Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-05-06

husbands. They know that love is
woman's whole existence" and they
know that physical wrecks with titles
cannot participate in loves young
dream. They know that they are sac
rificing their daughters to pride, pomp
and pretense. They are committing
what may be termed the objectionable
sin. But what shall be said of the girls
and their fathers, who are particeps
criminis?
The girls, of course, lack experience
aud are dazzled with the glamour of so
cial surroundings; the expressions of
envy of other girls; the congratula-
tions of seemingly good friends, and the
unceasing dinning in their ears of the
plaudits of the mother whom they
love. They are led as lambs to the
slaughter.
The fathers! Well, they are meekly
willing to let their wives manage social
functions; and they come to regard
the sacrifice of their daughters as part
of the social functions in which they
participate only as drawers of checks
to pay the bills. Many of them are de-
| lighted with the prospect of the COM
ing of the day when they will cease to
draw checks for this daughter, and
then for the next one, until they all
are married off. Besides, as every wise
and worldly wom9p Knows, a man can
be nagged into almost anything, If
woman is only persistent.
During the Fast ten years the rich
men of the big cities of this republic
have beer buying suitable sites in
| Washington, and building on them
palatia! residences. They are moved
to do So, not for business considera-
tions. but by social environments. Papa
has been a pawnbroker, or has killed
hogs, or manufactured soap; he has
sold patent medicines, canned yege-
tables, shod horses, half-soled shoes
or half-soled trousers; he has
driven dray or driven cabs for
living; he has done almost anything of
menial nature or served in trade.
But after papa has developed the mon
ey-making faculty, and become rich,
he wants to shine among men, while his
wife and daughters want to shine
among women. Mamma takes the in
itiative and papa comes trailing along.
They must go to Washington, where
people do not know the details of their
early and honorable struggles; and
there, with plenty of money, they can
give swell entertainments, and forge
! to the front in the social world.
Once here they go angling after
titles, and they find plenty of pretend
ers who are anxious to work off their
bogus or genuine titles for vulgar
American money-bags. The holders OF
titles do not care particularly what
kind of a girl they are required to
marry, in order to get the money. They
play their parts well, and tell each girl,
with beautiful accent, that they loaf
her." They also kiss her with charm
ing gallantry. But they don't mean it.
They must go through the alleged love
part of the performance in order to
get the money-bags.
After the titled foreigner gets hold
of the coveted money he soon shows
the girl that he does not loaf her" at
all. After the girl gets her titled for
| eigner she finds that she and her whole
family have been buying gold bricks,
getting nothing but tinsel and rafiish
encourage with bogus coats-of-arms.
The Lenten season is over, and So
ciety is playing fast and loose with
f, hearts, hands, fortunes and human
souls. 1t is pitiable; it is lamentabIe;
and yet, despite its pathos, it is anus
ing. SMITH d. FRY.