The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-07
HETTY GREEN'S DAUGHTER
The Mothers Idea of a Son-in Law
Must be an Honorabl Man.

| must be an Hon bic Man,
! New York, Dec. 1T goes without
| saying that Mrs. Hetty Green is the
richest woman in America. But every
| body does not know that Mrs. Green
| has two children and that she values
| them above her wealth. Edward H.
| Green, the Texas railroad president, is
carving out a career for himself in the
Lone Star state. He is quite well known.
His sister, Miss Sylvia Green, however,
| is little known, though she is the great
est heireSS in the United States and
Will inherit $50, ,000, 600 in her own right.
She is, therefore, in many respects the
most interesting young woman in the
world. rts..
Mrs. Green, for very wise reasons of
her own, has carefully kept her daugh-
ter since the day of her birth, "A years
ago, out of the reach of public curiosity.
Today, for the first time in her life, she
recites in an interview how she has
reared this one daughter of hers stead
fastly to a fixed purpose.
I probably never shall formally
launch my daughter Sylvia in society,""
Mrs Green says. This is not because
have an aversion to society. respect
it. Sylvia has reached an age when
consider it proper for her to receive at
tentiOns. I have no objection to her re-
ceiving callers, if the young men are
honorable and men of integrity.
Il don't give much time to thought
about marriage for Sylvia certainly
haven't much time to consider it, and,
at any rate [ think those things, come
naturally without any aid or inUerfer-
ence from parents. I believe that young
people should be permitted to make
their choice, Independent of their eld-
ers. OF course, if one of my children
contemplated an unwise match, would
advise them as seemed to me best, but
I can't say that 1 would expect them
to govern their actions by that advice.
I would not wish my daughter nor any
other girl to marry for money. The
people who marry from any other mo-
love not TASnPCf9 Dla The
one thing 1 would insist upon in SON
in-Iaw is that he be an hOnOra bic man.
I would want proof that he was honor
able. regard the man who has good
principles and who lives up to them as
an honorable man. He il not, to my
mind, necessarily a man Who has none
of what are known as the bad habits
I see no objection to smoking nor to
an occasional glass of liquor. The man
who drinks only occasionally and never
to excess seems to me the truly temper
ate man. There is a great miscOncep-
ton of the word temperance. 1 do
draw the line at swearing. scorn the
ence of ladies. The clubman is not nee
essarily Objectionable. My husband
belongs to three clubs and my son to
five, and they are both good men.
I think the good man will be a good
man anywhere, and the bad man the
same. 1t isn't a matter of environ
ment, but of good character stuff. True
gold remains the same, no matter how
care whether a man who wished to be-
come member of my family was city
or country bred. "A mans a man for a
that
1t does not matter to me whether a
man is from America or Russia, if he is
a man of integrity. 1 do not think
man who will make good husband
need be a man Of business training. 1
see no advantage of the business man
over the professional, or vice versa. 1t
is all a question of a man finding what
he iG a n ia a "a
nue. of usefulness. do not believe in
the man who should have been a law
yer trying to be a minister, for in
stance. A good many men who are in
the ministry might to advantage be-
come lawyers, but never knew a law
yer who seemed to me prepared to en-
ter the ministry.
"A title need not stand in a mans
way if he wants to marry a girl. Meth
er should it be any recommendation. 1t
is only the question whether it is man
who wears it that need concern US
''The best men are not always found
in the churches. Some good ones are
found there, to be sure, but they are
also found in what the church calls the
world. 1 don't believe u wOman's life
is a blank if she does not choose to
marry. Sometimes that course saves
her from drawing a blank. Girls should
be allowed to follow their own inclina-
tions in the matter. If they prefer
marriage, the parents should not inter
fere further than to advise strongly
that the girl must consider whether she
is marrying a man of honor. That is
the only essential.
Because 1 have been arassed by
sham law suits ever since her birth. 1
have had neither time nor opportunity
Tor Sylvia'S S coming out.'A brownStone
front on Fifth avenue would be needed
for such a function. My business cares
and responsibilities do not admit of
such a life as that kind of a home i'm
plies. We enjoy life quietly in the
summer at Bellows Falls. In the win
ter we live at hotels. This arrangement
is not favorable to a society life, and 50
it happens that my daughter has never
come out
I do not know that she will ever en-
ter society. Her quiet tastes indicate
not; but she shall do as she likes. 1t is
hard for me to imagine Sylvia a society
girl, for she is fonder of quiet and
books and a few old-time friends than
any display. She is not naturally a
timid girl. but her fears have been so
wrought upon by stories Of the cranks
who threaten us for the sake of ex-
fn7-fio71 that in ron 7Sfa r1f ,77.aaa 4 Of