Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-03-15

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glAsNN n RE there more wo-
HsAgNsSS7Q2i III men than men in
INXN American" asked
! A,1&Sas]H Vy' 4 azS Herminie pensively.
~ sEs1S\ l thought of the sur
'Fr eplus female popula-
tion of our New England states and
hesitated before answering. 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY Herminie's intention to migrate
If my answer should be in the negative.
''There are 1000, 900 more in Aus
tria, she went on, not waiting for my
reply. | asked the cause of this excess
of womanhood and was told it was war.
And there should be war for women
alone, - she continued. Herminie was II
and as pretty girl as could be found
in Austria. Therefore | marveIed at
many of her ideas and at her naive, out
spoken way of expressing them AS she
was a European maid, her marriage
was not to be one of love, but de con-
venance.
AT the age when the ordinary Amer
ican girl is engaged in hunting I'D no.
litical subjects for the graduating essay,
planning her angelic commencement
robe and between times writing tender
notes to the schoolboy lover, HerIninie
was giving all her thoughts to the one
question of marriage. Wealth, social
position, settlements, were subjects SO
frequently discussed in her presence that
| soon ceased to wonder when heard the
most worldly expressions drop from her
lips. Her ideas on the settlement ques-
| tion were clear and decisive. The
European way was far better than the
American, for if the husband proved
unworthy, if he betrayed or deserted the
wife, she had the marriage portion for
her own Independent use and support.
The American way, where the wife at
the death of the husband receives one
third of his fortune, was good so far as
it went, but it did not go far enough.
1t should endure through life. told
her of the fair Miss G. of Ohio, who
loved and was welded to a Belgian
count. The count insisted that settle
ment of SO, 900 be made upon him.
| Two or three years later the young wife
died, but the parents were compelled to
continue the yearly payments even aft
er the count married again. The idea cf
wife's money going to the comfort and
ufrcCr1orasr pfuubaI1u ruiIIss TO
contemplate, but it did not weaken Her
minie's views.
II was almost engaged once when
was 16, /" she told me one evening, but
the gentleman lived far off, and mein
papa did not wish me to go so far away
from him..
"And did you love this gentleman,
Herminie?''
"A little, she said as her cheeks
famed into a scarlet that matched her
lips. He was young, handsome, intelli
gent, the son of a Chicago millionaire
and suitable match in every way, and
an American girl-but we all know
what she would have donel However,
Herminie was not an American, and
there was no thought of quiet trip to
a minister's, few days CONSERVATION,
then recall to the paternal mansion,
blessings, live happy ever after, etc.
There was no thought that she had
right to word in regard to the man
|
theirs and mothers wishes were her
law. If they chose for her a man of so,
we'll and good-she would marry him.
Her respect for and courtesy toward her
parents were things to be admired and
initiated. Did she leave the house for
an hour or two she must shake hands
with both in d1gnifed fashion on leav-
ing and returning. She must not re-
main seated while one or the other was
standing. She told me, with a Mortified
face, how great rude American had en-
tered her mamma presence one day,
placed his foot upon a chair seat, his
elbow on his knee, his head upon his
hand and in this position entered into
conversation. Knowing her dignifed
mamma. l could appreciate the situa-
ton, and l did not know whether to ad-
mire the man s courage or to be ashamed
that it was countryman who could be
guilty Of such breach of decorum.
I'm America do they call girls old
girls if they are not married at 25?" |
replied that the term 'old maid" had
ceased to wound the American girls, for
many of them elected of their own free
will to remain single, preferring life
of freedom to one of matrimonial cares.
The idea that a woman would wish to
remain unmarried was so very new and
unique to Herminie that for 10 minutes
she refrained from asking any more
questions while she contemplated this
new phase of character.
For one who expressed as much curl
osity about the American girl she GER
tainly had no complimentary regard foI
her. To use Herminie's own words,
she, as a class, was i'll hammered and in
dolent, always lying on a sofa, with q
novel in her hand and hot water bag
on her stomach. To lie down in the
daytime was almost the objectionable
sin in the eyes of this thrifty little Ger
man hausfrau, whose hands were al
ways busy with fancy work, and as fol
hot water bag, why, doctor had moi
had his hand on her pulse for 10 years
''We do not think over here that
girl is very nice if she is engaged more
than once. Your girls are always en-
8 gagged three or four times before they
; marry
mo, not always-not even often
only occasionally. Which is best for
two people-to discover they are uncon-
! genial before or after marriages AS
a you have yourself told me, it is very
' common among the lower classes in
q Europe to live together without mar
7 riage. Your mamma s cook has little
4 boy and the chambermaid little girl
who will grow up without a father 8
name or protection. You say this is the
q case with most of the servants here. In
the upper strata of society when wife
q does not please her husband or he tires
of her be takes another morganatically.
Such state Of morals would not be toll
b Grated in America Therefore it be-
J hooves girl to think well before she en-
a tiers into the state of matrimony. Bet
e ter dozen broken engagements thar
one loveless marriage.
'tBut you have your divorce courts
} for unhappy marriages. ? said this guile
o less Austrian maid of II.
had been dreading q reference e