Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-01-05
RE AGE TO Be wrnnr.
Mary j.. Holmes q Popular sc.z.
Discusses a subiect Of wids ts'
AaSna4 III.

tyf IS q subject which has been s. o
sn discussed, and concerning whicb
much has been written vita no
satisfactory results that it Womb
most seem as II the only rational
swex to the vexed question Il ~
given by some author whose nam.
do not now recall. "Show ma IL
girl" was her brief commest ana ( -
way that cover the whole e,asss
Show me the girl and boy; let rreirc-
something of their tastes, their disns
sitions, their habits. their idsas
life and the manner in which thav i. =
been reared, for these are al ia ns-H
Importance than the respecttvs 80
OF the parties. A girl who is thoross,
iy selfish, who has never Learned H.
in seeking another's happiness IA Z
finding her own, who looks UPON n.
mother as household drudge 81 VIC
she is ashamed, who dwadIes thro,,,a
the morning in a Mother HubbssJ
and crimping-pins, ard runs to h;ds 4
there is a ring at the door, who sne,5.
the afternoon in gossip and The ave.
ing in flirting. is not fit 10 Ae a M
whether she be 16 or 30. On ~
whole the chances are that the a., 4
16 will make the better wife AZ 4.
two, for as the twig is more "a
bent than the shrub, so the habits =
16 are more easily changed tbss
those of longer growth.
For many disasterous and uuhsn.
py marriages the mothers are as mnsh
to blame as the daughters, who s
often enter the matrimonial stst.
without q thought OF what that ssets
involves or that as much viii BE- +.
quired of them as Of the husba,5.
they have chosen. How many moeh
ers OF the present day teach tha;,
daughters that marriage means e,
more than the feverish excitement 4
the grand wedding and the elabo9ass
trousseau which shall outdo ~
trcsseaa and wedding OF some riysj
and that from the sacred relations q
man and wife will emanate influence
for good or bad, which will 90 4,
from strength to strength until thsr
beat against the shore of eternity
vast sea? / do not mean to Be IN.
just to my own sex, and believe ther.
are quite as many good wives az bus.
bands; but | also believe that nore
girls than boys marry with mistaken
ideas OF what will be expected from
them. But, as ! knew ! should do h
the beginning. l have wandered awav
from the Question-when to marry.
Never, most decidedly, for the eirl
who, as an acquaintance OF mine o:cs
said, intends to do nothing "bnts sit IN
the rocking chair and eat molasss
candyl" and never for the young man
who has no right principle to euide
him, no habits of industry and thrift
and no deeper feeling for the girl h
marries than that inspired by passion
or a pretty face, which will iade 4,
soon. But TO the pure young girl zho
looks upon the marriage state :
as something sacred and not to b,
entered into lightly or unadvisedIy,
and to the pure young MAJ who r.
spects all womankind and who mesns
what he says when he promises to
love and comfort and honor his brids
SO long as they both shall live, Isay
most emphatically, marry young. b
fore the formation OF habits and
tastes and opinions which you VII
find difficult to change and which
must be changed il the matrimoaN
wheels run smoothly. Marry and N
one sense grow up together, laying
aside self and as far as possible con
forming each to she wishes of the 9th
er, remembering always that heW
she who gives up the most gains tbs
greater victory.
And Just here let me repeat ar snss
dote of \ wife of a few months Eho.
in the midst of her first quarrel, Wa
asked IVY her husband which oughst 70
give up first, the man, who was Tbs
head of the woman, or the womaa
who was created for the man? With
a smile end a kiss the wife replied:
Neither the stronger nor the weskss
but the one who most"
Brave words t. 'e. and n
called with bite. the bus
band who, within s. Cian ayex,
stood by the grave OF the young glft
wife, who had loved the most
1t is, / think, an erroneous idss
that early marriages are q hlndraEcs
rather than a help to the success .
life and the mental development and
happiness OF the parties. That tns
is sometimes the case 10 true, but
believe that more young men, ana
girls too, have been saved from run
wretchedness by an early marrla9
than have'been ruined by it. Then
is something inspiriting and ennobiins
in the possession of a Nome ana
family to work for and beautity, ana
if the girl and boy are poor, | snoa'a
still say, marry young and Sork 2
gether for the home and the compc
tence, which will be all the more e.
ioyable because they are the result z
toll ard self.denial. Don't wait uri1t ;
you can afford to begin just vnezs
your father and mother leave OF, i'
then the freshness OF youth VII p
gone, and, although it may De nom
ing with you still, the shades viii 2
stretching on toward the noondsx
and habits will have been iornaS
which will be hard to break. while W
chances are they will never De broxsa
at all.
can that | am worth and ell r.
good there is in me | owe to my VIZ
is the verdict OK many q happy. ~
band, who, had he married intss
would never have known the Joy tsss
is in toll and self-denial when snang
with another for a common purpoS
or the keen enjoyment OF q pleasuF
which has been honestly earned.
How well / remember gong up
the guest-room during the first Oh u
housekeeping to "look at the TINS
That was what we called the ne<
chamber set for which We hsa ~
$40, and which was more precious 4
us than any set has been sinec' i
though it may have cost lar my
than $40.
Said q, friend of mine to whom "
speaking OF the article | was goinsr
write, "Oh. take the side OF early M
riaces and tell them OF my sister, "
was married so young and IS SO niu<
a girl still, although she has 8
much taller than herself"
And what a prettier sight IS -
than that OF a mother welded IN q
ly youth and surrounded py
grown-up children. who are plss
that she is mistaken for Their s,s.s:
who is still young and tair VIII
beauty which comes to a restlul ~
die age. when the hardships OF lie -
left behind.
That there are many happy ~
riages late in life | know; but W:
they are often contracted on paIs5
business principles. A man wne e,
outiived the period when pow 4
seemed sweet shared with the GU
loved wants money, and he II a
ries the woman who can giVs
to him. while the woman who mas -
lived the freshness OF her youth nss
herself in one sense alone,o she we
ma |I ~