Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-05-04
SURPLUS OF GIRLS.
NOT YOUNG MEN ENOUGH IN WASHINGTON TO
GO AROUND.
sly Tricks By Which the Girls EnSnare the Male
Contingent Testimony Of Experts As
to the Uses Of Society.
Special Correspondence Of tie Sunday Register.

SDeciaI Correspondence or the Sunday Register.
WASHINGTON. May 2.-Society at the
capital. if it is to be judged by what an ac-
complished young society woman recently
said to me. is a fixed quantity. There are
a hundred ana fifty-two of US" said she,
referring to the young ladies, land Only
sixtv-five gentlemen" This accounts for a
GREAT many things-and a great many
things in Washington seem sadly TO need
accounting for For example, the young
man who comes here stranger ana man
ages to make the acquaintance oil one
Young lady is pretty sure to wonder WHY
she never introduces him 10 any 0ther. ii
he meet her at a reception she Will chat
with him as much as he pleases, but ne VIII
wait and hint in vain for her to present
him to any other young lady If he meet
her with any number of companions on the
street. she will stop and talk with him, ana
seem TO find keen pleasure in letting her
companions stand around and envy her
while they wish in vain for the introduc-
ton that never comes. So long as young
woman can enjoy exclusively the acqualnt-
ance of a Young man-"any young man OF
respectability'-she is an object OF envy OF
her less fortunate sisters. II the young
man be a good "catch'-that Is to say, II
he have either rank or money-the young
woman WHO Cdu hCIp INN A't III 49,
own. even for few weeks, IS the empress
of the situation for the time
The shortage of single men in society eX-
plains also why there are so many school
glrlish Young women here who long ago
were graduated from the schools. These
are suppressed debuntantes. One may see
them almost any day dressed IN their snort,
girlish gowns with their hair hanging IN
braids down their backs. Sometimes tney
carry books, often they are accompanied by
big dogs. They are old enough 10 De III so
ciety and they would have been III IL long
ago had they not been suppressed because
their elder sisters have not yet been taken
from the matrimonial market.
Yes said the lady OF whom l nave
spoken. 1.-The object Of young woman's
life in society here is to get man."
''Then society, so-called, is really sort
of a matrimonial syndicate!" 1 asked.
THAT is the principal use to which it IS
put, though many a girl seeks man Tor
other than matrimonial purposes. There
is the girl who wants an escort 10 the thea
ter and the girl who likes to drive, there is
the girl who uses one young man TO bring
another one to terms and the girl who sim
ply likes TO fiirt. Oh, there are various
| reasons for wanting men, but the great ma
iOritv want them for good and all.
DO the young men of Washington APP
preciate the advantage of their position" /
asked
'Indeed they do; and they treat US
shamefully," she answered. They make
us do all sorts of unpleasant things. Why,
only last week | asked young man If he
ever went TO the theater and he answered
( that he did when he was asked. The mean
old thing actually made me ask him to go
with me. They do all sorts of things like
! that
"And you have to submit"
"Of course or we should never have any
fun at all
do brains and accomplishments help
Young men in society here.'
YES, indeed. a gentleman who is good
company always stand well in society But
he ism { much sought for in the matrimonial
way
HE must have money! ! asked.
Money or rank. Money for the poor
girls and rank for the rich"
"And does love stand no chance"
"Oh. ] auppose girl can love member
of the diplomatic corps, or an army officer,
or millionaire as well as anybody else"
But if she does love somebody else.'
But she doesn't she won't let her
self"
Did You ever hear of that old fashioned
sort of love which used 10 swoop down on
men and women and leave them nothing 10
say about it,