Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-09-23
Why they do not Marry.
A YOUNG WOMAN EXPLAINS A SOCIAL fhoB-
LEM-rHE MALES DETERIoRATING.

At a small party few nights ago, says
let,er-writer, was in group that discuss-
ed the distaste for marriage which charac-
terizes the girlhood of the day. One young
lady had fortified herself with newspaper
clipping on the subject, which she drew from
her pocket and read, as further substantial
ting her position. 1t was to the effect that
husband-hunting maidens, young or olo,
were very much scarcer than of yore; that
instead of being anxious to marry, girls
were slow of inducement in that direction.
"It is true," said young lady, u
scarcely know girl who wants to marry.
They are learning something in the way OF
profession, something that will interest
them as we'll as support them, tW roles IN
which husbands Just now fail. The truth
is, we are all scared away from any desiSe
| to marry by seeing how wretched those VINO
do marry are. Where would we look for
husbands? Among the snipes and sports
and characterless young men that I'LL our
drawing rooms? They are insufferable az
mere acquaintances or beaux; who could
contemplate them as husbands? l have al
ways thought that if could find a young
man at all like my father could love him
and marry him; but that school of men has
vanished from the younger ranks"
Nobody doubts that she expressed the
convictions Of large representation OF
young women. Their lack OF interest IN
marriage is not due to tke 1sig lager SGtigties
WITH Xasnf caontinnally open before women, but
to the unattractive, unreliable material in
the way of husbands. Women are women,
and would love and marry as readily to-day
as when the earth was new, it they came IN
contact with men who aroused their respect
and admiration. The order of maidenhood
that could content itself with an inferior
article of husband merely for the sake of
being married has also vanished The
young woman of the period has too much
character and self-respect to dread being an
old maid so much that she would contract
An uncongenial union to escape it.
The same evening had chat with my
bright young hostess about inefficient men,
sort of annex to the conversation just re-
corded. She wondered what would become
of the human race if the men kept on dete-
riorating at the rate of the last twenty
years. She declared it was almost excep-
tional for the young men of first-class soci-
ETY. to support their wives. They married
into rich families, and at the end of two or
three years were pensioners on the relations
of their wives. .'It is astonishing" she
SdluS uOW low yOuhs3 WOih0h VAo "AS sup
posed to be rich really depend upon their
husbands for luxuries, or even support
Their fathers or grandfathers furnish the
money that supplies their homes oftener
than the outside world knows of. Indeed,
the daughter of the rich man is more to be
pitied than the girl who fights poverty
She sees fewer real men. Naturally she
fancies that her ideal men must be some
where, since they are not within her own
circle, and she looks for them in extraordi-
nary places-on the box of her father s
coach and on huckster wagons, or on the
stage. Anything in the nature of efficiency
attracts her, because she is sick of inefi-
cheney. The man who can drive a coach
may be very unsteady in grammar, but his
mastery of the horses appeals more to her
imagination than the fine phrases of an in
efficient dude. 1t indicates a certain de-
gree of force and strength, and all women
like that in mel."
s'Do you think the class of inefficient men
are really increasing?" I asked.
"Alarmingly, and in all ranks of society,
but most among the rich. scarcely know
married woman intimately who feels Sc
cure-who has confidence in her husband S
energy, ability and efficiency. Look at the
number of married women engaged in some
kind of business. 1t all means something.
I don't know what, but certainly it is the
reverse of promising for the future great
ness of man."