vids gave the pri-' Urge of picking out lm (deal uiothci. |