The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-24

daughters, the successful bestowal OF
them all in matrimony is no light mat
ter. 1t is a matter involving not only
much serious thought, but often also
great trouble and expense. A wit re-
| marks that when a man only resources
consist OF numerous family of daugh-
tiers. the best thing he can do is to hus-
band his resources. That is no doubt
very sage advice; but girls are a kind
of resources which it is sometimes by
no means easy to husband. In order
to execute that man9uvre, great
many other resources have generally
to be called into requisition, and not
the least important of these is sub
stantial bank account. If his daughters
be his only resources, both he and
they will be placed at decided disad-
vantage.
But when paterfamilias has provided
the sinews of war, there, as a rule, his
share in the matchmaking ends. Men
have not sufficient tact to be intrusted
with such delicate tasks. When they
take it upon themselves to interfere in
these matters. they are sure to make
trouble OF one kind or another. Match
making is essentially the ladies' prov
ince. 1t is, moreover, branch of dip
lomatic service in which few men have
any ambition to distinguish themselves.
At the best, it is a somewhat invidiOus
task. A mother and her six marriage
able daughters have been facetiously
described as a ''school of design" and
that is really the aspect in which they
are generally regarded. The very APP
pearance OF mamma at the head of such
a battalion is sometimes enough to
scare away the most stout-hearted eligi-
bic single gentleman, whose suspicious
are Immediately aroused, and who,
rightly or wrongly, persists in regard
ing the party as a veritable school of
design. The difficulty is immensely in
creased if the young ladies do not hap
pen to be particularly brilliant or attrac-
tive. 1t is here that papa's financial
resources come into play. But even
when these resources are considerable,
intending suitors are apt to pause when
they think of the process of subdivision
that will have to be undergone. To
vancouver her forces SO as to bring
about series of successful engage
ments. thus demands, on the part of
the maternal head, no little skill in
generalship as well as in diplomacy.
American mothers have acquired
some reputation for skill and energy in
connubial management on behalf of
their daughters. A Partisan newspa-
per some time ago recorded an exceed
ingly clever bit of match making, exc
cuted by an American lady of this order
in brilliant style. Her eldest daughter
had sailed from New York with some
friends for a tour of Europe, and after
doing" the continent, had returned to
the French capital for several months
of rest and pleasureing. Attractive and
clever, she had many suitors, some
more. some less desirable. She could
not marry them all, so she adroitly re-
duced the number to two-the best of
the lot, of course. Then she wrote
home to her mamma. explaining the
exact situation OF affairs, adding that
they were both so handsome, agreea-
BILE, well-connected and rich, that she
could not decide between them, and
closed with the question:: "What shall
l do?" Ten days later. she received a
cablegram from mamma: Il sail to-
morrow; hold both till l come" The
next transatlantic steamer brought
Mrs. Blank with her second daughter,
just turned eighteen, and fresh from
school. On her arrival the old lady at
once took the helm of affairs, and
steered so deity through the danger
Gus waters. that in few weeks she had
reached port with all colors flying. To
drop metaphor, she attended the we'd
ding of her two daughters at the Amer
lean chapel on the same morning.
After due examination, she had decided
that neither of the nice fellows should
60 out of the family.
We have said that men do not, as
rule, figure conspicuously as match
makers: nor do they; but the Judgment
and policy exhibited in this connection
by knowing old gentleman of our &C.
quaintance could hardly be surpassed
by the most accomplished tactician of
either sex. Brown" said a neighbor
to him one day, Il don't see how it is
that your girls all marry of as soon as
they get old enough, while none of mine
can marry. "''Oh! that's simple enough"
he replied: II marry my girls off on
the buckwheat-straw principle" ..But
what principle is that? Never heard of
it before"
'.Well, use to raise a good deal of
buckwheat, and it puzzled me to know
how to get rid of the straw. Nothing
would eat it, and it was a great bother
to me. At last l thought of plan. 1
stacked my NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. nicely,
and built high rail-fence around it.
My cattle of course concluded that it
must be something good. and at once
tore down the fence and began to
eat the straw. drove them away, and
put up the fence few times; but the
more hunted them off. the more anx-
ious they became to eat the straw; and
eat it they did, every bit of it. As
said. l married my girls on the same |
principle. When a young man that
don't like begins to call on my girls,
him in every way can. II
tell him to come oftea, and stay as late
as he pleases: and l take pains to hint |