The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-08-04
Our Eytrayagant Girls.

and public and private lecturers hold
forth on the extravaganza OF young la.
dies OF modern society as being him
derance 10 matrimony. Our young men
are not slow to take the cue and make
that extravaganza scape- goat for their
own sins.
The fact is that in all well-regulated
families and in all well-mannered COM
munities it is properly considered not
the right thing for any man to pass the
line of thirty and be still unmarried.
Some good reason must be known, and
no poor reason can exist which is not
pathetic. Every bachelor is, therefore,
unfortunate or'criminal. He must find
an excuse which has at least the SEM
blance of a reason. 1t gladdens him to
find some one else on whom he can lay
the blame.
1t is an old masculine trick. "The
woman that Thou gavest me-" was
Adams impertinent reply to his Ma
ker "The woman that Thou hast not
given me- is the modern bachelors re-
ply. The unmarried men say that no
man on salary, or with a moderate
income, can support wife who has
had the training in reckless ex-
penditures which modern mothers
give their daughters, and modern fathers
allow
One is that the men are as extrava-
CANT as the women, although the vice
in them appears in different form. 1t
is a knowledge that the combined ex
penditures of two extravagant people
cannot be sustained by the young gen
tleman's eXchequer in its present state,
which deters him from marrying. Take
any one of the chief clerks in our large
establishments, who are on salaries
quite equal to the expenditure of large
families in New York twenty years
ago. Let him tell you whether, in or
der to enjoy the dignity and happiness
of ell-married man, he is willing to
relinquish his extravagances. If he as.
sert that he has none, let him endure
little catechism. How much have you
spent during the last year for wine,
game, suppers, cigars, theatres, carriage
rides. extra fine clothes, extra fine
chambers, aud with other things that
man can be man without? VIII not
every one of them be obliged to - own
up" to at least one tenth of his income
thus wasted? If invested and nursed,
to what might it not amount in ten
years, from the day he was twenty until
the day he was thirty?
Would he be willing to abandon these
eXtravagances for the love and COM
panionship of a fine woman? How can
he venture to say that any woman who
loved him would not be quite as ready
to make a sacrifice of her eXtravagances
to have his life long devotion? If he
say he is willing, she may be as
ready to express her willingness. If he
say mo-" how can he find fault with
her2
Let such young men take another
view of the case.
These young ladies who are living in
such costly style have fathers that can
afford it. The fathers have made their
fortunes, and now choose to eXpend
large portions of their great incomes on
their daughters. Why do our young
men regard only that class of young
women? There are girls who are
not extravagant girls who are work
ing for their living, making money, and
saving it, too. Let young men seek
them.
Why should the clerks in our large
business houses who are receiving good
salaries, contne their views of matri-
mony TO the circle of young ladies
whose fathers are prosperous merchants
or millionaires? There are Just as beau
tiful and virtuous young ladies working
in all those establishments. lovely and
lovable, industrious and economical. in
telligent and educated. having no bad
habits to unlearn. Let the young men
look for mates there. They have no
right to look elsewhere. Why should
young man demand of his father.in-
law wife and fortune at the same
time?
We are beginning to lose patience
with this cry that the extravaganza Of
young ladies is hinderance to matri-
mony. We bore it patiently for a
while, because it is true that in the race
of vanity our young ladies have brought
a reproach on the sex, and we would
gladly do all in orr power to correct
this evil but it is not fair play to lay
the whole blame on one which rightly
belongs to two. There is something to
be said on the other side, and we have
ventured in this article to say very
little of it and now we "pause for q
reply. '-HUperS Bazaar.