Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-29
WHY THEY DON'T MARpy

M
Reasons why Lady Clerk. T., ~. ma.
partments Remain I'm Single Rl....sl.
ness-OPinions Gathered by . star
Reporter.
''She is nice looking girl, q very nice looking
girl" and the speaker threw his heaa ~, 80
side and assumed the, gravely reflective or q,
connoisseur. The person TINS cr,,,c,sod
tripped along through the corridor of ora -,
the department buildings, apparently mot onlv
Indifferent TO any possible criticism, but uncon.
scious that she was being looked at. She wore
dainty summer dress, and looked as feminine
and sweet as young, happy girl can look am
consequently THE STAR man could not forheaI
remarking to the Waterman, as he loitera1 mao,
the door for moment, that she was pretty girl
This official glanced at the fair vision Of
first in perfunctory sort OF way, and then. as
the influence flu OF TINS feminine beauty pene
difference and uttered the above as his sniernn
if not enthusiastic conviction. The young lad
cally stamped, as 1t were, as far as the mfr,
ence and authority OF the watch force went bni
continued on her way to the desk where the
There are good many pretty girls EMPLOYED
in this department." observed THE STAR mar
as the watchmans eye returned from FOLLOWING
the retreating form, and his countenanc~e i ny
sumed the gravity Of official position,
"Yes, there are" was the rather brief answer
| as if the matter was hardly worthy Of further
II suppose that they all marry and leave
your" said The STAR man, in matter OF course
Indeed they DON'T" replied the watchman
| with returning animation. sit is very seldom
any of them get married."
with great interest.
81 don't know that can explain it" was the
response, but at any rate that is the fact as fal
as my observation goes. I have been in the
government employment for thirteen or four
teen years, and don't recolect in all that time
in this department getting married. You evil
IDENTIFY think that because that young lady is
pretty that she will be married, but in gov
eminent department. the fair and plain seem
to have about the same fate"
"Why aren't they married?" persisted the
listener, as he thought of the absurdity of such
fair flowers being allowed to waste their fra
GRANGE in solitude. "They have opportunities
They are thrown continually in contact with
men, and you know that department clerks gel
las l told YOU" answered the Waterman
with. some irritation at the attempt to draw
son why, but Know the fact, because it is the
result of my own personal observation When
the clerks marry they choose wife outside OF
the department, and they may not be rich, OF
half as pretty and smart, as the ladies he meets
in the department., but nevertheless that Is
what the department clerk does, and has
always done, since have been here.'
As he concluded with the above, the watch.
man took up newspaper, and it was evident
that the discussion was at an end as far as he
was concerned.
The STAR man., however, was not satisfied
with this conclusion, and the more he thought
about IT. the .I more he was convinced that the
grow in interest, and The STAR man, as he
met with people who would be likely to throw
Light on the subject, consulted them.
One Of these persons said, II think that it is
true but few ladies in the departments marry,
and the reason for it, in my opinion, is that
they have acquired an independence, and they
don't care about relinquishing it. OF course, il
an opportunity should be presented of making
brilliant marriage and acquiring social posi-:
ton and wealth, I think that in a majority OF
cases the ladies would accept it. But when a
woman is earning her own living and has an
income which she can use as she pleases an
average marriage does not present the induce
ments that it does to a woman who is differ.
emily situated. Besides, such a woman's ideas
are more practical and her appreciation Of the
size of q dollar In every day life does not need
the experience of marriage on small income u
Another person, in discussing the same mat
ladies in the departments do not desire to marry
unless they can better their condition, still it
may be laid down as general principle that
eyes of men. Their constant association with
men every day, their occupation, which is not,
strictly speaking, feminine, causes them to lose
tangible that it is felt rather than expressed.
Men are attracted to women because they are
SO different. 1t is what we mean when we speak
of a womanly woman, and it is those quail
ties of mind and heart that find their
best development in the domesticity OF happy
home. Women are apt to lose the delicacy
and charm of their nature when thrown In
daily contact with men, and they are apt to be-
come masculine. I don't think that men are
attracted by wishy-washy women and pretty
doll faces, and that in order to be woman1y 1t Is
necessary to be Impractical and silly. But still,
imagine that most men and the best men, like
feminine women; and, while it is not always
the case, still think that the majority of
women in the departments gradually lose this
quality of their nature"
,,oD ala MT x>,,r.,,o 1T,
any further, for, while not exactly satisfied,
still it was realized that the old adage, "Many
minds - HvaS still fr1o