Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-17

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D A G&A 30 years and up
IEIS1H ward. Then tn
slHE& @ dreams and joys o
70 NJ youth have fowr
~ the enthusiasm
IS and energies o
young manhood art
moderating and growing more toward tht
sedateness and desire for the quetness O
middle age-the disappointments and the
narrowing lessons of experience have about
dlspelled the rosy visions OF the days wher
love and joy, hope and happiness seemed tc
be the boundaries OF hfe's horizon-and the
man has about found out that he no more
takes pleasure or finds joy in the revels and
gayeties of youth.
Some men who. as they say, have kept
clear of the bonds of matrimony, seek to re.
tain the semblance of liie's young day
when 1t is only shadow of the past-by
the frisky airs of youth-by the aping OF
ooyishness long since departed-bya a studied
and careful preservation, or rather imita-
ton, of their early prime, but no man of 50
can sham his days in the twenties with sue
cess. Even if gray hairs were wanting, il
wrinkles had written no marks Of care, if
years have brought no weight or solidity to
the slimness of figure, yet half century
will tell tale, and leave its marks.
AT such age an old bachelor is out of
favor with the young, who scruple not to
call him an ancient old duffer." He is
not In unison or sympathy with those of his
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er world than his, and who have closer ties
and sweeter relationships than his friend
ship can bestow, and who usually look upon
him as shirk welded to his own selfish
ness. Growing hard of hearing and garru-
lous-as most OF them do-they are bores in
society, and are looked upon as infections
unless they have money enough to
induce to fawn upon and fiatter them to the
top of their bent.
SECONDHAND JOYS,
Some men of this class, who have reyeled
in the joys Of single blessedness, are excep-
tions in some degree, miss the forlornities of
growing age. and enjoy the next-door happi-
ness of fatherhood-by becoming a blessed
old uncle, liberal with tips and appreciative
of what constitute the pleasure OF Youthful
lives. By the adoption of these second
hand joys they secure such sort of second
class happiness as falls to those who have
missed the sweeter pleasures OF love and
friendship in marriage. For them il NAV
suffice; for their narrow desires the love of
welded bliss is not essential to comfort
solace, and scanty measure of content.
But these are not the lonely, forlorn old
beings, who roam about the world alone.
who are ever in the pursuit of health, who
are found everywhere anxious to be con-
sldered youthful and eligible, who fatter
themselves they could marry any time. who
are without home or relatives or minister.
ing sisters. Being bachelor may be all
very beautiful until the meridian of life is
past; but then comes Loneliness, and an
ardent longing for that ''completest hap
piness" which can be found on earth only
in home of ones own, with family and
friends.
81 feel now that should have married.
said one of these desolate men the other day.
When years creep on, i'll health comes,
society no longer has charms, and friends
are wrapped up in their own affairs, then
man is lonely. He is sensitive to the jokes
on him as an sold stager," and would rather
feel that ne was an "old sweetheart" for
somebody. Some men who have wealth
enough to make them tempting, try to re-
trieve their early error by marrying Young
girl, but such a union is rarely happy, for
if he is old, he wants to turn his back upon
the madding crowd, and toast his toes at his
own ireside, while she is longing for the
gay and glittering throng and giddy whirl
of the world outside She has not vet dis
covered, as has he, that
"Society's a polished horde
Formed of two mighty tribes-the bores and
bored"
She has not tasted all the joys of youth
that he has e1hausted-she has not reached
the conclusion by experience that the COM
fort and Joy of life comes Of renouncing the
pomps and vanities of this wicked world. as
has he. In his youth he wanted all the fun
there was in it; so does she. Human nature
is human nature. The young love pleasure.
gay company, gadding, and junketing. De- |
cember and May form no fitting match, nor
smoothly running pair.
AN OLD MANS DARLING.
A wealthy old bachelor who marries a |
young vile is an old ool, as the wisdom of |
the world goes, and the girl who thus be-
comes bride is usually set down BY the
same authority as a mercenary, calculating,
eold-hearted creature, specializing upon his
folly and with an eye single to his money.
II, however, on the contrary, people of the
same age marry when they have grown old,
they have weakened their chances of hap
piness, because they have likely both be-
come, in Yankee p2rlance. ''sot in their
ways" and solid invtheir preiudices, and
will find it hard to adapt their tastes to the
measure Of mutual enjoyment. Still,
equality in age gives fairest promise OF
companionship.
Single women are far less lonely than
men when little frost has become visible in
their hair, and the wrinkles have begun to
show, and the joy in youth ul pleasure has
given way to the greater delights of middle
age. They can make themselves pleasant
home, and revel in comfort in any place
from an Sxl2 hall room to paiace fit ior a
queen. An,old maid, however she may be
held up to ridicule and derision, finds in
celibacy more OF pleasure, more oiindepend-
ence, more of real comfort than does man.
She can find cheer and solace where he is
helpless and disconsolate. Taking marriage
as it stands to-day the woman would, in
than within even its sIIken folds
and rosy letters. Here in South Carolina
marriage is simply legalzed slavery. Its
laws justify atrocious outrales and cruelties
upon women, and debar them from any
rescue or escape by divorce. 1t is Christian
marriage by prayerbook ceremony, or church
form and no divorce. 1t is the
state OF affairs so earnestly desired
by the Ant-Divorce Society and the
authorities of the church generally. But
the ideal harmony and happiness pictured
in State where divorce is forbidden and
impossible no more exists here than any,
where. 1t is true the lawyers are not kept
1T work on cases of divorce, but they are no
less busily engaged in devising plans and
evasions for protecting wives from cruel
md inscriptions husbands. II a woman
with property in this State marries. that
nrnnarfu honnr,ar har hnc cha nd,r q hnu mn mud |