Evening journal., 1899-04-11
Teeth Don't Last Forever
AT WHAT AGE SHOULD GIRLS
MARRY?

present the latest evidence in support |
Of this musty adage. Sarah has been
discussing the question, AT What Age
Should Girls Marry?" while Ella has
focused her poetic mind upon the
question, "At What Age Does
Woman Love Best?" Except in their
wording the questions are alike. For
an practical purposes love and mar
rlage are one and the same thing.
Every girl is ripe for a wedding when
she loves. and every sensible woman
should marry at the age when she
loves best or thinks she d1es, or-but
hold on This love and marriage prob
( lem is as full Of intricate passages aa
the Mammoth Cave, and its labyrin-
thine depths are always-tO meas
! profoundly mysterious as the Sphinx.
why do women wish to know al
what age they may love best, and why
do girls wish to learn at what age they
should marry? Gracious Isn't the
paralyzing effects upon man. without
calling upon science to aid her in as
certaining the proper season to bring
about the exhi.arating disaster? Or
must we, perforce, CAL upon Mr.. Edi-
son to invent a time-machine that will
compute to a second the hour in her
/ life when the inquisitive woman shall
/ love best and should-Of coursei-
wed? for as st. Paul observed, il is bet
ter to marry than barn. And | pre-
sumo that Madames Grand and Wilcox
are merely the spokeswonen of ladies
so advanced in thought-or years
that they are actually aching to ascer-
tain at what period OF their existence
the lOveIfaculties are warmest and
least liable too cool off in a hurry.
God bless the pretty dar,ings. They
ought to be told. They should not be
kept in Ignorance. Every woman is
entitled to all the information product
BILE on this highly moral and eleyatina
triple A little knowledge is danger
ous, you are aware. The danger, to
wcmcu OF a "little knowledge" on a
subject of this intense character can
not be overestimated, and it is our
bounden duty to furnish the minutest
details in the interest Of feminine per-
fection, and also of universal peace
and quietmess-for you know what a
howl the dear creatures make If they
don't get what they want
For my part, viii investigate thor
oughly and report by and by. Mean
while / lay before my friends what
Ella Wheeler Wilcox has to say on
the matter. namely: when we arc
asked at what age is a woman the
most beautiful or at what age .dOea
woman love more ardencly?' it is
necessary to consider the climate and
the type before replying.
Climate exerts a great influence on
the physique, the morals, the mind and
the emotions Rules which apply TO
: the women Of ST. Petersburg or for
Norway do not apply to the women Of
: Italy. or Spain. or Southern France.
However, as the American woman
seems to be the dominant female Of
the word to-day. it is safe to make
b ones deductions from that type.
Americans are a mixture of many
nationalites. and the pecuiarities Of
every living race are TO be found crop
ping out among cur American people.
The typical American girl is. in truth
physically and mentally a composite
3 photograph of the many varying ma
tionalities which have produced her.
"She often blooms into premature
young wcmnnhood and falls in love
d before she makes her teens, or imme-
diateCy afterward. This is an inheri-
tauce from her tropical ancestors, but
where the girl of tropics buds. blooms,
fades and becomes an o.d woman be-
fore 20, cur American giIl keeps in a
, state Of perpetual bloom until 40, and
= Sometimes later.
4
Not long ago a vision OF feminine
beauty and charm captured a whole
army post and fascinated every man,
FROM the commanding officer down to
b the privates. WhereupOn the wives
sisters and sweethearts Of the post set
about the feminine, If not estimable
y task, CT .cckng up the charmer's past
life, and the only fact which gave them
: especial Pleasure was that of discover.
e ing her to be a half a hundred years
S old. degp.te her beauty CT face and
o form.
When the American gin in her
S teens fails In love, however well de-
8 ve-oped her physical charms may be
her powers CT loving are yec imma
ture. There IS scarce,y a case in Cne
hundred which can be found to dis
; prove this statement.
"A young girl is fascinated by a man
Of fashion, ty a mustache. by fins
dancer, aud she allows her sentiment
y TO dominate her good sense. Often
u times she is swept away by the elo-
\ quene p.eadtngs CT a fluent tongue and
. speaking eyes. and she mistakes hel
= soul Of being loved for the love Of Q
lover. After the Honeymoon is ovel
and IRE realities of life begin to en-
gage the aitention OF both parties the
b wife sees the man as he is-a mere boy
Is often, who. save In the roe CT Romeo
E. Is utterly devoid Of interest or attrac
ton and who is quite her inferior il
every respect
"a IT Is then that the tragedy of lif,
= begins for her.