The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-27
MATRIMONIAL PROBLEM.
It Is One That Is Soreiy Perplex-
ing Match Making lMammas

4L8 GldDCQ- LD4E Ul1ud6
How do men propose? Do men make
up their minds TO marry or do they
drift into marriage, so to speak? Does
propinqnity or opportunity bring about
Z greater number of proposals than
does actual intention, asks the New
York Advertiser. This is the problem
that greatly perplexes mothers with
Ilarriageable daughters. and they are
at loss to understand why it is that
their daughters admirers do not de-
velop into suitors. The girls are
pretty, wcI-dressed and of ages ranging
from eighteen 70 twenty-eight. and
they experience no lack of attention
from the men of their different sets
men who ride, dance and play tennis
with them and with whom they are on
the best of terms
Mothers looking backward to their
own girlhood are dismayed at the dif-
ference between the past and the pres
ent. and each matron remembers that
she was wOOed and won within. say,
few weeks of first meeting, whereas
her daughters are still unsought after
months of constant companionship. Is
II that in former days men were i'm
pnlsive as well as impressionable, and
that in these days they are impression
able but not impnlsive? Or is it that
the eomradeship that is now estab-
lished between young men and girls
robs the situation of every shade of ro-
nance. while this footing of frank
friendship induces girls 10 assume a
sort of brusque, self-reliant, indepen-
dent bearing, the reverse OF senti-
mental and eonflding? This may ac-
count IN some measure for the position
hardly sufficiently so 10 be the only
cause Tor the gravity of the situation.
Anyhow, il is humiliating to their pow
ers Of attraction TO find that, after
months of pleasant social intimacies.
the most valued acquaintanccs cool off.
From statistics CLEANED from conf
denees and careful observations, it may
be laid down that very young men are
less prone to propose frOmdeliberatiOn
than are Older men. youth and fancy
going hand-in-hand as against expert
ence and hesitation. On the one hand
they fan in love, rs the old-fashioned
phrase goes. and propose. On the
other hand, they rather drift from lil1
| ing into affection, but are not always
ready to propose until some pressure is
| brought tn bear from without This is,
perhaps, one of the most delicate oper-
ations in social anatomy. Sometimes
the father operates upon the heart and
feeling OF the laggard in love. This is
rather an awkward moment for both,
but it generally results in satisfac-
/ tory arraurcIacnI Of the matter and
the proposal IS duly made. Many men
require this paternal touch before tax
| ing the final leap. 4 mothers inter
| ference Is rather resented than not, and
She seldom ventures upon such an eX-
| treme course.
4 warm-hearted mutual friend is,
perhaps, one of the best auxiliaries 4
I girl can have. She can say so much
for her and can say il SO well. and she
I can hint at a preference, which is fiat
tcring TO most men If not 10 all By
/ the same token mutual friend can do
untold mischief and convert a dawn
ing admiration into 4 studied avoid
anee. In her eagerness TO throw a
/ couple together she rouses in one Of
them a fear of being made ridiculous,
/ most antagonistie to a sentiment akin
/ to proposal. II is not too much 10
say that Ofiicions kindness on the part
/ of tactless woman mars many bud
/ ding inclination, which, butSor her in
reference, might have resulted alto
gether differently.
Men verging toward forty, or even a
/ little beyond it, often make premed-
itated proposals. actuated by various
reasons, considering that if they do
not marry at forty they are not likely
TO marry at all. They wish to settle
down and enjoy their possessions.
! They are matrimonial prizes and much
coveted by mothers for their daugh-
ters Men who have arrived at this
age must have done one of two things
either lived a society life and num-
bered all the young beauties among
their acquaintances, or have come
! fresh from exile on mine or ranch,
ready to propose to the first pleasing
| Glrl lIlcy HdPpch 70 come acFo>a- tAey
fall in love at FIRST sight and the pro-
posal is made within 4 week or so.
Many proposals are the result Of cir
cumstanees and are surprising alike to
both sides They were not. nor are,
each others ideals, but they drifted to-
gether nevertheless; these PROF osals
cannot be called premeditated; they
come about from the force of cYents,
which often brings together the most
I .,rlsl-alt- ,.aar.la