The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-21
MARRIAGE NOWADAYS.
Is It True That the Women Make tn,
 Proposal?

Proposal?
 "I have been reading the Catholic papers of late," said the Critic, "and can not make out what they mean by all this talk about the eligible man. Nobody pretends that there are no Catholic young men; but somebody Is constantly jumping up and declar- ing that somebody else says that there are no Catholic young men whom the girls can marry"
 "An impression seems to be abroad that the women do the proposing now" said the Lady of the House. At least, that is the idea that I get from some of these articles"
 So they do,'' said the Critic promptly. "In nine cases out of ten the woman asks the important ques- tion. Being bachelor, of course I do not pretend to speak from experi- ence-or to mention the number of offers I have been compelled to reject But am sure that most men have had the question popped by their wives"
 Why asked the Lady of the House, flaming herself with some violence, lis the man always represented in song and story on his knees. in an appeal ing attitude?"
 On his knees!" repeated the Critic, unabashed. "Of course he is begging to be let otf. but the lady is always in exorable." ;
 There was silence. The Lady of the House and the Visitor looked coldly about them, and nobody dared to smile.
 T am crushed" said the Critic, "as usual, like truth. Here are some of us who ask why do Catholic girls of certain class say: We don.t.knoW any nice Catholic young men. You don't hear the men saying that of the girls; They might perhaps, but they are too gallant. At any rate" the Critic con- tinued, speaking quickly, many of our Catholic girls neither go into convents aor marry; and at missions they are al- ways told to do one or the other. I know charming groups of Catholic gen. tfewomen all over this country who ought to have married long ago, and made some men happy; but evidently they didn't see any men worth the ask Ing. Do the girls expect too much?"
 Evidently" said the Conservative, "a young woman of to-day will not marry on the income which would have atisfied her mother or her grandmother. She wants her husband to begin where her father leaves off; or if she earns money herself, and is enabled to have certain Misunderstanding only one to look after-she does not want to di- vide an Income with a man who earns not much more than she is able to earn. The day when the daughter of a prominent rich man would descend her .ather's steps, to begin life in a log .abin with the man she loved, is gone put Of fashion,
 Perhaps love has gone out of fash lon?" said the Philistine. ,"Never" exclaimed the Poet. "Well-hardly-that is," resumed the Critic, T fancy that the daughter of he prominent man who followed the | husband she loved to begin life in A og cabin, with no electric light and no | Iteam heat, and no samovar for Rus !ian tea, had learned not to be afraid | 'f work. Martha Washington could | nave done it, and half dozen Pennsyl- l vania and Kentucky women did it; but l they could spin and brew and bake. Browning clubs and shopping were not necessary to their existence"
 Nor to that of the modern girl" 'aid the beautiful Visior, decidedly. If girl of to-day finds man worth sacrificing mIch for she will not hesi- late to give up the luxuries symbolized by the Browning club and shopping. For my part" she added. with a slight blush. "when married I would have "Go on" the Critic said. "If there g anything I like 1t is human docu- nents. But you, madame, proposed to | most admirable man; your good :as sts is senerally acknowledged. So he man is not up, to the standard. as } rule-:that's it. is it?1 am sure that you are right. in spie Of all. that he nay say. - The reason sdnf -CAthu1r girls complain. that therisyoung~meA of their acquaintance are not up to their standard is that: a wsman n-ssqsnisesl more in . man ithaH Asl1UaasSd to. bNS1