The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-06-21

sters, we will not undertake TO say; but
certain it is that maidens make much
more haste than young men getting To-
to the matrimonial net. Still, it must
be remembered that girls, whether
prudeutly or not, are regarded as mar
riageable at fifteen, and are certainly so
at seventeen; so that 10 view of the fact
that only eighteen in every hundred OF
the delicate creatures who marry are
under twenty years of age, while forty
three of the same hundred are between
twentyand thirty five, and twenty-five
more between twenty FIVE and thirty
we must candidly confess that they mani
fest degree of prudence in the matter
that would seriously disturb MIR.
Malthus, were he only aware Of it. We
will not say that marriage previous to
the adult age is iudiscreet; but we wall
defy auy man to form just conclusion
in regard to the age of discretion from
the study of marriage statistics. To fnd
this result, the marriage and mortuary
tables must be studied together. 1he
question is of somo importance, but it
must be uuwilliugly deferred.
THE ELIGIBLE AGES.
"But if women come upon the mar
riageable list earlier than men, they
suffer the Inconvenience of being strick-
en- earlier from it. After IS, women
are no longer regarded as eligible,
ma:rimonially, and the demand for
wives of this age is so slight as to be
hardly worth considering, although we
fnd an occasional widow-still more
rarely spiuster-wiling to marry even
after having passed the sprightly age OF
threescore years and ten. U"der 20
years of age the number of women who
marry is little more than twice as
great as the number of mep: but, Aer
10, the number of Beuedicts is more
inan thrice that of the brides. In l,00O
marriages of the average kind as to ages
Ii women and 40 men will have passed
their ninth lustrum. Widows remarry
at au average age of 80 years, while the
average age of widowers who again take
to themselves coujusal partners is II or
thereabout.
A TABLE OF CHANCES.
owe will not undertake to tell each
of our fair readers how old she will be
when led to the altar blushing bride,
If that should prove to be her destiny;
but We can tell her what the chances
are a, the present state ofour knowledge
of statistical facts If we take the
weddings that actually occur, We shall
fnd that, in every thousand, there will
be l79 wives under 20 years, while there
will be only9 husbands OF that age
But perhaps these facts will be better
stated in statistical terms, thus: In
every thousand marriages there will:be
h,nd. Vices. Ages.
49, ndcr 20 years Of age
%. 434 ... Between 20 anl IS years of age
:4s 30. :. Between c5 and 30 years Of age.
l72 81. Between 30 and 81 years ofage
S3......... 49,. Between 81 and ~ years of age
4;...... 90. Between 80 aud - years of age.
% ....... 81. Between As and so years of age
l......... g.. Between so and 55 years Of age.
Pr,ween Jj and go wears Of age.
"The remainder, nine men aud FIVE
women. will be scattered along between
60 aud 80 vears-an ase at which almost
any one would be expected to know bet
tor. 1t will be seen, however, that the
desire as wnll as the opportunity for mar
rage falls of rapidly in both sexes after
30-up to that age both seem to increase.
| In 27.500 marriages, or thereat t,
there will be only 10 men and only Is
women between 90 and ~ years of age,
while | + Haen aud 4 women will be be-
tween 70 and 80.
| OLD MAIDS.
Wnteresting as these ancients are,
there is still another class deserving OF
onething more than passing notice
We mean old maids How many are
there. and what are their matrimonial
chances We have already stated that
twenty. one out Of every hundred women
who reach the marriage age, namely,
25.47 years. never marry. But even this
does not tell the exact number Of mar
riaccab.e e women who are waiting for
husbands. if indeed so ungallant ihiog
as this may be said of any. But, then,
how is i, possible to expect an algebraic
sign to be guilty Of gallantry? From
the best authority that can be had upon
this exceedingly interesting topic, ltap
pears that the number of unmarried aud
marriageable women, within those here
tofore mentioned as the manageable
ages, namely, Is and IS, is about 20 pei
cent Of the whole number Of women
living between those ages.
1T seems to be part of the creed o.
the discontented sisterhood, whether
wives or spiusters, that one Of the iu-
alienable rights Of women ebtitles her t.
Il husband. 1t will be seen that nature
sets her face against this assumption
and makes very different decree. Th'
truth is that every woman living be,
tween the ages Of Is and 45 has z:
chances in 100 of dying an old maid
that is, her chances of marriage are al
four to one. This is just enough to glv'
them all hope, aud not sufficient 70 drive
any to despair The complaints o
managing mammas are Of no avail
Even the ballot will no. bring them {
better fate, and. with suffrage or withou