Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-17

inc about q third of the graduates of Ger
ain colleges are entering business. These
1on begin upon wages of 50 or s. or 50
I week. OF course, the progress made is
apid; and at the end Of three or four
cars time their salaries are adequate
for matrimonial adjustments. But, in
general, it may be said that the man grad
ating at % and entering upon most pro-
cssions or employmcnts Is not able for
several years to support a home.
II may be added that the oecuniary con-
diuons of professional progress have nti-
nate relations to social conditions. II
you'd indeed he hard to conceive of n sal
1ry so small but that certain women and
certain men would be willing to undergo
crtain disabilities in order to live to-
tether as husband and wife: and 1t is al
20 true that ii would he somewhat harL
10 md college graduate who would he
willing TO ask any woman to accept of a
'cial and domestic condition inferior TO
mat which she holds a s the daughter Of
her father and mother. He therefore pre-
."rs to wait until these limitations are re-
moved before indulgng himself in asking
any woman to honor herself by becoming
his wife. He can live on $1,000 year-ani
in many cases on 500 year and still
have the best that his social conditions
ana set will afford; but they two, made
husband and wife, cannot live on less than
twice or thrice this amount, and possess
the advantages which he as u bachelor
enjoys.
| am also inclined to think that the
man Of intellectual temperament, type,
and trainng-eleme0ts which the college
man is supposed to embody.--is more free
from falling in love than the man of the
emotional temperament and type ] know
mat great many Instances might be
adduced to the contrary; but the student,
VINO for 10 or 20 years has been pursuing
scholarly labors, suffers the peril of arrest
nf fnnt Ina
| fhis peril he not nfroquentv yields to-
II" therefore Is unable to fall sl love, un-
der ordinary conditions, with that intensity
a3d fulness which may become the JOY of
the man of "A less intellectual training I
need not more than suggest in the realm
or fact the late master of Ballot in evil
dence; or, in fiction, George Eliots Casau-
| bon.
But | desire to say with the utmost
clearness that most college men wish t.
marry. Their studies have not dehuman-
| lied them. Their hearts are not atrophicd.
they have not become women haters.
They have mothers, and the ,notherh 90 A
through which each man comes into his
belng has helped to make Ill women Gi-
| vine. They feel themselves drawn to No-
| men by that mysterious and mighty force
| that we call seX.-a force that is the prirn-
airy motive In promoting marriage. but
| that is also n force which marriage trans
cends by celestial diameters Most college
| men WHO do not marry. ! am inclined 20
| think lament their condition, and would.
| if it seemed wise and just. change IT, But
many are kept from changing it or d.
change it late in life by reason of the five
causes which l have briefly interpreted.
| the effects of not marrying at all or Of
| marrying late in life are evil and only
| evil lie Is not so happy. The happtest
| men are those who are husbands and
fathers. The condition of being a husband
ana rather represents serious responsiSli-
| tles, nut the compensations for bearing
| those responsibilities are magnificent. But
l am inclined to think that. while tn
| coltbate state DEVELOPS certain elements
of character which are excellent. yet on
the whole 1t does not tend toward a
strong and symmetrical growth of the
whole manhood. Bacheorhood may de-
IVelop the gentlemen Marriage develops
! the man.
| 1t Is also TO be said that tho absence OF
| marriage, or the fact of a late marriage
on the part of college men, prevents their
giving to the race children for the better
ment Of humanity. Over this result every
one must mourn. For. assuming that col
lege men arc good, they ought to be the
| fathers of good children; and. If one should
say that they have many advantages not
possessed by others who are not college
bred. it can also be inferred that they
should give better or the best children to
| iihludHItN' II IL true IIldl Inc ordinary
college class hardly furnishes enough
children to take the places Of the mem
hers of the class and their wives. Thu
class of 1876 at Harvard college, in 1871
was represented by 1A children. These 16.
children were the products of 1O5 mar.
riagcs In this class, as | said at the be
ginning Of this article there were IL
members: and 1O5 of these members haC
married an equal number of wives. There.
fore, Pol persons were represented in the
class. Eighteen years after graduato
only 16f children were living. OF the elias,
Of 1921 al Yale college only 10 children ha6
been born at their last reunion. These
figures show not only that the college
class does not tend to send forth into thc
race a number equal to itself and Tho
wives Of its members, but also that the
college class fails to keep alive G
adequate Numbers in humanity.
| one thing for us to do is to make every
cndeavor to have n man graduate from
college at the age OF 20 rather than 22i:
or %. and also to have him enter his pro
fossional life as minister at the age of .
rather than at % or y. or to enter the GRO
fossional career of lawyer or doctor at tn,
age of u or 26 rather than at % of 80 Til
remedy for securing this condition lies il
the primary and grammar schools. The
first years of ones educational career
should be far more productive than thel
usually are