The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-12-11
A Chapter on Matrimony.

A young lady out West, in communica
ton to the Sandusky Register upon the sub
jject of matrimony, says:
1t isa mournful fact that this world Il
full Of men who want to marry, but dar'
not. Deny this, Us some will, 1t is never
theless true, as we can very easily show. Ii
this town for instance, there are some thirty
or forty young men, we'll to do in tho way
Of business and salaries, and yet refuse tc
take the step which they all want to take
but do not. Why? The large majority o
them have salaries nnging from FIVE hundred
to seven hundred dollars q year. Now, the
first question to be asked by any sane mar
Is can | properly support a wife IL / take
one? rN'
Then he counts the cost Of living rs The
woman Of his preference would wish, and To-
no finds, TO his amazement, that his incom,
is vastly too small to support even q modes,
modern establishment and, somewhat mad
dened by the reflection, he plungcs into labor
and cares with an asiduity that takes away
his health eventually, in hopes OF attaining
M income that shall enable him to marry
and have homo Of his own. And this ],
the secret Of tho hard, unending toll Of the
young men of to day, who are fast approach
ing thirty years Of uge-this is the reason Ol
80 many disappointed men and waiting wo'
men, deny or hide 1t rs you may.
But, says some good woman, you do u,
injustice for any woman who truly Loves
man will adapt herself to his circumstances
with the greatest pleasure. But what mar
Of any sensitivcncss, or high sense of honor
would take q woman from easy circumstan
ces, and q pleasant and well.farnished home
to adorn his four little rooms, and to do hi.
housework, rs the .irst principles Of econo.
my would demand OF him Few will do it,
for though the woman signifies her willing.
ness to take up with such experience. We are
oil such creatures of circumstances that there
would be complaining on her part, eventu.
ally, and sickness from over exertion, unhap.
piness from many res-all Of which would
render marriage anything else than pleasant.
And so the young very wisely think-prc.
ferringa few years Of single Loneliness, in
order to obtain money enough to support n
modest kind of house Of between twelve and
and fifteen hundred dollars per year expense,
rather than to place modestly educated
woman into the house of six hundred year,
where she must do her own housework.
Now, what Is the remedy? Plainly that
women must ft themselves to be such wives
us the young men must have. Else the
young men must ft themselves to be such
husbands rs the women want, and spend the
very choicest years of their life In the dismal
drudgery of ceaseless toll, breaking down
health, happiness, energy, only to give them.
selves up to matrimony when tho best Of
their manhood Is gone. The women must
choose for themselves which It shall be, for
the matter is splely to their hands. Let
mothers say to their daughters, put on that
calico gown; 90 into the kitchen and pre-.
pare dinner take charge Of this household,
and ft yourself to become q wife and moth.
or.
Let the young women checrfully consent
to such service and, instead Of lavishing all
thought, and time, and money upon the ad-
ornment of the body, seek to accustom the
mind to proper tastes. Then there will be
no longer complaint that young men "can't
afford to marry" and We shall have beau.
tiful, modest houses oil around US. and
women will have loving husbands, and life,
once more, having something Of the truthful
ness and virtue which II had in tho days oi
our blessed fathers and mothers, when II
was wOman's ambition 10 become the head
OF the house, and the mother Of noble child
rem. . ra. u.