The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-23
WHY THEY DO NOT MARRY.
Young Woman Explains a Social Problem
The Males Deteriorating.

Young Woman Explains Social Problem
The Males Deteriorating.
New York Mail and Express
AT small party of workers and thinkers,
few nights ago. says a letter-writer in this city,
1 was in a group that discussed the distaste fea
marriage which characterizes the girIhood of tha
day. One young lady had fortified herself with
newspaper clipping on the subject, which She
drew from her pocket and read as further SUD-
Stimulating her position. 1t was to the effecs
that husband hunting maidens, young or old,
were very much scarcer than of yore; that in
stead of being anxious to marry, girls were slow
of inducement in that direction.
1T is true, y said young lady. II scarcely
know girl who wants to marry They are
learning something in the way of a profession,
something that will interest them we'll as sup
port them-two roles in which husbands just
now fail The truth is are all scared away
from any desire to marry by seeing how
wretched those who do marry are. Wher%
would we look for husbands! Among the SHIPS
and sports, and characterless young men that
fill our drawing -roomsl They are insufferabls
as mere acquaintance or beaux; who could cor
TEN plate them as husbands / have always
thought that if could find young man at all like
my father l could love him and marry him; hut
that school of men has vanished from the
younger ranks"
Nobody doubts that she expressed the convic-
tons of large representation of young woner>
Their lack of interest in marriage is not due tea
the larger activities which continually open be-
p
material in the way of husbands. Women are
women, and would love and marry as readilv
to-day when the earth was new if they caifss
in contact with men who arouse their respecv
and admiration. The order of maidenhood thai
could content itself with an inferior article O..
husband, merely for the sake of being married.
has also vanished. The young woman of tn.
period has too much character and selfrespeeS
to dread being an old maid so much hsat she
would contract an 'uncongenial union to es-
cape it.
The same evening had chat with my bright
young hostess about inefficient men, a sort %
annex to the conversation Just recorded. She
wondered what would become of the human
race If the men kept on deteriorating at the rate
OF the last twenty years. She declared IL was
almost exceptional for the young men of firs
class society to support their wives. Tne't
married into rich families, and at the end of
or three years were pensioners on the relations
of their wives. 1T is astonishing" she spi,
''how few young women who are supposed
to be, rich really depend upon the..
husbands for Injuries or even suppore.s
Their fathers or grandfathers furnish
the money that supplies their homes
oftener than the outside world knows of. In
deed, the daughter of the rich man is more to
pitied than the girl who fights poverty. She Spes
fewer real men. Naturally she fancies that her
ideal men must be somewhere, since they are
not within her own circle, and she looks for them
In extraordinary places--on the box Of her
fathers coach and on huckster wagons or on the
stage. Anything in the nature of efficiency at
tracts her, because she is sick of inefficiency
The man who can drive coach may be very I'M
steady in grammar, but his mastery of the
horses appeals more to her Imagination than the
fine phrases of ar inefficient dude 1t indicates
certain degree of force aid strength, and all
women like that in men,"
"Do you think the class of inefficient men are
really increasing9" asked.
'Alarmingly and in all ranks of society but
most among the rich. / scarcely know married
woman intimately who feels secure--who has
confidence in her husbands energy ability and
efficiency. Look at the number of married
women engaged in some kind of business 1t all
something. / don't know what, but
certainly lis the reverse of promising for tho
future greatness of man"