Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-28
why Young Men Don't Marry.

/ From the savannah News
| Boston preacher last Sunday took occasion
| to direct the attention of his congregation to
the fact that the percentage of young men who
do not marry appears to be increasing. OF
course be mad reference chiefly to the young
men of the cities because in the rural districts
lar removed from the influences of the cities
young men aud maidens go OH wooing and
marrying pretty muct- they always did 1t
Is no doubt true that there is u growing disin-
cilnatlon among the young men OF the cities to
marry and establish homes of their own. The
reason of this is not because they do not find
the highest and purest kind of pleasure in the
society OF refined and cultivated women, nor
because they would not like to have the com
forts and Joys OF home lie. 1t is largely be-
cause thelr incomes are not sufficient to permit
them 10 maintain such homes as they would
ike 10 have, and which the Young women
whom they would in all probability marry
would like to nave. The consequence is they
spend the best part; and perhaps all, of their
liNer In hotels and boarding houses and newer
know what Il genuine home is.
HE young men and women of the present
day worship wealth. and they shrink from the
burdens which u slender income imposes They
want 10 step rom line homes of their parents
Into homes that are equally as pretentious The
young men DO not want to give up any of the
pleasures or amusements 10 which they have
been accustomed and the y0un~ women con.
not boar the thought of dressing less expen-
slVely or OF dispensing with any OF the little lux
urles which they have come to regard as Deces-
sary To ;neir comfort and happiness. Young
men therefore who earn only enough to mai n.
tam pitih, comfortable home anu To live in a
pam out comfortable manner hesitate to
marry. They haven't the courage to make sac
rlIice> themselves or Ia ask Inc WOMEN they
would like To make their wives to make sacri-
Hces. ihey fear that under the stern demands
vi economy the anticipated Joys of home life
would never he realized.
The opinion Is quite general that the major
Ivy Oh Young women oi the present day who
have been reared in wealthy homes and who
have been used to luxurious surroundings are
rather helpless creatures There is doubtless
some foundation for this opinion. They are
helpless, however, only in the sense that the
KNOW Mite or nothing about managing home,
or making IL comfortable and attractive. They
WANT Whatever money can buy, because they
have always had a full purse at their command
They shrink from assuming the burdens of q
household and a family because they don't like
To have their pleasures interfered with, They
want rich husbands, though, Ii the truth were
known. their parents in many instances began
life Oh AN income that would seem to them a
very small amount even for pin money. Such
women do not want poor men for husbands,
and as rule, would not be content with the
homes which poor men would give them. The
whole OF their training has been such as to
unfit them for poor mems wives,
Of course, there are gOod-for-nOthing men as
there are helpless women. These men, how
ever. seldom amount to anything in life, while
the women, IL misfortune overtakes them Off n
display strength OF character, wealth OF re-
source, and n Willingness to adapt themselves
to their surroundings that is worthy Of the
highest admiration.
Evidences of the unhappiness OF married life
that crop out in the divorce courts, and in other
ways, nave something 10 do doubtless with
keeping young men from marrying. Much OF
thss unhappiness is undoubtedly due To defec-
tive training. wife who does not make her
nome attractive cannot expect to have a happy
home. and the reason why so many fail 70
make their homes attractive is because they
nave not been properly trained. They have
never Deen taught the mysteries of the kitchen
or tue arr OF Managing servants. They do not
Aho" now To econoiniZe and save. When the
income the strain is generally more than tho
most ainiable disposition can stand, and smiles
give place TO fIowEs.
Parents make a great mistake in training
their daughters as If they were to be she wives
OF rich men. 1t Is probable that the wives of
most .. the rich men in this country to-day
helped their husbands to make tn cir fortuneS
Ihey were not burdens To them. They knew
now 10 help them, and they did help them