Evening star., 1898-03-12


tender passages as other young men hut
they are unwilling to accept the natural
consequences of such murmurings. Why.
do you know that there are ten male iilts
for every female jilt in Washington? It's
true. / know OF any number of cases my
SELF Young men who have the selfish idea
in their heads that they would be deprived
OF various personal comforts should they
get married make their devoirs 10 Wash
ington girls, take them out every where
called upon them unintermittently for
months, and then. just when are all about
ready 10 ask the girls when and where IL is
10 be-lo. and behold. it's all OF! Why do
you know. have in mind several cases OF
TINS sort In which the young men actually
picked fuses with the girls in order TO
endeavor TO take the meanness out of their
breaking OF the engagemcnts!''
Woman Who Is Content.
'oh. I think there is quite enough of
marrying and giving In marriage in Wash
ington," said a young woman with a very
firm countenance. who is employed in one
of the departments. There would prob
ably be even more marrying here IL there
were not such a large class OF independent
women in Washington-women. 1 mean.
who are independent in the sense that 1
am. Washington is, happily. one of the
few towns in this country in which the sole
idea OF the young womon is not neces-
sarily that of getting married. Like that
SlTl you We Detn telllnR me about.
l shall also take my own case. 1 could
have been married any time these past
eleven years. L am now twenty-eight, and
have been In the government service
since I've been twenty. | am often told
even yet by men, young and old. that I'm
not altogether bad looking. I am rather
accomplished. and 1 have no doubt that /
would make as good a wife a good many
wives L meet every once in while. 1
have salary of 81 200 year, and. with
nobody but my mother to care for, l live
well and even luxuriously on that income
Really. there is nothing within reason that
l. want that L can't provide myself with.
ana I've always few hundred dollars in
bank to guard against emergencies. Now,
| am acquainted with any number OF men
mere who draw about the same incomes
L do. and several of them have done me
the honor to ask me to give UP my posi-
ton and marry them. Would | not be fool
ish to do this? Suppose | were to marry
man with an income of 81 200 a year 1t
is pretty difficult matter to run any sort
OF establishment in Washington for two
people on an amount of money smaller
than $1,000 a year. I've had my own in
come so long that it would actually be a
severe hardship for me to be economical,
and, II L were to marry a man whose in
come, not exceeding my own at the pres
ent time would have to care for the wants
OF two people ito say nothing of possi-
bilites)-well, the long and short of IL is
that I'D he uncomfortable. For example
could L then go to man modiste' and
order 500 tailor-made gown whenever
L felt that / wanted one? Could | live in
an apartment that's nicely fitted and
arranged as any in Washington. with prac-
tically nothing to do, under such circurn-
stances. Every three or four years could
L go off on tour of Europe? Could / un-
hesitatingly purchase most of the dainty
little comforts that women in all stations
long for If L were married to a man whose
income did not exceed the income 1 am
now earning myself without a great deal
or labor? Selfish? Why, l suppose it is!
Ii on an exact par with the selfishness of
the washington bachelors, and, on the
whole, do you know l don't much blame
them for preferring. such a great many of
tnem, to adhere to their state CT single
blessedness"
The view point of the average Washington
bachelor on this subject is hardly worth
settlnS down. This view point is almost in
varlabiy the same as that taken by
young State Department clerk in his con-
rersation with The Star an
The BachcIor's Argument.
What an idiot I'd be-wouldn't I?-to ge,
married. said he. I'm as comfortable as
bug in rug, and on the 81 900 that the
government is good enough to pay me
every year for what 1 suppose I'll have to
call my work. in conformity with custom,
live as well as any man need care to live.
I've got handsomely furnished Joint of
three rooms; I've got a tailor that positively
studies my physical imperfections and in
equalities; I can come and go any old
place whenever L want to without ques-
ton. and all the time L can and do have a
rattling good time with the incest set of
girls on the map, namely, the girls of
w ashlngton. l suppose / make periodical
calls on dozen of 'em. take them to the
theater take them riding, send 'em candy
and howers. and do the whole thing as II
ought to be done, and as like to do il. L
like to take a dead swell girl out Could |
keep wife looking dead swell on 81 600 a
year? I've got deadly fear of what /
always phrase the 'squalor of married life.
III would be big come-down for me to
get married. I'd have to knock of SO
many things With people who get married
on comparatively small incomes il seems
always to be case of sQuare-up with
butchers and marketmen and grocery keep
ers and gas companies and coal dealers
and doctors, and all that lot, from one
years end to the other. and | can't see
where 1t comes in. i know a lot of fellows
whove got married within the past few
years-fellows that used to go the limit as
far as living comfortably, and even better
regular slcuches i'm looks, and careworn
and misunderstanding into the bargain.
Or course, If some corking fine-lookng girl.
with about 81 600 900 in her own right
would drift along-well. that would be diff
ferent. but spe wouldn't be able to see me
through a Lick telescope, You see. I'm
all right it is. l know that I'm selfish,
but don't lie awake O nights on that ac-
count. I've got a few neighbors in selfish
ness
Despite all of which. reference to the
marriage notices in the society columns OF
Washingtons newspapers and to the Off
cial lists OF marriage licenses issued will
show any day that there slews of SEN
sible young Washington people who think
differently.