The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-04
A MAN FAMINE.
Icol. P. Donaa. in New Yosl ssal

| signature, AED4AFN0 n the cotomnS oE the New Worlds great newspaper illu- minator, the Sss, which shines for all, at two cents copy. It gently but 6rmly set forth the matrimonial needs and pos. abilities of the American northwest, and especially of this mighty young queen of the territories It told of the awtul scar city of young women and the vast sur plusage of young men; of how the cen sus few years ago gave us seventeen and-a-hab men to every woman and giFi, and how, even now, in some regions. the ratio is SfouT-and.a-haN to oae.
 The fact that this half jestful squib has brought me, in six or eight weeks, nearly a thousand letters from young girls, old maids and widows ali over sAs country. desiring husbands, or situations in a re- sibilisy, not only shows the marvellous poten,y of the Srs as an advertising me dium, but indicates an alarming scarcity of eligible fellows throughout the older states in the union.
 "Whas axe ~e girls going to do P once said a recognized belle of one ot the most aristocraiic little Atlantic cities 10 me. "Here there are in the best society of our city, in my own circle. over ,So marriageable girls, many of them, as you know, highly accomplished and at tractive women, fitted to grace any posi- ,ion, and we have not a dozen eligible men. We have hosts of beaux, but no prospective husbands. Our streets swarm with pleasant young fellows who do for es corts, dancing partners and Air. tation material; but we have absolutely no men to whom an intelligent, spirited, ambitious girl could possibly think of tying herself and her fortunes. They lack education. independence, purpose everything that is necessary to rise. There is no future for them, and appar- rently none for us but to form an old maid brigade and start on a crusade to some of the far western territories, where sterling men are said to be plenty and women scarce"
 They did not come crusading to the west, and to-day the lamentation of my fair friend finds full justification in the fact that her proud and beautiful old city is literally overrun with those most esti- mable but seldom envied or enviable misfits in the Divine economy known as old maids. Go where one may or will throughout the east, from Boston and 1 Providence to Baltimore, Richmond, l Charleston and Mobile, and the same sad condition of things exists. Every ball room and parlor wall is richly tapes. tried with these slightly faded flowers. The same complaint goes up from every city in the land. Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and hundred other munich | ~G pathetic woe Plenty of girls. lovely as ever the sun shown on, but a panicky lack of desirable young men.
 Only a short time ago the bright young daughter of an eminent St. Louis lawyer said to me "You mockingly criticise us for encouraging the atteu- | tions of what you contemptuously style whipper-snappers,' snips,' dudes and callow goslings, but how can we help itf There are twenty of these little fel- lows in society where there is one really desirable young man, and if it were not for them we would miss many an enter tainment that we want to attend, many an opera and play, many set in danc- ing that we now enjoy. Bat for these very pigmies, with their three b air pow CT mustaches' that you speak SO scorn- fully Of, every girl in St. Louis would be ! left at home half the times she now goes out, and would be a wall flower more than half the time when she managed to 1 inveigle her father or brother into es- corting her to parties and receptions You find me plenty of these brainy, cul- tivated, aspiring men with future, that you talk about, and will find you plenty of girls capable of appreciating them, and ready to drop all their retinue of pomatumed snips for them any time. Bring on your real men!' Trot out your thoroughbreds."
 She was only debutante, but do you know she had nonplussed mel told over all the masculine beads of my so- ciety rosary; took lightning calcula- tor inventory of all my trouser-wearing acquaintance in what is known as good society'" l reviewed loag processions of the bifurcated ornaments of seaside and mountain and lakeside resorts, of balls and routs and operatic hrst-nights {; and had to admit that this vehement young girl indictment was "a true bill" !" All over the country man famine pre- vails.
  swells, giddy boys-but they are hardly the kind of husband material a sensible woman would select, if it were not case of "Hobson's choice" Many of them are kind-heared, agreeable little crea- lures, disposed to do everything in their power to earn the gratitude of the girls, to whose enjoyment they contribute themselves and all they have and are. But considerable proportion of them are freaks of nature, only to be accounted for when the creation of mosquitoes, Aeas, humps and measles is explained. They are as much alike, find them where you will, as the little Jumps of pill dough under druggists spatula- There is not originality enough in them, or the tailors they patronise, to get up sufficient differ. ence between any two of thousand of them to be recognized under forsy-mule power microscope. Their physiognomies are mild h:.Iesnres on the lap-dog fam