Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
Ella wheeler Wilcox on the Proper
Timc of Iifc.

~ faaN'N "" h"S
Time of Life.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox has been airing hei
views on the proper age for women to feel
tie darts Of Cupid's arrows. She says:
When we are asked at what age is q
woman the most beautiful or at what age
does a woman love more ardently,' It is nee
essary to consider the climate and the type
before replying.
Climate exerts a great influence on the
physique, the morals, the mind and the emo
ticns. 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 world to-
day, it is safe to make ones deductions from
that type.
Americans are a mixture of many ma
tionalitles and the peculiarities of every liv-
ing race are to be found cropping out among
our American people. The typical American
girl is, in truth, physically and mentally a
composite photograph of the many varying
nationalities which have produced her.
"Sho often blooms into premature young
womanhood and falls in love before she
makes her teens or Immediately after
ward. This Is an inheritance from her tTop-
ical ancestors, but where the girl of tropics
buds, blooms, fades and becomes an old
woman before 20, our American girl keeps
in a state of perpetual bloom until 40, and
sometimes later.
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 the privates Whereupon the
wives, sisters and sweethearts of the post
set about the feminine, If not estimable task,
pf 1AnI;yr go t1n nlarp,nr'c to= 1ifD aud
the cnly fact which gave them especial pleas
uro was that of discovering her to be half
a hundred years old, despite her beauty of
face and form.
when the American girl in her teens
falls in love. however. we'll DEVELOPED her
physical charms may be, her powers Of low
ing are yet immature. There is scarcely
one case In one hundred which can be found
to d~isprove this statement.
IA young girl is fascinated by a man of
fashion. by a mustache. by a fine dancer,
and she allows her sentiment to dominate
her good sense. Oftentimes she is swept
away by the eloquent pleadings of a fluent
tongue and speaking eyes, and she mistakes
her soul of being loved for the love of a
lover. After the Honeymoon is over and
the realities of life begin to engage the at
tention of both parties the wife sees the man
as he is-a mere boy often, who save in the
role of Romeo, is utterly devoid of interest
or attraction and who is quite her inferior
in every respect.
ut is then the tragedy of her life begins
for her.
"a woman of % or 80 judges men from an
entirely different standpoint, and is capable
of a depth of feeling wholly unknown to the
girl of IS or 20. Her nature is ripper, her
emotions more intense, her judgments more
mature.
"An old lady of 70 told me she had been
three times married. She was a stranger to
me and seemed greatly surprised when l re-
marked: And you loved your second hus-
band best of the three?"
Eyes she said, but how did you know?'
Il explained that my conclusion was
formed on general principles. The woman
who has been married three times usually
begins early-too early to know what real
love is. Her choice is usually one of caprice
or accident.
Her second marriage would under ordin-
airy circumstances occur in her 30's and it
would be a marriage based on strong mag
netic attraction. The third husband would
more than likely be selected merely as a
companion for her declining years-one to
whom she gave respect and affection, but
not ardent love.
The woman confessed my estimate to be
entirely correct in her case, and l have no
doubt it is a safe summary of all three-ply
married lives.