The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-04-13
Chances of Marriage.

In the olden times, says Frenckhan, whn.
with the usual assurance OF his countrym
pretends to know something about womt.
female beauty was so fascinating that it was
certain means of securing husband. N,.H-
adavs, he adds, men have reflected upon the
subject and it is seldom that Il girl for l.
personal attractions, whatever they may /.
so she runs great risk of always keeping lr
honorable title of maid, unless her parc,...
arc rich enough to pay handsome sum Z,
some gallant or aaatheg to change 1t into tn
Of a wife.
1t is an accident, or, in fact, sort o.! 4
prodigy, when man marries woman sole'y
for her beauty, quality which has fall
considerably in value in mercenary days. IS
it ever should take a rise, it might be well
adopt the Persian mode Of reducing the n:r..
Der of old maids. This consisted in ie]ii.:-.
the beautiful girls to those who were vii ing
to buy them, and giving the amount to the
ugly; so the handsomest endowed the u.
est; the second in beauty, the second in L. =
illness, etc.
But this plan would, We fear, be inapi-
cable in few days; for there would b. but
few bidders for the beautiful women, an | tn,
ugly, if the money was to go with theis.
would be the only ones to find takers. SCI
ously, continues our Flenchman, who, it mus
be borne in mind, is speaking of France ard
not Of the United States, marriage is tendh
to disappear from among our social habits.
The number of old maids, especially of -.
middle class. is increasing daily 5I
A laborer or mechanic has no difficultyi,
getting married, for his wife takes her sh T..
Of work. In such case matrimony is a
stock association. The workirgman spelss
less when married than single His elot'"s
being made and kept in repair at home, an,
the more wholesome and less expensive noui-
ishment more than compensates for any ad,
tional expense Of having another person It,
provide for. This, we need not say, allut.s
to France, and may be more or less true. ~
we hope it is, in cur own country.
Among the rich, especially where the W
man brings handsome dowry, marriage, i.
also possible; but in the middle class, how u
it be nowadays? All the young girls y,
brought up in the sam, way Each ono -
so exclusively adapted for the great pr'z
t!at there are none suitailc for the III
rior ones. What are now called the nee,
sites are far more than what were formt.
considered the luxurics Of life All kinds =
equality have been tried at various times H.
one only has been retained, and that the ME
dangerous and fatal of all-thc equality al
expense
Every girl is trought up with the idea the.
she will draw in the lottery of morriage ~,
first prize. It is imagined that style and
compiishments viii make up for the want ii
fortune 1t is mistake; they will only nals
it more necessary, in fact, absolutely irdls-
pensablc,' s.
Marriage is the greatest luxury man csn
| indulge in. When we reflect that all the W..
men Of the middle class are nowadays brou-lt
up to shine in society, that there is 10 longcE
any marked distinctions as far as expense a
concerned and that the standard of necessary
living is fixed according to that of the riches
a man must indeed be greatly ip'loye il IL
Goes not hesitate before the mountain. of w.
vet, silk and jcwery that he must consrn
all his days in accomplishing in order tl.ss
his wife may be properly dressed, = 9s''='a
For men of this class, woman is no!
companion, to take her share in proportion. .
her strength of common cares and labors
life, but an idol that he must pass his days i
adoripg for the admiration Of men A r" !.
man who marrcs such woman withoulta
dowry would be capable of buying a hor>v
which had to be fed on topazes ard emera $
! Instead of oats. So it is now rare to find
husband Of the kind, and soon it will be ii. :
possible, That is whot they are coming te4ia
France, according to very good authority
LIT our countrywcmen take this warnit.o
ireya from Paris. together with the otl,, =
fashions they are so fond of getting from IL"
same quarter and thus using the one as ~.
a,tidote to the excess of the other, avail
! careessly throwing away the chances of ns'f-
flage,