Litchfield enquirer., 1868-01-09
HIGH LIFE AND MARRIAGE.

The leading English periodicals and journals have re-opened the discussion .oi marriage, or rather of the "disuse of mar. riage, as they call it among the upper classes. In the latter term are included what are called the "upper-middle'' classes
 us we'll as the aristocracy proper. as'
 Three years ago this subject was taken up by the English papers with warmth of interest which testified to the importance which 1t had assumed at that time among social economists. So much in the pres ent discussion applies to our own E' up per classes,' as we'll as to those of Eng land, that review will be both interest ing and instructive to the American read CT. The general facts upon which the dis cussion is based are such as to alarm those who are interested in the social purity of England After asserting that the figures are unimpeachable, the North British Re- cieac gi yes statistics as follows: s,
 ''The number Of women of mature wears
 l. e., above the age of twenty, who mast remain single in consequence of the actual dlsproportion of the sexes in England and Wales is between 300. .0Q0 and 4OO,O The number of adult women who actually are single, is 1,537, ,C00, of whom 1,23O, O0O are between twenty and forty years of ago.
 Of all adult women, fve per cent. would naturally and voluntarily be spinsters; as 8 fact, 27 per cent. are so. Of women of marrlageable ages, l. G., between twenty and forty, in England, AS per cent are mar fled, 39 per cent. are splnsters, and per cent. are widows. In a word, two adult women out of every five are single. :" .G
 A very large proportion of these women hal fn hn I II classes. Marriage, and early marriage, is the rule among the lower classes. The cause of this immense disproportion of unmar- ried women-twenty-se per cent. of the marriageable female population is found according to the Recie,U, in the prevalent sentiment among indolent young men that Q wife and 8 home are among the luxuries which they can most easily forego. A simi- lar sentiment Is steadily gaining ground in our own country. ] With us it has not vet assumed the formidable proportions which 1t presents in England. The standard of income, however, which is supposed to warrant 8 young man in leading a lady to the altar, is rising year by year. Why, we asked young man, do you not marry? Because I cannot afford it, he answered; I would not deprive a girl of the luxu- ries she has always enjoyed, ct. Now this answer is false. The true reason is that he would not deprive himself of the luxu- ries which he has always enjoyed, ,and which he can still enjoy if he remains single. The Rc0ieeo very tartly remarks that Eff celibacy included chastity, most men would marry and rightly attributes the evil to an increase of luxury and vice among the young men. les.
 Another reason, however, is given by young men, very frequently, for the selfish life for which they are willing to find an excuse As. Adam attempted, and with some success, to conceal himself behind his wife, our young men try to draw atten- tion from their own indolent selfshness by an unmanly attack upon the very women whom they ought to be marrying They talk loudly about the extravaganza and folly of the young women of the day. It may be 8 satisfaction to the young men of this city, who indulge in this kind of abuse, as most of them do, to know that young bachelors in England are constantly doing the same thing. A writer in Fraser's Magazine professes to give the reasons why he is still bachelor, with an income of four thousand year. Like so many other bachelors, he throws the entire blame upon the women. He censures, as usual. thei1 dress, their cosmetics, and their general extravaganza. He tells the whole story .ot unmanly selfshness in the following para
 graph: 1sH1 My esoo year keeps me in lux luxury | " a a