The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-11-18
with whom he feelsIan entire sympathy

men-and younger in years, though
ages beyond in intellect and force of
characterize woman, in short, in
whom he recognizes his ideal.
There is no happiness in marriage
unless there be entire intellectual SYM
pathy and equality. A marriage found
ed on respect and admiration of mental
powers is apt to turn out far better than
that which has nothing but love for it's
foundation, Unfortunately very bright
girls are not apt to attract men of or
near their own age. Their brightness
too often finds an outlet in sarcasm, a
sharpness of repartee and perhaps a
touch of pedantry. They recover from
all this when they have seen more of
the world and human nature; but it in
jures while it lasts, not only hiding the
latent, undeveloped powers beneath,
but what is worse, making the young
men afraid of them. A moderately
pretty, but thoroughly amiable girl, a
girl who never gets into a temper or
says disagreeable things, girl in whose
company one need make no effort and
still not appear fool, is apt to make
far more havoc in young mans heart
than her clever sister. Her youthful
admirer is attracted by her innocence,
by her freshness, both of character and
appearance, and imagines himself hope
lessly, irretrievably in love. He mar
ries in spite of the warning of his
friends that he is ''tooyoung," is happy
for while in her unvarying sweetness
of disposition, unless that, too, prove a
delusion and snare, and, later on, finds
out his mistake. Perhaps as he grows
older he realizes that he has abilities
above the common, ambition develops
itself, and, as his desire increases to
make his name known among men, he
finds himself hampered with large
family and a woman who has degener-
ated into mere mother of his children,
nothing more. Then he meets the wo-
man who, if he had waited, would have
been not only a companion but a help
to him in the thousand ways in which a
\ cafcvtr woman cufl nrlt afr -aff1Dir6iious
rising man, and he curses his luck
Therefore, it is not so bad a thing az
mothers, especially, usually think, for 6
young man to fall in love with a mar
ried woman. He cannot marry her, NJ
matter how much he would like to, ani
lack of possession keeping love alive
for a considerable length of time, hi
does not recover from the attack unit
his character and experience are more
matured. Then when he is ready tt
fall in love again he is more apt tt
know what he wants. 1t would not bt
a bad idea were there law prohibiting
any man marrying before he is 30, fol-
not until then has he really arrived a
years of discretion, whatever he may
think to the contrary. l have heart
mothers say that they would be glad tt
have their sons marry as soon as they
became of age and while still IMMERSED
in the ways of the wicked world. Blu
l doubt whether they are right. A
man is bound to SOW his wild oats a
some period or other; if he does not il
the beginning he most assuredly viii
later on. Every man must have hi
fling, and it is better to have it at onc'
and be done with it. Moreover, whel
a man marries so young-even if, no
possessing any particular mental capac
ity himself, he never discovers any in
feriority in his wife-he is apt to ge
tired of her sooner than if he had wait
ed several years before settling down.
He marries her while his experience O
woman is limited and before he has
chance to be tired of all other vanitie
but the one he has chosen. He mgrrie
also merely because he is sin love,
and before the pleasures of the worl
have ceased to be fresh and palatabl
to him.
After the first glamour has worn o.
he finds it possible to see beauties i
other faces beside the particular one c
which he is the happy possessor. H
meets other women whom, if he coul
not love, he would at least like the OF
portunity of studying and of passin
unlimited hours in their study unre
proved. Also, he looks back with man
a sigh of regret at his crop of wild oat
but half sown, at the forbidden plea.
ures and thoroughly good times frol
which he has debarred himself for tn
sake of milk-and-water prettines
which is already beginning to wear of
Then, eventually, if he has none
enough, he is bound to finish the sowin
! of that proverbial crop; he may wa
) twenty years, but finish it he will.
, any one doubts the truth of this assel
ton let him look around at some of GU
illustrious contemporaries. Men VIII
either married young, or else wer
forced to walk chalk-line on accour
of poverty, now in the days of thei
wealth and gray hairs are madden an
more disreputable than the worst {