The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-13
MATRIM0NY Y.
When to Marry--F'act and Philosophy.
e. j. Hardy, IN st Louis Republic.

That depends upon the man. Some
men are more fitted for the response
bilities Of marriage at % than others
at 35. IF marriage, however, be post
poned after this last figure man is
likely to get into what may be called
the habit of celibacy from which, as
from other bad habits. it is hard to
break away. In this habit OF celibacy
he will continue till he is about 60
years Of age, when great desire will
come over him to try what matrimony
is like just before he dies, and Eewill
propose right and left to everything
in petticoats until at last he is picked
up, not for himself, but for his money
or for his position, or because some
one is tired OF being called "Miss,
and wants the novel sensation OF
writing aMrs." before her name. An
old man told friend that he wanted
to marry before he died, if only to
have some one to close his eyes.
ssPerhaps," suggested thef efriend, you
will get some one whowill open them.
It is not natural for young girl to
wish to marry an old man. A father
said to his daughter, "Now, when it
is time for you to marry, I won't al
low you to throw yourself away on one
Of the frivolous young fellows | see
around. I shall select for you stald.
sensible middle-aged 'man-what DO
you say to man about so years OF
age2" "Well, father" replied the
girl, eff it's just the same to you, l
should prefer two Of twenty-five.
Perhap, the best advice one could
give young man IN this matter is to
say, "Wait until you cannot wait any
longer" Wait, that is to say, until
she-that not impossible sheAcomes
with smiles so sweet and manners so
gracious that you cannot wait any
longer, then marry, and may you be
happy ever after! AS to the age at
which women should marry | am
afraid Of burning my fingers with that
question. All I shall say is that if
some women are not worth looking at
after thirty years of age there are
quite as many not worth speaking to
before it. Leta man please himself,
but let him not marry either child or
an old woman.
I have heard Of people marrying
when only 20, or even 18 years OF age.
Well, there is no usein talking to peo-
pie of that kind. They have not come
TO years of discretion; they are in
fants in the eye Of the law and fools
in those Of every sensible person.
When see people Of tender years
like this marrying [ always think
Of one stock of sweet pea trying to
support another. Il man who lived
to great age was asked how he man.
aged to do SO. He replied, II never
ran when I could have walked, never
walked when I could have stood, never
stood when I could have sat, never
.sat when I could have laid, married
late and was soon left widower.
S'Early marriages are TO be depre-
Gated" said Lord Beacons6eld. "es-
.pecially for men, This doctrine
does not find favor with the peasantry
of Ireland. What they say is, "Eith-
er marry young, or become monk
young" Those who are accustomed
to comfort exercise greater self-re-
straint in matrimony than do the poor
These last rush in, reasoning, as they
do in Ireland in this matter, "Shure,
whatever we do we can't be worse of
than we arc" And yet many of the
Irish poor enter into matrimony as
sort of investment for old age. When
children come as quickly as they do
to tho moor ;nto the little cabin Of Pat
and Biddy, they say, "Shure, they
will be CRATE support to us in our
Guild age" And this they generally
are, for in no country is the duty OF
children to provide for aged parents
held so sacred as in Ireland.
But indeed it is not possible to an
swer the question when people should
marry merely by discovering their
age. To be ready to marry one must
do more than merely live a certain
time. We must think Of physical
and financial qualifications. tits slime
to marry only when people are proper
" fitted to take that most important
step. That some preparation for mar
riare was considered necessary by the
ancient State Of Belgium I gather from
a picture wich once saw in the His
torical Society's collection Of paint