St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-23
THE MODERN RIDDLE.
"Why Don't Men Marry?' Is
the Baron de Bremont'S
Version Of 1t.
Well, the Census Shows That
for the Most Part
They Do.
Newspapers Accused Of STIR
ring Up Discussion on
This Point.
A Comparison of Journalistic
Methods in England and
America.

New YORK, Oct. 22.-Certainly when
there is nothing exciting going on in
the world. no Columbian parade to an
ticipate, depreciate and criticise, no di-
Vorce case with ScandaiouS incidents,
no elections, mo battle, murder or sud
den deatI'-nothing that can be swollen
out into three-column leaders, or by the
most earnest efforts of literary padding
made 10 occupy half page-when this
dull 5 JASON has arrived, as it does in
evitaby every year, then. with anus
Ing regularity, appears that splendid
riddle ''Why don't men marry?" No
one has guessed the right answer yet,
but the answers vary very much.
American newspapers touch on the
subject, although they have not. one
would think, so very much reason to.
In the first place. they can't plead as the
English o that the race is becoming
eXtinct-tne race of man-becauSe none
who has witnessed the Columbian par
AIDE could possibly believe that. There
were miles and miles of men, young
plenty left to look on.
Then again. the American newspaper
has great resources: there is the con-
there is the collection of poetry, comic
and sentimental. and the number
of what might be called anec-
dotes with philosophical refec-
tions. descriptions of woman's
manner of getting into street
car, man during the spring cleaning.
etc, which are all the peculiar ingredi-
entS of the American newspaper.
There is the inevitable fashion article,
and there is the recipe for apple frit-
tiers. With all this matter. and this vast
field of resource, there seems little need
for the American newspaper to toy
with such unanswerable queries as us
Marriage Failure?" and why Don't
Men Marry?"-querieS that occupy the
English papers during the silly season.
But The subject is SO fascinating that
even the comprehensive American news
paper can't let it alone at times.
The English newspaper is not half SO
comprehensive: it is very solid, and
does hot descend to such fripperies as
comic anecdotes and cookery recipes,
certainly not to poetry, this being, across
the herring pond, the mark of the pro-
vinclal editor.
As it is so fastidious in the choice of
matter, it suffers sometimes from the
want of something to say. What TO
speak is generally much more difficult
thing than how to speak. When in this
predicameut it asks "Why don't men
marry?' and starts the correspondence
with letter of marked literary ability
that contrasts visibly with the flood of
correspondence that comes rolling in.
Well, no. There is, l am sure. every
reason TO ask the question, and there is,
] admit. fascination about the subject.
1t brings all sorts of love stories to
light, and also has its humorous touches
When handled properly. At the same
time. neverlread the misunderstanding
query and the condescending excuses
and reasons of men for not doing so bat
what / bow my head in silent prayer
and experience feeling of fervent
thanksgiving that am not woman.
Fancy being talked of as though you
were an article for which there was alb
solutely no demand, and for which de-
mand must be made somehow. Fancy
reading the manly opinion which COM
plains that as an article of use you are
not useful enough, and that as an orna-
ment you are not ornamental enough,
or that you unfortunately don't COM
bine the two qualities, SO they really
cannot have you.
Lords of creation, be thankful, all of
you, that you are not women. The
great thing in the world of fashion just
now is
Capes.
The Increasing sleeves are getting 10
such swelling proportions that coat to
fit over them properly has to assume
abnormal proportions, too, and are
rather suggestive of the ruff and far
thingaIe days. Many of the gown
sleeves are surmounted with velvet
wings lined with silk. and prettily
braided with gold or silver braiding.
Over these erections the velvet cape is
easy to slip. These capes, as made by
Redfern, are very pretty, aud there is
any amount of variety among them.
Many are of the new reversible
cloth. plain inside and plaid outside
Most of them have full shoulder wings,
and many are made with an EliZabethan
Tuf1ie around the throat, which is made
of the velvet lined with silk or satin.
For goWDs the old-faShiOned tailor-made
style. rather mannish and severe. has
had lis day, for awhile at any rate,
and the DOdiceS are all made fancifuly
now. One gown which | saw at Red
ferns was made of donkey skin cloth,
trimmed with moss green velvet and
mink fur. The bodice had the shoulder
wings of the velvet edged with fur
The yoke was made of the donkey skim
which is material that is very realistic
as an imitation, and the lower part OF
the bodice was green velvet, loosely
crossed one side over the other, passing
round TO the back and fastening there
in an upright bow. A band of the vel
vet with fur on each side of it bordereC
fhp skirt