The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-16
Those Who Take to Bohemianism
Like a Duck Takes to the
Water.
The Old Maid Is Gone and the
Girl Bachelor Has
Come.
A Maiden Who Says She Knows How to
Manage a Man by Aiming at His
Mind.
= Vs.
BeholA the old maidl
Presto. chanpat@zZ =

-~'sS
Behold the girl bachelorI
There is a difference of opinion about the
mnoh-talked-of girl bachelor. Some say
that she is a new species in the social fauna,
while others contend that she is only a
modified form of the familiar division of
the social kingdom known as the old maid.
There may or may not be any real differ
ence between the two, but theoretically
there Is a Rreaa gulf set between them.
Popular prejudice, weary, perhaps. of the
persistence with which it has heaped ipno-
miny upon the title OF old maid, has opened
an avenue bv which il can perform a dig
nitied retreat to the standard of the girl
bachelor.
In response to a murmur of hints that it
now swears allegiance to those to whom it
once gave only pity and endurance, popular
prejudice asserts that a girl bachelor is as
different from an old maid as a yaohtsman
is from a galley slave. The one sails the
wide seas of single blessedness because she
chooses to do so, the other-according to
the theory Of popular prejudicc-because,
with d few grudQingly admitted exceptions,
she has been condemned to that fate.
However this may be, the girl bachelor is
becoming a recognized factor OF modern
social life. and her tribe is increasing with
a rApidity which would have satisfied the
well-wisher Of Abou Bon Adhom.
II is a significant fact. furthermore. that
the rise of this new social class is stimuli
taneous with u porceptible decline in the
time honored institution of matrimony. A
great many curious people haye attempted
to account for this deplorable falling off
among the devotees of Hymen, and there
seems to be a popular idea that the vonno
man Is reasonable for the present d.
pressed condition of the matrimonial mar
ket. His unwadded estate is ascribed to n
reprehensible neglect i'll the matter Of pro-
posnls. He is accused of lack of energy in
his attempt to secure what we must regard
us the uncovated prize. His conviction of
his inability to provide two people with the
modern comforts and Injuries is offered ns
an excuse for him, but tho Indictment re-
mains, and he lnngnishes under the popular
belief that the reason he 10 not married. il
because he has not tried to be-.
but. above all things, lot US BIZ iust! Let
US consult competent authorities! The
opinions which have been offered hive
come from older hends to whom circnm-
stances have denied m e~soteric understand
ing of the case. They have argued from n
premise of unquestioned currency to the
elect that when he proposes she accepts,
As there are no outward or visible eigns of
this acceptance, ergo. he hns not proposed.
1t il time that this weight Of odium
should be removed from the estate of mas
outline baoholorhood. tThese unfortunate
Young mon have suffered III silence long
enough. Their ohivalrous assumption OF
tho entire responsibility demands lis re-
ward.
The fact 10 that, except in rare cases. tho
popular denunciAtion falls on innocent