The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-01-28
Where are the Young men!


Holland in the February number of Serb
ner's Monthly and the following very sensi-
BILE conclusions produced:
There are curious facts, noticeable in the
Eastern States, to which occasional alusion
is made in conversation and the newspapers
facts which Illustrate the scarcity of
young men of 4 certain class. At every
fashionable summer resort, the small num-
Der of young men and the comparative
plentifulness of young women are matters
of notoriety. If there should happen to
be, in such gathering as this, half dozen
young men, of unexceptional position, to
six times that number of young women in
corresponding position, the thirty-six
women would count themselves peculiarly
fortunate. In hotel chop" one will see
half the girls with partners of their own
sex. The ladies of travelling party in
Europe are, as rule, in an overwhelming
majority. The fact that beaux are scarce
in all public places, is one with which the
young women of the Eastern States are
painfully familiar. There are many good
reasons to be offered for the disproportion
of the sexes in such places-the pressure
of work or of study upon the men, at
period of life when their time is not wholly
at their disposal, being the principal one.
If it were only in the resorts for summer
recreation that young men are scarce, the
fact would not be noteworthy particularly.
They ought to have something to do, and
enough to do to keep them from spending
a great deal of time in the pursuit of pleas
ure. 1t is startling fact, however, that
the young men Of the first class, or those
regarded as belonged to the first class, are
as scarce in the towns as they are at the
summer hotels. The marriageble girls
among Eastern families of the best posi-
ton are in overwhelmingly larger numbers
than are the marriageble young men in the
same position. Something of this is due
to the ravages made by the late war among
the ranks of the young men, Something
more is due to the emigration westward of
great numbers of them, so that, in some of
the Western States, the men out-number
the women. Whatever the causes may be,
they are sufficient to establish marked
inequality in the number of the sexes in
the class to which we allude. There are
many social circles, in every Eastern city
and considerable town, embracing great
numbers of beautiful ard well educated
young women, in which there cannot be
found brilliant or even particularly
desirable match among the men. Two or
three hackneyed beaux, whose hair remains
black by reason of the barber, and whose
teeth arc sound by reason Of the dentist,
do the polite for two or three generations
of beauties, and are SO busy in the service
that they forget to marry, and so pass
away; while, shrinking into thriftless
maidenhood, with hearts unwon and charms
unappropriated, the sweet life of the
womec dries up, and sinks to the dust from
which it rose.
Tow to us this is one of the most sad and
serious things connected with our social
condition; and it has u world to do with
the uneasiness of women, manifested in
various ways,-the universal seeking for
something with which to fill up life and
make it significant.
But we have a practical reason for call
ing attention to this matter; and this we
propose to present in a statement relating
to large number of young men, usually
assigned to the second class in society
While our fine girls are bemoaning the
lack of young men, and the scarcity of
beaux who are manageable and who mean
marriage, there is class of young men
whom they do not recognize at all, yet who
will furnish to the next generation its men
of enterprise, of power, Of position, and of
wealth. 1t is not the sons of the rich who
will, as Il rule, remain rich. The sons of
the poor will get rich; and there are to-day,
drudging in offices, and counting rooms,
and store houses, and machine-shops, and
printing establishments, the men who, in
twenty-five years, will control the nation
socially, politically, and financially. Every
man of them means to be married; they
will, as rule, make excellent husbands;
they are all at work trying to win success.
They are men who would be easily improved
by recognition, and by bringing them into
good, intelligent society; yet they are as
little noticed as if they were SO many dogs.
Nirtuous young men from the country go
into the city, and live for years without any
society, and are regarded by the fashiona-
BILE young women with Indifference or con-
tempt; but those young men lave a hold
upon the future; and when their success is
won, in whatever field of enterprise it may
be, the fashionable will be glad to claim
them as belonging to their own number
We regret to say that, as a rule, the young
men for whom Il position has been won by
virtuous and enterprising fathers amount
to but little in the world; and we rejoice to
say that companions chosen from those who
have their fortunes to make and their posi-
woman can generally with safety intrust
her happiness and herself.
If there is anything in all these facts,
thus brought into association, which points
out a duty to tour best society,"" and urges
its performance, even by selfish motives, it
will be readily perceived. The hope of the
country is in this second grade of young
men. They ought to have better social
privileges. What better capital can man
have than youth, virtue, intelligence, health
and enterprise? What better claim than
these can any man present for admission
into good society? To young men of this
class, now almost wholly neglected, the
society of educated and accomplished
women would be a rare and fruitful privi-
lege-fruitfnl to themselves, and quite as
fruitful to those whose courteses they
receive.
Bro'rn-" Well, / always make it a rule
to tell my wife everything that happens. :"