Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-08
WHY MORE AMERICAN GIRLS DO NOT
MARRY.


A number of very gifted American
ladies, including Mrs. Gannatt Wells,
have been discussing the question, in
the North American Review, why more
American girls do not marry. The reas-
ons advanced by some of these feminine
disputants are often highly recondite
and sometimes fanciful. Mrs. Wells
gives currency to the thesis that most
American girls would like to find them
selves widows, each with one child and
sufficient though modest bank account.
There is nothing violently improbable In
such supposition. A charming infant,
which could divide lady's affections
with pet dog, for instance, and an
assured income for which she would
have to do no work whatsoever, are
desiderata at which the ordinary woman
could not we'll afford to sneeze. Even
the nose retrousse need not take on an
additional angle at such prospect.
But while the American girl may come
high, we insist that she is worth all she
holds herself at. We have no sort of
sympathy with the people who think
that the American girl ought to be use
full as we'll as ornamental. The great
German poet, Goethe, assures us that we
ought to take care OF the beautiful,
because the useful can take care OF itself.
There is nothing in the whole scheme OF
creation half as beautiful as the Ameri-
can girl. To kick and squirm because
of her desire to eventuate as widow
with one child and sufficient even
though modest bank account is to show
ones self both utilitarian and proletar-
ian.
If the man who objects to Mrs. Gan
nat Wells's allotment of the American
GIRLS base and plebeian, what shall we
say of the monster who actually starts
in to disprize this peerless creature?
The natural exclamation of any one
called upon to confront the declara-
tions of such an iconoclast would be,
"Can such things be and overcome lis
like summers cloud, without our
special wonder?" And yet that such
levity and lack of appreciation OF good
thing is possible we have indubitable
evidence. Our hebdomadal contempo-
rary, the San Francisco Newsletter,
belongs to this unappreciative class.
The fact is that that sheet answers
Mrs. Wells's inquiry, "Why more
American girls do not marry"
with incredible hardihood and ef-
frontery. 1t says that more OF
them do not marry because nobody
asks them to. The wretch who penned
the article in the Newsletter even has
the gall to suggest that the American
man knows when he is well off, and
that the position of the single man, an
swering to the private station in certain
phases of our politics, is the post OF
honor as we'll as profit.
We have an immeasurable contempt
for man who could advance a view
like that. Who would not marry the
charming American girl, providing al
ways that she would deign TO look at
him? The man who would fail to warm
up to this incompatible being of grace
and beauty would turn up his nose at
peaches and cream, early strawberries
would pail on his palate and artichokes
garnished by the best olive oil would
choke him.
But hark you now! There is just one
exception to this sweeping proposition.
In the commonwealth of Massachusetts,
the fact appears, in the Gradgrind pre-
sentation of the United States census,
that there are seventy thousand more
women than men. AS long as we ad-
here to monogamic marriage there is in
the statement of this fact a pretty
cogent reason why some Massachusetts
American girls do not marry. A large
proportion of these charming beings
remain single simply because of the
Massachusetts, statutes relating to big
amy and polygamy.
Were it not for this all these ex
quisite creatures would no doubt have
husband. And lucky would be the man
who would be favored by their prefer
ence. The fact is that there are plenty
of discerning Americans who appreciate
the value of the American girl, who
would marry half dozen of the heav-
enly beings if the law did not stand in
Tho roxy