Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-05-10


number of marriages in comparison with the
ratio of increase Of population in this country.
The fact, as we said, is conceded on all hands
that there has been for good while past,
steady decline in marriages, and that this de-
cline is confined almost wholly to what are CALI
ed the better classes Of young nen. These
young men are mostly in the professions or in
clcrkships, and their incomes run from five TO
fifteen hundred dollars per year. The poorer
and less educated class of young men get mar
ried for tho most part on the very verge OF
manhood, as often on the premature as on tho
mature side of seniority. They are young men
vino have been raised to few expectations, save
those of earning sufficient for their daily wants.
They generally have no ambition shaping out
future above their daily requirements, and con-
sequently, are beset with no apprehensions. or
but few, that matrimony will clog their path
way. On the contrary they hear and beievn
that a good wire--that is, frugal hard working
one, will be indeed a "help.meet" to them, will
cause them TO save what they would have mis-.
spent
With the clerks and young professionals,
however, the case is altered. Possessed, many
Of them, of more or less of what is called lib.
eral education-introduced either by the neces-
sites or accidents Of their callings to an hc.
quaintance with the money spending circles Of
soriety-they acquire an ambition, OF, more
properly, lust for what they see but cannot
command. They very often fret themselves in
social conversations that they nre denied those
things for which they have or think they have
a proper appreciation. They form, very often,
acquaintance, and visit III what is styled ''onr
best socie,yr-they sec and become conversant
.;,,, ~ ~, .,.-or1;,,, nd or,,-or, ,,,..,..
WV ~, ~
sihes oil wealth. Ahe thought OF marriage Oh
n lower scalc--the thought Of dispensing with
ANYTHING short of what they can eniov thus
,....,;,, :, 5;s,,rtcr,,, "a ,bcp Then ,h.
'em ny %
articles oil dress 100 hauh's tneuh ana o'scoH-
cGrts them no little. They here learned TO
Judge other people by tho qualities of broad.
i'y,.,I 80 .h, r;h,,o,s ,,b;.b .b,,, e.vJ ,ber
anu they expect 10 NC J"useN !" 'ho sa'"e
way. These persons have, as \ general thing,
all the Eollies and frivolitcs Of wealth-without
,,,,. NJ its s,,j,s,.r-.
AZ " -,
But 10 Tue women o' '''s se"e'utIo" ''' sunni
share Of this matrimonial falling oil is attribu-
| table One of the best articles VIC have
,ro,, tho ,,rss.,t condition or female sociotv *
contained III IA "u'h"e' o' Tue Ct''c'''ua''
| Commercial We Suhjoin the portion OF II
which is more particularly incident to what we
b,,o I,oor s,,.;no
M, C'I:J
4ne Co"'"'e'e'"' S"E"
| The Woman OF Society IS highly artificial
production-got up to pre'estahiShed stan
dard, ana to suit particular demand She -
bred, fed, trained, dressed sch""ied and accom-
plishGd To tit the supposed requirements Of
particular market. 10 promote TINS end, iather,
mother, and the public all give their assistance;
and, therefore, She Is less To blame than those
who have directed the processes that have made
her what she Is.
| The first defect IN the education oil the young
"omS" OF america, 'elonG'"g 10 Tue class to
which we refer, Is, mat they nre not Taught TO
| labor. Without the basis al an acquired capa-
city for consecutive md productive labor for
| useful purpose, no reliable character can he
built, nor any qualities acquired that Will be
deemed valuable by such as look for usefulness
rather than show IN future companion. This
wan OF That training whose effect Il to confer IA
capacity for labor, to the ordinary observer pro-
duces its most injurious effects upon the PliySi'
cal constitution. No woman, who has not been
made To endure fatigue by means OF regular
and healthlul work, until such endurance has
grown into habit and impressed itself upon
her trnme, has any good ground to hope to pass