Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-03
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING, MAY 3, 1858
CELIBACI.

CELlBACl.
"Single blessedness" is rapidly On the III
crease. It tbreatensto become al established
institution" Marriage, and the family re-
latiop, are 10 danger of being appreciated
These and similar utterances have become
one of the prominent topics Of the newspaper
press. .. =, ,..
to marry on the part Uf young men is fire.
auently spoken Of aud written about. And
it is said, trutbfu,y too. that just in the ratio
that men incline to bachelorism, rowdyism,
debauchery, aud crime become rampant 10
the land
This is sobject Of great importance to
all, and Of fearful interest to the generations
to come. 1t requires no extraordinary reach
OF thought to comprehend that the natufa'
and inevitable result must be, sooner or later;
the general decentralization Of both male ana
female. and the utter REORGANIZATION OF hn.
man society. Without the maintenance Of
those domestic associations and duties. whicn
are known only where the marriage institu'
ton ia made sacred, no society ever did or
ever San exist above barbarism or savagism.
To arrest this downward tendency of the
race, two causes must be corrected. Young
rarn must be trained to live, move, and have
their being, without those blood-it flaming
and soul-palsying poisons. liquor and tobac
CO, and young ladies must learn to be useful
as we'll as snowy. Ga this latter clause Of
our text we propose to expa'iate very briefly,
and then leave the matter. for the present, to
the reflections Of whom it may concern.
It's notorious, all over the civilized world
that American females are unhealthy. and
that the tendency to disease and infrmity is
constantly increasing. The daughters. as
general rule are more in6rm than their moth
ers, as their mothers compare uhfavorably
with their grandmothers. There is no theme
so much written about. talked about. lectured
about, as sickly American women and qarls.
Even the medical journals aud daily newspa-
pers Of Europe are frequently comparing the
health and stamina Of American females with
those of the females OF Great Britain. France
Germany, etc., and always to the disadvantage
of the former And they seem to see, not
without reason, one of the leading causes OF
the ultimate degeneracy Of the American pee
ple, and the 6ual overthrow OF our republi.
can government, in the fact that the vitality
of our females is running down.
Young men cannot be ignorant OF these
things. They are, and must be fond OF the
society of young ladies. Nature, and in
s.inct, and reason, and custom, incline them
to marry. But with the thought of matri-
monial alliance come the th, lights OF every
thing except beds of roses and domestic joys.
s. far as counting goes, all Is pleasant
enough; but With marriage is associated the
idea of doctors, purses. and agreater or less
number of Bridget's and Katy's, and Mary's
and Eilen's. Instead of help-mate, wife
to cheer him ON the arduous pathway OF
life, and take charge of the household affairs,
he dreams Of delicate nerves, tender stom;
aches, falling hair, decaying teeth, and spinal
irritation. He anticipates, az we'll. be may,
a constant monulogue about pains, aches,
bad feelings. morbid sensations, as the pre-.
vailing music of the 6resije. He thinks OF
ever recurring bills to pay. He knows the
chances are against him of marrying pa
tient to take care Of, instead OF q vile to &c
JOY.
Ga the whole, we think they are more 30 -
The young lady who supposes that any young
man on the face of the earth wishes TO MAR
her for the sake Of nursing her through lie
natos ~ery great mistake. There have
been, indeed, marriages Of sympathy" Bu'
Heaven sanctions not, and nature abhors such
alliances.
If young ladies advertise themselves az
pretty playthings, young gentlemen will take
them at their word. II 10 their actions, and
by their manners and Accomplishments they
declare themselves irritable and courta
bic, but interchangeable, young men will 50
understood the matter, and act accordingly
They will be ready enough to dance and trolit
with those they do not respect. They will
make themselves agreeable to those they can
not love. They will play court where they
cannot think Of marrying. Whenever they
fad tb cir attentions are beginning to be tax
en- in earnest, they will seek other society. -
They will not, Of course. give the reason tol
this, and the young ladies will, OF course
wonder "why don't the man propose?"
Young men, We repeat, will sport and
anuse themselves With young ladies whom
thew neither love dor respect. But II they
do respect them aud could love them. they
are frightened from proposal to marry bJ
the sad evidences Of ip6rmity which cos
metics, false hair, artificial teeth, and ex
papsive skirts are unable to conceal. Hence
thew rather avoid all approaches to intima
CIV. and often abandon the company o
those who could be healthy. and wht
would make good wives, and seek amnse
mept in less respectable society, amid mor'
debssing associations.
The young ladies Of America have it en-
tirely in their power to arrest this CROWNS
evil. Let them make themselves healthy
and prove their capacity to be useful a.
we'll az ornamental. and they will not b
long in the matrimonial market. Let then
snap their fingers at the fashions of Lon
don and the folles of Paris, and act IKE
sensible haman beings. Otherwise, they arr
neither fit fer wives nor mothers.-LJe ~
lustrdte
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