The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-27
WHY rHEY Dc NoT MARRY.
a Young woman Explains Social
ProbIem-The Males DeteriOratIng.
sfom The N Z. MAJ and ErDress.

ProbIem-The Males DeteriOratfng.
From the NJ K. Mail and Express.
At small party few nights ago, says
letter-writer in this city, was in group
that discussed the distaste for marriage
which characterizes the girlhood of the
day. One young lady had fortified her
self with newspaper clipping on the sub
iect, which she drew from her pocket and
read, as further substantiating her position.
It was to the effect that misunderstanding
maidens, young or old, were very much
scarcer than Of yore; that instead of being
anxious to marry, girls were slow of in
ducement in that direction.
at is true" said young lady Il
scarcely know girl who wants to marry.
They are learning something in the way of
profession, something that will interest
them as well as support them, two roles in
which husbands just now fail. The truth
is, we are all scared away from any desire
to marry by seeing how Wretched those who
do marry are Where would we look for
husbands? Among the ships and sports
and cfaracterless young men that fill our
drawing-rooms They are insuferable as
mere acquaintance or beaux; who could
contemplate them as husbands have
always thought that if | could find young
man at all like my father l 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 the larger activities
which continually 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, if they came
in contact with men who aroused their re-
spect 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 a chat with my
bright young hostess about inefficient men,
a sort of annex to the conversation just re-
corded She wondered what would become
Of the human race if the men kept on de-
teriorating at the rate of the last twenty
years. She declared it was almost excep-
tional for the young men of frst-class So
ciety to support their wives. They mar
ried into rich families, and at the end of
two OF three years were pensioners on the
relations of their wives. at is astonish-
ing" she said, show few young women
who are supposed 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 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 attracts her, because
she is sick of ineficiency. The man who
can drive coach may be very unsteady in
grammar, but his mastery of the horses
appeals more to her imagination than the
fine phrases of an inefficient dude. 1t in
dieates a certain degree of force and
strength, and all women ike that in men,
''Do you think the class Of inefficient
men are really increasingly" asked.
aAlarmingly, and in all ranks Of society,
but most among the rich. Iscarcely know
a married woman intimately who feels
secure-who has confidence in her hus-
bands energy, ability and efficiency. Look
at the number of married women engaged
in some kind of business, 1t all means
something. don't know what, but GER
tainly it is the reverse of promising for the
future greatness of man.