The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-05-03
n|lTnIlloIll leBcEs.
! Necessity ~ fhe Seeial Life a.
the Century.


7
orssce The other sisy. its al rery vel
| to riaicuie matrimonial agencies and
| ] quite agree with yuuF young lady
eonfributos that they are ofsen No bet
Ter than they Ought 20 Be perhaps al
wars; but because the Institution Is
abus<ss that i no reason xhy il should
rot BIT uke5- have been young and
noz l am old, and the result O. = long
surrey OF life Ia all is aspects has led
me 20 the firm conviction that one oil
the most urgent needs of the time Il
the establishment OF bona tile naatri-
moni,ii association" so bold sn
ayowili By a person ct independent
means and OF considerable experience
a. web IS Of some repute in the seien-
tic world. naturally excited our At
teDtidn. and inviting him TO
be seated we listened at1eRtiyely
10 the outpourings Of his soul.
sBeflllre you begin" said be. lust
glance at these statistics which have
eompiiesi as 10 the proportion Of
chance which every woman has OF
marriage af different ages
EVERY woman has some chance 70
marr,F. Ii may be enc 10 fifty. or it
may he tea TO one that she viii. Rep
resenting her entire chance as one
hundred at certain points of her pro
gress In time, it Is found 10 be IN the
following ratio:
Between the ages OF Is and % years. II
per cent
Between rue ages OF % and rs years. So
per cent
Between the ages of Is and 30 years. Is
per cent.
Bessssn tie ages Of 80 and . years, Is
Betvesa the ages OF IS aud % years. ~
per cent
Between The ages of 20 and IS years. q
per cent.
Between the sges Of % and 30 years. y
Between tie aga OF 20 aud IS years. u
of per cent.
II want 20 improve these chances.
am In sober earnest. | believe in
marriages. Ii Is true. most unfortu-
nately II is true, that there are half
million of women In this country who
can never marry. for the simple rea-
son that there not enough men to go
round. Eut that is no reason why
nothing should be done. On the con-
trary 1t is very strong reason in
deed why everything should be done
to prevent any eligible man remaining
in a state OF bachelorhood who might,
under more pruritious circumstances,
be induced to marry"
" Are you poing to fall back upon
the wisdom OF the ancients, and put
tax on all bachelors p
Net at all. But the need for a
matrimonial association is in fact an
outgrowth OF our civilization. Tt Is q
necessity OF the social life of the nine
teentla century,
us this not reducing the matter
very much to business level--a pro-
sale intrusion of matter-of.fact ar
raHgemenfs and careful organization
into the sacred realms of poety and
romauce?''
Not at all, not at all. would SIM
ply be restoring the natural arrange
ments which previously existed. Have
you for moment considered the ex-
tent TO which modern civilization and
our city life altogether depart from the
old natural primitive arrangements of
human society? The village is the
natural unit of society, and in the viii
lage erybody knows everybody else.
There Is no need in such primitive
conditions for any other agencies than
those which are afforded by the nat
ural details of daily life. But just as
the village is the most natural unit, so
q large city, say London. is the most
unnatural. What opportunity has a
youny man or young woman in this
great bowling wilderness OF bricks and
mortar of making the acquaintance of
eligible parners OF the opposite sex
with view to the most important of
all the transactions of life? There are
greater facilities offered in London for
engaging chimney sweep than there
are for securing life partner with
whom you undertake the gravest re-
sponsibility that human beings can
incur-namely, the perpetuation of
their race There are agencies Of all
kinds to secure that you shall have
every want. no matter how temper
airy, artificial, and even absurd, sup
Piled with a minimum of exertion:
but the one fundamental, permanent
want of human nature-that of find
ing q lifelong associate with whom to
start housekeeping and found home,
and bring up househoid-what as
sistance does philanthropy or society,
VIII htt NhCit lhautfotQ t<2ttifitiut2oi al
fordusto that end Nothing No doubt
in the upper ten society is deliberately
organized with view of providing
marriage market for manageable
maidens and eligible young men: and.
by the way. when you are Directing to
the intrusion of business arrange
ments into the promoting of mar
riages. | wonder what you think OF
fha fashion able lifa of Mayfair9 What
is that but business? Materfarnilies
regards il as the chief business OF her
life to marry off her daughters One
half OF the social events of the year
would lose their yuisoa d'ctre ii there
were no Interior object in view by the
promoters, which has as the goal the
marriage altar, The whole thing Is
organized quietly by parents for young
people What we have got TO look ut
is the fact that there are multitudes of
people, young and old. who have no
parents 10 look after that matter. and
Of others who are nor IN a position to
provide their children with opportun-
tiles for meeting eligible partners in
life. The result Is that there woI.ld be
a great many more marriages than
those which actually do take place IL
matters We're differently arranged, and
OF those which do come Off there
would be much greater security for
future happiness If they were not 50
often utter leaps in the dark
What. then. would yon do
IL have thought out 4 scheme which