Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-08

iock at the widows.

II any one will consult the statistics
he will find that the number of widows
. In the world Is out of all proportion to
the number Of widowers. II is a mis-
take to suppose that II is the spinsters
who constitute the surplus female popu-
lation of the Eastern states. And If the
mayor Of Boston had responded to the
request of the mayor Of an Idaho town,
sent to him some time ago to send out oil
the unmarried females of Boston TO be-
come wives of the lonely men of the
West, we venture to say that the large
bulk of the cargo would have been
widows. Statistics show that for every
100 widowers i'm France there are l9i
widows. The greater longevity of women
than men apparently has nothing to do
with this state of facts, for the census Of
England and Wales of lsSl shows that
there were 52,0l9 widows at the age of
twenty-five, an age when, according to
some authorities, most women should
hrst marry. And at the taking of n
certain census in England il was dis
covered that there were l,4l0,6si widows
and that the widowers numbered 5s9,0il,
being an excess of s2l $40 women. II is
clearly apparent that something Of this
state of affairs exists in our own country
to-day.
This deplorahle condition suggests nj
once some default or vice In our social
life. There Is considerable truth in the
statement made by a recent novelist that
nature puts the sexes on earth In pairs,
and man destroys that balance at the
cost of his moral death.n With all due
respect TO the wisdom of women in
matrimonial affairs the conclusion il
Irresistible that they are largely to blame
for this abnormal condition in our
society. Widow-making is vice for
which they are largely to blame. As
long as the gentle creatures will not
marry men of their own age and are not
willing 10 face the battle Of life together,
sbut are so eager 10 become mated 10 men
old enough TO be their father aud grand
fathers, this moral abnormity will con
tinue to exist. 1t is true that men are
now loath TO enter the marriage state
early, owing TO the greater struggle of
life and the fascinations of club life. But
If the woman of our time would he will
ing to honestly make the struggle of life
with n suitable companion, making the
necessary sacrifices which after all bring
the most happiness, instead of preferring
life of luxury aud ease with amorous
veterans Of sixty-tive, men would the
more readily welcome her as u worthy
help-mate.
I'll
forbidden by the laws of the Jews and
the most enlightened of the Pagan ma
tions. This disparity of age was one of
the principal causes of the downfall of
Rome. Even from n physical point of
view, II certainly is not wise TO permit
the vigor of manhood to be wasted, and
our posterity to owe its origin TO the
waning strength of old men. Marriage
In a reciprocal relation, and the youth
and beauty of young womanhood loudly
call for a companion for life of becoming
age. As well might n young sprout be
grated on an old tree, worn down with
the storms and blasts of many years,
AZ the mercenary mating Of girl OF
twenty with a man of sixty. So eager,
Indeed are some women to enter into the
holy bonds of matrimony that they are
content If happily the bridegroom be
able to get comfortably through the GER
emony and honeymoon provided, of
COURSE, he leave them sweet remem-
brance I'm solid cash
Many other causes for such disparity
between the number of widows and wi
dowers might be adduced Some hard.
hearted old bachelor, who has never
tasted of the sweets of married bliss,
might be unconscionable enough To sug-
gest that In the conflict between hus-
band and wife after the honeymoon, he
proves the weaker Of the two and goes
down to an early grave, happy in his
death, leaving his companion a lone
widow on the earth. Whatever be the
cause, there can be no doubt that this
condition Of affairs in our social life is
abnormal. The reason insisted on here
certainly has much to do with the mat
ter. This default will never he remedied
until the men are willing to marry ear
ler In life; and the men will never
marry earlier than they do until the
young women make up their minds 10
honestly make the struggle of life with
them, taking equal chances, and bear
Ing equal responsibilities. Young man
hood and young womanhood compile
ment and supplement each other FOR the
battle of life, but union of May with
December drags down the good in both,
is fertile source Of divorce, adds to the
number of forlorn widows, and is a
moral abnormity that poisons the vitaIs
of social life. Let the young contempla-
tive maiden study these statistics and
be wise