The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-10

A certain woman went into the woods
to pray for husband. Being greatly in
earnest, the fervor of her supplications
reused an owl at roost in a neighboring
tree The bird, after the manner OF its
kind when disturbed, called out "Hoo,
hoo, hoo" Thereupon the woman, having
the faith which expects to move mountains
believed that the Lord had come in person
to answer her prayer and was inquirine
whom she sought in marriage.
"Anybody, good Lord, anybody" she
made haste to reply. But the owl, by nc
means quoted, continued to boot. "Hoo,
hoo" and the woman responded: amy
body. Lord, anybody jes' so tits man.
This absurd little story was esteemed
choice bit of wit by our grandparents,
and courtly gentlemen were wont to tell il
with relish seventy-tive or a hundred years
ago. The state of society which esteemed
it fine bit of pleasantly that an unmarried
woman should dance in her stockings, with
ont shoes, at the wedding of younger
sister, held it to be the chief end of woman
to marry.
"Get married as soon as you can, was
the precept taught girls in those days
"marry well if possible, but at any rate
get married. d." The ema icipation of woman
is in nothing more manifest than in the
attitude of the new woman toward matri'
mony. With so many resources for pleasure
and profit at her command, she is in no
hurry to barter her liberty for
The sweet, safe corner of the household
fire
Behind the heads of children,
and Bridget in the kitchen and Priscilla in
the parlor alike think not twice but many
times, whether they will he wise to change
their condition for the holy estate of matri
mony.
Wise mothers nowadays teach their
daughters that it is far better to remain
single than to marry badly, and wise fathers
strive to equip their girls, no less than theiI
boys, to fight the battle of life single
handed, if need be.
81 would like to marry some day, said
IA young society woman, past twenty-five
charming enough to have many men at hel
feet, and the possessor of an income which
allowed her comfort hedged about with
economy.
eyes, | should like to get married,
really. husband of the right sort adds
immensely to a woman's comfort and social
importance, and so is a good thing. Then
you know, adore children, Bnt there
seem to be so few men worth while. All
ever met who were interesting happened to
he poor, and | should have to be idiotically
in love to marry any one with less than
5000 year In fact | think | ought to
ask more. Where did you meet your
husband?" She spoke, in sudden burst of
confidence to a married friend a few years
older than herself.
The friend laughed "My husband? My
dear, you would not have looked at him
twice. When l met him he was drummer
with salary of 81, 200 year. That is
where you girls make your great mistake:
you won't understand that man who has
brains and energy enough to earn $4,000 a
year is far more likely to double that in
come over and over again than the man
who inherits $4,000 a year is to keep
itn
The question in nutshell is not what a
man has, but what he is. There are men
for whose sake poverty may be cheerfully
borne; men who when the wolf howls at
the door, like the old negro in the wlds OF
Michigan 90 forth ZEN kill dat wolf, sub,
boun' ter have fresh meat anyhow and
bring back the wolfskin as trophy.
When Abraham Lincoln went a wooing
he met with scant welcome from the
arstocratic relatives OF the wife whom he
sought. The blue blood of the Kentucky
Todds boiled with indignation at his pre-
sumption in aspiring to one of their number.
Fortunately for her, Miss Todd was old
enough and determined enough to please
herself in marriage, and her naughty rela-
tves were unable to forbid the banns. All
they could do was to turn the ''cold
shoulder, - movement which they fastened
to reverse when in after years the dcspiseG
Grail splitter became President of the
United States.
So also friends and relations wondered
when pretty Julia Dent, among all her
suitors, elected to bestow her heart and
hand upon penniless lieutenant, who, as
one of the disappointed put it, could not
even talk Nobody imagined the brilliant
future in store for the shy young soldier
and probably no one who knew the bride
but was of the opinion that she might have
done better. 1t was love match pure and
simple.
1t must he remembered that in these in
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