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Show j Dorothy Dix Talks I j Bj DOTlOTIfY DIX, the World's Highest Paid Woman Write j THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF WOMEN j If I were a millionaire I should en-' I dow a chair for teaching the art of I being 8 lady In every girls' school; throughout the land.. Of course. 1 know this Is a terribly i mid-Victor an sentiment that will I cause all flappers and the female, w hat-you-may-call-'ems who are ! strutting around in pants, to turn up their marahmnJlow noses at me in disgust, dis-gust, for the modern girl looks upon i being a lady with scorn and contempt. She isn't a lady. She hasn't the looks, nor the dress, nor the manners of a ilady. And she doesn't want to be a: lady, or have anybody to mistake he r for one Yet, nevertheless and notwithstanding, notwithstand-ing, there Is no other career to which a woman can aspire that la so fine as that of being a lady Thero Is no1 other charm so compelling There Is no other magie so potent with which she can conjure. There is no other graft equal to It. The whole world gives way before a lady, and makes the path smooth la--! fore her feet. The roughest man pays 'her deference; the most selfish steps' 'aside that she may pass. Whether I she marries, or whether she goes Into j business, just to be a lady Is an Invalu- j able asset to any woman. Therefore. I should try to revive this' ! lost art. ami the very first thing that I I should teach girls, as a foundation i stone of ladyhoodness. so to speak, would 'oe how to dress, and hov to 'carry thcmseles and make the most 'of whatever physical attractions n.i- ture has endowed them with for 1 hold It to be a woman's Christian duty to bo a.s good looking as possible. I would impress upon the youthful feminine mind that fine feathers make fine birds, and that even a homely bird Is better for a little borrowed plumage. Then I would ground my students in the charm of contrast so that they would knov that what attracts at-tracts man to woman Is her difference from him, not her apelng of him. and that no man Is particularly drawn to a woman In knickerbockers who looks like B caricature of his little brother. Then 1 should teach my glrK good manners if, as has been truly said, manners make the man. still iron: do they make the woman, for a woman Without graciousness, without tact, without suavity, is an anathema, no matter if she possesses all of the cardinal cardi-nal virtues If I could teach a (?irl only one thing: I should teach her gracious manners, for with that as an asSot she could come pretty near to getting all tho remainder for herseir xti 1 should teach girls tact. I would instill in them the gentle art of being diplomatic. Most young people peo-ple despise this, nnd go after what they want with a sledge hammer and a bludgeon, WhlCh explains why so many of them have a hard time in achieving their desires. For It is as true now as It ever has been, that vinegar never catches flies, and that the strong arm method awakes the fighting Instinct In others, whereas WO are as Jelly In the hands of a politer. Whether a girl marries, and undertakes under-takes the most difficult of utl human occupations, which is keeping a hus- ban ' .-Jur smoothed the right way, or ,i.i c i she goes Into business, tho amount of her success Is measured by her ability to walk on eggs without breaking them, and to dodge the an-gles an-gles of those with whom she comes in contact. She will find that doing her full conscientious duty toward her husband will not hold his affections. while Just being pleasant will and that ability and hard work avail nothing in the commercial world if allied with a prickly personality, the habit of cor-rcctlng cor-rcctlng people, and telling them of their faults. Tho chief thing that distinguishes a lady from a mere female Is the tact that she always avoids saying the things that would hurt, or grieve, or embarrass others, ami that she never forgets to say the little, kindly, pleasant pleas-ant things that make people feel ood. i would also have my chair of ladyhoodness lady-hoodness lay great emphasis on the human voice. As women do most of the talking In the world. It Is of peculiar pecu-liar Importance that they should be taught to speak beauUfully and musically. mu-sically. A loud, strident voice Issuing trom a woman's mouth is as much deformity as a club foot, or a hump "ii !n r hack, and it Is more unforgive-nblo unforgive-nblo because It Is a malformation of which she can rid herself If she so desires. de-sires. No human woman has a rltrht to i;o through the world rasping the nerves of her fellow creatures. The least she can do Is to have her voice manicured, and so I would have every gi rl take vocal lossons; not with a view to singing, but simply to cultivate culti-vate that low, sweet speaking voice lhat Is one of woman's greatest and most enduring charms. I should have every girl taught how ! lo write a graceful noto, and an In- 'resting letter. No other accomplish- I ment Is so useful to a woman as this, for we are all pathetically grateful to those who send us a line of congratulation congratu-lation when good fortune knocks at our door, or of sympathy when we are walking through the valley of sorrow, yet the average woman is si awkward w hen it comes to handling a pen that she will risk losing a friend rather thun go through the ordeal of writing writ-ing a noto Wo teach many things nowadays and lay great emphasis upon the higher high-er education Of women, but we do not attach enough Importance to teaching them to be ladles Yet that Is tho highest high-est education of all. |