Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-07-06
The Ineligible Man.

The ineligible man is generally
q gentleman of good connections
and some small fixed income,
which is sufficient to serve as a
narcotic to ambition, but which
from its incapacity to provide for
more than one person, puts matri-
mony out of reach. "Oh, I'm no
marrying man." he says, and is
conscious of his freedom and of his
privileges. The best of everything
seems to be offered to him; he is
ami de la maison among all his
old set of friends, both masculine
and feminine, who have married
and settled down; he may drop in
anywhere to dinner, and is a favor.
ite guest of ladies' luncheons; he
has invitations to parties of all
kinds, and never has to buy more
than an entrance ticket to the
opera.
The ineligible man Is in no way
to be confouhded with "detrimen-
tals," ineligible although the de.
trimental may be. The distinc-
ton is so broad that a radical
difference may be perceived at
once. "The detrimental" is con-
sidered $50 dangerous" - the
"ineligible" Is $50 safe" The "de-
trinentalu is regarded as an open
foe by parents and chaperons; the
"ineligible," on the other hand. is
the friend Of both, and stands, by
some gift of nature, even at an
early age, toward young ladies in
loco PARENTS, and is himself capi-
tai chaperon. LET me go, mama
it's only with Mr.. Brown" is a
plea in extenuation of anything un.
conventional. "Nobody but Mr..
Brown" makes q partie caree, o
hand at whist-fills the odd corner
everywhere.
In fact, a man who is known to
be distinctly not u marrying man,
has his hay to make in leng spell
of pleasant weather. He is conf.
Dental friend to dozen sets of de-
butaptes who enter society as it
were under his auspices; he criti-
cises them, counsels them, aids
them, does everything except in
terfere with their lovers. The mo-
ment lover comes forward, the
ineligible man understands 1t il
he is bright-or he is forced to
understand it If he is dull-that
his claims must give way. He
has, however, the privilege of TAX
ing the place of usher or grooms.
man at the weddings which follow;
he dandles the babies on his knees
If so inclined, and may have a few
named after him; he enjoys q sort
OF hereditary friendship for the off
spring of marriages he himself pro.
moted. 1t may seem for a long
stretch of years that he has roses
without thorns, the sparkle of wine
without the dregs, all the comforts
of life without any drawbacks. He
has his little income, which he
knows how to spend In such a way
as to get the utmost out of it for
he has pleasant rooms in
q pleasant quarter of the town, and
takes his meals at clubs or goes out
to his breakfast, dinner and lunch
con. Whereas his married friends
endure the miseries of domestic
annoyance = bills, wretched serv-
ants, sick wives, troublesome chill
dren-he has quiet rooms, his lux
urious meals, his ease and leisure
in all the daily habits of bis life.
No skeletons Turk in his cupboard;
he has nothing to fear, even If he
has nothing to hope, and may
calmly sit on shore and count the
wrecks among the barks which
put out to sea.
All this may be very pleasant
while a man is tolerably young.
Then follows the time when life
becomes sort Of Barmecide feast
for him. On every side there is
beauty, love and duty, but not for
him. Hitherto, he has an idea-