Delaware journal., 1828-10-17

eller, the minister's man." "Thomas, Gamma
well tell how it is that our kirk should be getting
aye thinner and thinner--for sure preach as !
weel as ere did, and should hae far mar expert
fence than when gaed amang ye." ""Deed," repl-
ed Thomas, sauld ministers, now a days are Just
like aud tailors-for am sure seq as weel as ere
did, and the ctaihs the same, but its the cut, Sir
the neio cut.
Interesting to Ladies.--The following philosophi-
cal dlsqusltion concerning the chances of Matrmo-
ny, is recommended to the consideration of ladies OF
a g certain age
FROM THE NEW YORK ALBION.
CHANCES OF MARRIAGE.
When fine young girl reaches the age of Is or
16 years, she begins to think of the mysterious sub
ject of matrimong state the delights OF which
her youthful imagination shadows forth IN the most
captivating forms. 1t is made the topic of light
| and incidental discourse among her companions, and
it required to with increasing interest every time
it is brought on the tapis-When she grows little
older, she ceases to smatter about matrimony, and
thinks ntently on the all important subject. 1t
engrosses her thoughts by day and dreams by night;
and she pictures to herself the felicity ofbeng we'd
ded to the youth for whom she chershes secret
but consuming flame. She surveys herself in the
mirror, and, as it generally tells "a hatterlng tale"
she turns from it with pleasing conviction, that her
beauty will enable her to conquer the heart of the
most obdurate and that, whoever else may die in a
state of single blessedness," she is destined to be-
come ere many years roll by happy bride.
From the age of eighteen TO twenty is 6 the very
witching tme'' offemale lile During that period,
the female heart is more susceptible of the soft and
tender influences of love than at any other; and
appeal to fair readers to say whether if inclination
alone were consulted in the business, more marria-
ges would not take place, during that tcklish sea-
son than in any by which ii is proceeded or followed.
II is the grand climacter; and she who passes it
without entering into the state matrimonial, may
chance to pass several years Of her life ere she is
caught in the meshes of Hymen. The truth is, that
the majority of begin to be more thoughtful.
when they have turned the age Of twenty. The
gddiness of the girl gives place to the sobrety OF
the woman. Frivoty is succeeded by reflection
and reigns where passion previously held un-
disputabe sway. The cares and the anxieties of
life press themselves on the attention and as
its sober realities become more palpabe. they tend
to weaken the effect of the sangine antlcpations o
unmingled felicity in the marriage state, which the
mind had formed in its youthful day-dreams. II
short, touse a common phrase, women, after 21
s.ook before they leap
Matrimony, however, though not so ardently Ion
ged for by the damsel who has passed what we have
styled the grand climacter of love, is never lost sigh
OF either by the youngest OF the most aged spinste
of his Majesty's domnions. is state on which
the eyes Of the whole female world are turned will
the most pleasurable anticipation; and the spinste
of forty is as full of hope of one day being marie,
as the damsel ftwenty-one. But, sorry as we ar
to utter any thing which may tend to damp tn
hopes to cloud the prospects of fair lady, trut
compels us to say, that. when once she has crosse
THE LINE, which, on the map of love, is marke
THIRTY, the chances are fearfuy against the proba
biity of her obtaining husband. even of the sedat
-c Cd IL
yond the line, her state becomes almost hopeless
nay desperate, and she aay reconcile herself to v
and die an old maid. All experience confirms th
lamentabe truth. No wonder, therefore, that W.
men make mighty secret of their age, and that the
occasionally tell pardonable fb, in the attempt
induce the men to believe that they several year
younger than they really are. Who can blame thel
for practising little fness on this awful subjec
seeing that their age if divuged, might utterly al
initiate the chances of their ever enjoying the bic
sing of welded love !!
Experience, we have said confirms the lament
BILE truth, that females who have passed the line Sc
dom reach the harbour of matrimony-I.est any
our readers should lay the hatterng JUNCTION &
their sous that, though they have crossed that ay
full point in the voyage of life they shall yet escaE
the rocks on which, ifthey strike, all hopes of wei
lock must be forever abandoned, we shall presel
them with table which, whilst it will exhibit to
males their many chances of marriage at warrior
ages, it will prove the truth of the positions wh
have been already advanced on the subject. III
table to which we are about to draw their attent,
is extracted from the " report of the select comm
tee of the House of Commons on the laws respect
friendly societies. 1t was drawn up by Dir. Gra
vile. physician and accoucheur of very extensi
practice, connected with several public institutio
in the metropolis. The doctor, whose attention b
been directed to the statistical questions of the
crease of population among the poor, thought II
the public institutions to which he belonged might
made available in obtaining the information viii