, 1885-03-28
ENGLISH MARRIAGE.
CUSTOMS AND social LAWS WHICH
CUT AN IMPORTANT FIGURE.
Motive. for Deferment Of Marriages
Woman Must Have a knowledge of
Housekeeping -NIerccnary Matches
and Immorality.


The average age OF marriage in the upper
middle class IS about % for the woman and
about % for tho man. IL would DO rather
later than earlier than this The motives
for this deferment Of marriage are most
commendable, but tho results Of 1t are APP
pallingly bad. 1t Is the ambition OF tho
young man to bring his wife at once into
about the same style Of living as that from
which he takes her. Ones social standing In
England almost wholly depends on ones
ability TO keep up appearances and to keep
ain the swim This means somewhat large
expenditures. and the habit OF entertaining.
which Is a necessary and constant part Of
the domestic life. Taking a bride to a board
Ing. house or into apartments Is happily IN
known in that land OF "homs. sweet home"
Il would be deemed a social disgrace for a
man to marry before he was able t2 support
an establishment
And ON the part OF tbs woman II would
DO deemed equally shameful for her 70 marry
before she was capable Of managing aud d.
rccting economically a household. She and
her family would all alike deem themselves
disgraced II she should marry and set up
housekeeping without domestic training. II
n girl has been off to -school-perhaps on the
continent for the study OF the languages
and music-it Is not supposed she has ac-
qnired a knowledge OF housekeo ping before
she Il at least o.. For a young
woman to marry and set up house
keeping and then to confesl 70 her
husband that she was not a mis-
tress OF tho situation would 10. in effect. to
say that she was an impostor, perhaps an
adventures. Every well-bred young woman
IN Great Britain Is supposed 10 be trained In
all the branches Of domesticity, and she Is a
good housekeeper. She does not expect to
marry and 10 20 into n board ing house and
D.. - - - III o. ----
riei 10 give tho man she loves n home, and
II she cannot do this, II he wishes IL, she has
deceived him. Thi, would be the plain Eng
fish Of It from an English point OF view.
And now | come to a very dark and la
mentable side OF this matter when l state
the exact fact as to tho results Of young men
deforring marriage until they are well nigh
30 years Of age The heat and passion Of
youth begin TO wane, and II Is feared that
they begin to consider the material rather
than the aifectional aspects Of the matri-
monial estate. In short that marriage be-
comes marcenary. But sadder yet Is just
that pha e Of social evil To which, / take
1t. Professor Huxley had reference
when speaking Of certain classes in
English society. The youlg men OF
the nobility and OF tho wenlthier
Glasses aro none tco chustc, and this un-
chastity Is rather winkei nt than deemed 4
ground Of social ostracisin. Alliances. out
Of wedlock. are formed and maintained and
these must be arranged with bofors the
young man can smelly marry when the oc-
casion comes when hu wishe, to do so. In
stances are not unknown whore in tho cnses
Of even illustrious statesmen two familiei
are maintained. the children OF one family
born In and the other out OF wedlock.
The courtesan has a recognized and distinct
place Ia English upper-class life, unknown,
thank God, to our American society.
The man Is the king in the English house.
hold gnd the wife I, only the prime minis
ter. 1hcre is no confusion or overlapping
Of authority. The will OF the husband is
law. He has not only tho place OF honor but
OF ease. The arrangements OF the house, the
company entertained, and the service en-
ployed all have respect to his wishes and TO
his convenience. The wife conducts the AT.
household and, more than likely, her per.
sonal allowance, and she ronders a strict no.
count Of Stewardship either weekly OF
monthly.
The wife's personal expenditures are less,
much loss, than the husbands In many In.
stances he will spend quite as much on his
dress as a man than sho DOES as u woman,
for the rule is the Englishman is the best
dressed man and the English woman is the
Worst-dressed woman in the civilized world.
Somehow or other this well-dehned and dutl.
fully followed domestic order leads to great
domestic peace and content The English
woman accepts this order as a part
Of tho order Of the universe, and
believes in it just as she does
In the three estates Of the realm. II
is OF divine ordinance. Her mother before
her believed in her husband, loved him, bore
7 him children, kept his house In purity and
sweetness, and cher chillrsn rosa up and
called her blessed" and she las no aims and
no ambitions higher than these. She may
not have illustrious station or Worldwide
name, but she has lived u usefnland u happy
life. She 1, the joy OF her husband. and she
has been brave, and has taught her children
the three most useful virtues In all the moral
catalogue She has inspired them with
courage; she has illustrated the sweetness OF
Obedience, aud she has so lived as tn bsget In
them reverence for chasts womanho1d.