The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-05-10
At What Age Ought Girls
to Marry?
BY LINDA BENSEL.

TO the above question what answer
would you give? Is there a fixed age
when woman tires of single experience
and prefers to link her fate to that of
Il husband? | do not think there Is,
but if so, l am sure of this conviction,
it does not belong to extreme youth.
Married life, to those who are un.
married, seems u charmed existence.
l suppose it is, and the unmarried
stand about the gates Of this realm,
waiting to enter. Once the gates are
open and we are within, all becomes
clear to US. 1t is new existence IL
is as totally different as this earth
life from the one to come. New
thoughts, new ideas, new home, a
new life are for us then.
There is an added dignity to mar.
ried folks that the single never pos
sess. Life is more earnest; life must
be earnest; living is not Il long, unn-
terrupted dream any longer; there are
Others than ourselves to care for, to
look for.
Now some will contend that married
life is humdrum. 1t is a round of un-
varying duties with an unchanging
schedule. Some may find it so, some
otherwise. But certain it is that the
hearts Of the married ones are not so
light and care free. There Is a re-
sp0nsibility which Is to be shouldered,
and felt, too, and the weight of re-
spOnsiblties brings many a line
about the face.
Youth when fading fades all too
quickly. Resign your youth and
what is left you? A life that must
be lived conscicntlously, cautiously,
carefully, but that has lost the vim,
the fire Of younger days. So II you
would marry, girls, be not too hasty
In giving over youthful ambitions.
Remember the gravity of the under
taking. AS our bodies grow, so does
our mind. The choice of sixteen sum-
mers is not the choice Of twenty. And
perhaps the quiet twenty differ from
the scdatc twenty-five. The loves 0I
early summer arc not the loves Of
later years. Deep and lasting attach.
ments may be formed at that age fol
a life mate, but such cases are rari.
ties. We will dot take them for ex
amples. The school girl loves q hero
and idollzes a man: but, when she
grows TO know more of life in reality
when the mist is cleared from before
her eyes, she sees the fairy-like at
mosphere about her hero diffust
itself, and the ETHEREAL being becomes
an every day mortal. Then she feels
u keen disappointment, but 1t ware.
away, for golden youth knows no last
ing 1isappointments.
i At eighteen, as a general rule, girl
are just beginning to enjoy life
School days, for the most, are ovel
then, and out into the dawn of sOcia
existence steps the maiden. Tht
dcws OF youth fall gently, blessing hel
with carcsscs. Should she marry
then? She has begun TO touch hcl
lips to the sparkling life-cup; should
she put IT aside and look for the Joys
Of Others? 1t is her right, her heaven
born right, that she should enjoy
life. She Is but q slip Of a girl, inex.
perIcnced, trusting, and life means SC
much for her. Is this the age?
At twenty she Is at the noontide Of
her existence. She has learned much
but she has yet much to learn. Hel
intellect IL at the height Of It's devel
opment She has her likes, her dis
likes, tempered with good common
sense. She has learned to bear, u
forbear, to discriminate, to be patient
The lessons have been dlfflcult, tht
way perhaps long and weary, but sh,
bus triumphed. Her judgnent Is Q
lcapa6le one, her mind wsfetn|a Dced