The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-06-12
THE PRATTLER.

The letters arc all in, the prize has
been awarded and the Model Husband
contest is closed. 1 have enjoyed those
letters very much. Have read every
ono of them prayerfully and dispassion-
ately, aH6 have come to the conclusion
that the women do not know what they
want. And that, 1 think, Is the reason
there are so few model husbands to be
found.
l am persuaded they do not know
what thoy want, from the fact that they
all describe one kind of man, and al
most Invariably choose another sort.
There were ninety-twO letters on the
subject, and with ono notable exception
they all called for ''christian gontle-
man." That was the first req disite
and the "above ALL" of their several
demands.
That oft repeated demand set me to
thinking, and began to study about it,
and the more l reasoned the frmer l
became convinced that very few if any
of them wanted what they said. don't
know how to account for this contra
diction, except it be wOman's perversity
for saying no when she means yes.
~
But without accounting for it, / will
observe the workings of society a little.
picture in my minds eye demure
looking little Sunday-schOol teacher.
And there happens to be in the same
Sunday-schoOl a real good young man,
who has been trained up in the way he
should go and has not departed there
from; and the demure looking little
lady is so awfully sweet, he just falls in
love with her. And he walks home
with her from the classes, and he escorts
her to church at night and to prayer
meeting III the week time, and the peo-
pie begin to talk. But they do not say
mean thingsi they say nice things.
They say "what nice couple that is;
she is so sweet and amiabie, and he is
90 moral and upright; they are mem-
bers of the Same church, their tastes are
the same-how congenial they would
be-"
-
But handsome stranger comes
along, who also has an eye for the
beautiful, and he too fancies the maiden
fair, and by his attentions shows it.
And then the people begin to talk again.
This time they say "she ought not to
throw herself away on that man; he Is
fast and tickle and will tire of her; he is
graceful and dashIng, but he drinks at
night; he is handsome, polite and pleas-
ant, but gambling is his controlling
ha 10 mi N
her friends ought to tell her,"
-
And some of her friends do. And
then the demnre eyes flash fire, and the
pretty head is given a toss, and the
beautiful lips are curled with a mind
your-own-business curve, and she
denounces her Sunday-schoOl friend as
a "stick" and forthwith marries the
other fellow.
tell you the life of the average chris
tian young man, in so far as favors may
be expected from girls in society is con-
cerned, is a miserable nightmare of
disappointments. Girls vow they can't
talk, when we all know they can, aud
they will take the headache and Rctu-
"good" young man. They say he is a
stick and a bore and so lawfully Slow"
and somehow or other will find previ-
Gus engagement to prevent his coming.
[ don't know why it is, and L don't
think it ought to be so, but you bring
as many OF the "goOd young men" as
you like, and, not being Christian gem
tleman myself, 1 will gamble little
that can trOt out a ''fly" young man
that will knock the Sunday-school boys
out as fast as they come.
~
Now l believe this fondness young
women have and Partially they show
for wild young men, is what makes men
as wicked as they are. L think women
are already the greatest moral reform
ers in the world, but 1 do not think they
halfway do their duty in this line.
believe if the women, young and old,
did actually abhor the drunkard and
tho gambler and the libertine as much
AS they make out, and would show that
| adherence by their acts, and make 1t a
principle and a rule of living, a wonder
| full reformation would take place in a
year, and the next generation would
not be cursed with any such.
-
do not wish to throw all the burden
upon the women. The first fault lies
with the men; their own force of charac-
ter ought to make them moral. But the
next fault think Is with the mothers
Their anxiety, in many instances, fol
their daughters to have beaux-
good, bad or Indifferent, just so they
are beaux-has been the curse of many
an innocent girl.