The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-26
CHARACTER OF THE CAMEL,
From hc Southern Christian h,irocatc
THE MATRIMONIAL MARKET

From Mc !Southcrm Christian Adrocair
THE MATRIMONIAL MARKET.
Enough attention is not given in this
country to the statistics OF ma,rinonv.-
Nothing more surely marks the real pros
pcrty of II people than the ratio Of mar
riagcs to the population. In Austria this
ratio Is small, because marriage is forbid,
den by law to those who clnnot show Il
reasonable prospect OF ,naintaing II family,
and they are many who cannot meet this
condition. The ratio is small in Paris, for
suclf is the demand for luxurious living
among all CLASSES, that marriage becomes
an inpossiLility To those Of slender income.
In our own country the matrimonial mar
ket ll:s heretofore been very generally Of
the best, beth rs to supply and demand,
in quantity and quality of its wares but
we see 1t stated that it is rather heavy at
this time i'll some Of our larger cities. 1t
is said that in l;oston there WAS last vc:lr Il
falling of OF twenty per cent. on the mar
r'agcs of previous years. The men are rs
handsome and the women us willing as
they ever were, but marriage has become a
luxury that few can afford The rise in
bonncts and talmas, IaccS and furs, silks
and grenadines, has depressed the marriage
market.
We s;.w the other day IN inventory
of Il la'lv's tnrn out' in san FranciScn.-
The j"wclry cost :2,SI5--ihc entire outfit
33.iGl tic dress alone l'cing put at :22:5.
Io hc sure these we,e Cali;"rn. prices, but
let lis reduce her $3.50 worth of dress by
100 per cent. to meet our prices, and yo,
Still have w"nlan too fine for u poor
mans vile. Who can ailoid to have three
hundred dollars OF his income para.linr
the streets every time lis wife turns out
to say nothing Of the watch, bracelets, and
other apncn,lagcs? II it We're Il suit of
steel arnor, or some everlasting material, it
might be tolerated, but it will never do in
these days when fashions change SO rapidly
that December iorycts What last January
wore. And yet "gcntccl society" is mex
orablc. loor people in this country often
maliagc somehow to belong to that very
respectable caste, but they must pay for it,
1t docs not always matter about their gram
mar or rhetoric, their manners or morals,
but their dress aml furniture and couipasc,
are all important. A stain on the cliarac.
Ter is easily forgotten, While the bonnet Of
last winter is remembered, and the former
may be tolerated, the latter not Il second sea-
son. Gentcel society has certain style,
and its subjects must be verscd in its rules
and abide by them, or be banishcd. So, at
least, foolish people suppose, and they
practice accordingly. Hence the extrava.
gance that everywhere abounds, and hence
the decline III the matrimonial market.
Thcrc is multitude of young mccban-
ices whose wages are moderate, clerks
whose salaries are small, lawyears whose
briefs arc too brief, and physicians who do
not feel pulses enough to fill purse, any
of whom by strict economy could support
wife, but who will, if there is not a speedy
change, he wholly unable to enter the mar
ket. They arc doomed to cclibacy, or to
worse. Start not, fair reader, if friend
asks You how many of those gay young
men whom you sec at an evening party, so
genteel, SO polite, have learned that a con.
cubine is less expensive than wife. You
will be shocked when you know how
many there are, and who they are. And
it is the fault of their mothers, sisters and
sweathearts. They have carried folly and
extravaganza in dress and living to SO high
pitch that poor young man Of any pride
Of character is afraid to marry. No man
wishes to see his wife living in humber
style than his afianced, 0. sscm to want
from tile husband what the father supplied
Rather, lie desires that his chosen at least
appear better off married than single; but
how can lie when young ladies' dress as
they now doa OF this he is hopeless, and
if his moral character be not we'll estab.
lished, the syren can in such cases too often
successfully tempt him to. his nndoing, and
cause him. 10 eDtaugle himself in some inn.
moral alliance that Inins him forever.
But peradyenturs be- runs Tie risk and
marrios. The extrayssssa tastes that l,ays
been aasiduously cuitisatsd by tlie father
.and nsoshst 81 ths sonngg wife, sase bright
1to matansy under The fostering caro of .he M
indulgens husband. Butt sapssais moral
strength to do it. The ordinary sources Of
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