The Osceola times., 1881-10-01
NAN TRAPS.
me way They are Esited and ihe foiliss
Thsreof---Ihe NsrrisEe Market.
Ia1t5a TfzlA

er o. healthy chiliren All the at and
learning that she can compass are not Of
s. much value TO the world as the ex
ample Of life passed quietly in the eX-
er,ise 4 domestic duties and social
righteousness, in the gift 70 the country
u children who shall carry on the IA
tionsl traditions Of courage and cener0s-
itr. q uIlsel1shness and virtue. This
u.7ss the eTnzncipstei 5 the ideal use Of
romen, aud n pictures thsi she can
uairt no books thai she may write, no
uiesl ipticns that she rAn frame, equal
tie Worth Of such an existence. BE-
marriage snd maternity she secures for
aerssf he hest kind of Immortality.
B-t, then. marriage % be II value pre-
.-ipu0ses one 4 'Vo thin.,s. the love
wfich ereatsz H. osu title 10 respect, OF
The resnect which, by time, ripeas into
love. Il is Mt marriage fsr settlement
marriage f1F 3 ttle-mArriAge % es-
care from the su-Ial and personal disA-
biiities O, sirinood, xiih the termination
of le.t.i.z II. restraints g. by the board
when oIce .ha magic formula Of modern
freedom hts been spoken IL j. mar
mage wish something u heart and cour-
science in IL. and something u the poll
cy Of responsibility attached 20 il. such
Insrrizges are, unfortunately, Mt fash
ionahle in these latter days. They are
H.. the marriages - the sesSon-nOi the
bzrsziEs struck in the human shsmbles.
where 80 much flesh and blood Is bouzht
f1r - much money settled BY Law, f'r 50
many diamonds - be added 10 the title
a. = tangible sign Of its inherent lustre-
In the season, as We have il, marriages
of this true kind are not but nan traps
xiih their living hzit abound.
The man-irAp has but one object
money or rank. II penniless for her
own pzrt and with nothing but her
eyes or her hair, her figure or her grace
A. her bait. she IS content with the
former. provided there be enough Il il.
She knows that even the mosi lu-irogs
ewes and the most luxuriani hair. that
the loyelies, form in the world, and the
most perfect manner % match. are bat
u little praeticsl service in The impeeu
uious parental house, while Of absolute
money ysiue in the marriage market, q
s0lid worth ss tai's in the man-trAp
z Hence she taxes her stand in the market
place, smiling Invariably on az who
have the whereEiihal TO buy. II she
have money to her own share. and no
s4nily 70 b6as. ~. then she looks out for
title. NV Lord the Earl may be-
I vicious In mind aud hideoGs in bod old
in years and corruption together and
she may be in the freshness Of her frs.
youth. All the same. she wiil -lye up
that youth, that freshness give up her
self and sll that this implies-to be made
my Lady the Countess she may be
the pretiiest Of the psryenu nymphs let
loose on the season, and the EArl little
better than q modern Siienus, a nine
;ssnth century representative OF the
>atyrs What Of this: The reity par
venu-the nymph who has money but
never a grandfather; or, perhaps, who
has neither money )r grandfather, and
who is thus dOnbly debarred from isstidi-
ousness-wipes her soft red lips, and sc-
cepts that sickening kiss Of beirothsl
with such grace as she can Command
and il is part Of her social capital 10
com mand a great deal. These bargains,
however, are never honest. The woman
does not say straight out; 1T Is mere
commercial transaction between US. !
sell, you buy; and there Is no question
Of truth or sentiment in the whole mat
ter" On the contrary, she puts on the
pretence OF both truth and sentiment as
she puts on her prettiest gown and most
becoming hat, and feigns the affection Of
which the best name is disgust. Some
times, perhaps, the cheat does not much
signify. NV Lord the Eari, senile Don
Juan that he is, may be but rightly
served, when the msn-trap proves 10 be
less the pgppe, than the wire puller and
makes II part Of her unspoken oonyen.
ton with herself to fling of the ordinary
restrictions Of mArri2gs when the hon
eymOOn is over and she Is once more
restored to society and her proper hunt
ing-grounds But it may happen that
the man really loves the creature whom
he bags. believing that he end0ws; and
then the disappointment Is bitter
enough when that honeymoon is over
anl with Il the dream II marriage and
toe Va ing into the true meaning Of the
a tn-.rsp and its bait
N1ig'a life she leads this miserable
ven "a OF WomznhCot for rank Al.
tIrJn. q ne ezs1n she has baited her
tap = every vile known TO her, eve
~ giii;e1ns charm which she could
nilro from AZ. g. nature. And what
Ee4ry ~ TX u has cen Zach natural
,aslse sgti IcL each human feeling
crushed down. he- isce a mask, her
voice al cLho. her heart atrophied, her
cou-tieace in spiritual irons her days
scelI N ssifiAZ her Irap. her nights IN
exar,iil..s her take and it, chances ~
time ~ ia .lfSl eXpsusiyeness 10 time
for g.rllsA ,4si dascs. her whole life 4
s.ratasem aud al her energies devoted
TO the arauons task Of sian catching. .,
the apparently hopeless endesvor n iud
some one who shall give her his name
= and fortune, and home and poeition, il
the fond belief that she returns In love
and honesty whSi she gains IN gear
What q lifc No gSlley-slaye's is more
severe. no trickster's, f1rger 5. blackleg'
more dishonorable. And the season
3 comes and GOES. and she i left stil TN
bought. Her trap has been vel baiiei,
but no prey has been secured. Mabe.
and Maud. Hilda and Victoria have all
been purchased in the marriage market
and she s left ike a forlorn pledge IN.
redeemed. Her mI.liners blA Is lzrse
her mothers resources are sgznty; the
younger sister must come out next sea
son, for twenty. ripe and round, cannot
, be called called cAllOw seventies n for an
other year. And then where viii she
. he? That unspoiled freshness viii tel
powerfully against her faded charms
charms touched % delicately and arts
tically, granted. bat always faded and
touched up. The chances Of ultimate
failure are multiplying against her, and
she i not in The position - choose
Bait with her strongest, bait with her
boldest, the time 5 Passing, and she
must secure her quarry nov or never.
She cares not who it may be, 50 long as
ii is some one whose name stands well