Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-04-02

V.-MODEEiN ENTERTAINMENT
/ often think how different modern
entertainments are to the genial old
fashioned hospitality of our grandfath-
ers. The one so genuine and hearty
so lomely and unaffected. The other
so artificial, so hopelessly conventional.
Do you know am going to PROFOUND
most startling theory? You know one
constantly hears that marriage is dying
out, and one constantly sees, excepting
in the very high class and the very low
strata, that young men and women 90
not mate as formerly. l think the rea-
son of it is our modern forms OF en-
tertainment A generation ago
young fellow popped into a house, and
he was welcomed as friend. Inc
girls of the house worked before him or
played the piano, and in their serge
dresses were not at all ashamed to lay
the supper and to help the servants.
Everything was unaffected hospitality.
Supper was served. Cold meat and
pickles or bread and cheese, but there
was laughter in the house, and every
one was hospitable and as Edwin saw
Angelina going about the house, or
serving the supper and cutting bread
or looking after her father and mother,
and going into the kitchen to see that
everything was right, he thought that
Angelina was just the sort of wife that
he wanted. Good-tempered, bright and
pretty, and thoroughly domesticated,
and Just the sort of woman who would
be content with a limited income, and
would help him to work himself into
a good position, and be prudent and
saving and good and virtuous, and ne
thought how delightful it would be 10
have her for his own. What could ne
not do with such nice little girl as his
wife, and have home OF his own ana
have his friends pop in and partake OF
bread and cheese or the cold meat ana
pickles. Consequently Angelina and
Edwin got married, and prospered eX-
ceedingly, and are very happy and con-
tented, and honestly fond of each other.
By-and-by the children begin to ar
rive. and they, of course, have to be
educated, and how different it is to the
education of their parents day. 1t is
NOT FASHIONABLE TO BE DOMES-
,TICATED
now. Fancy a modern girl being able
to cook a dinner or to take an interest
in doing up the household linen, or TO
know anything at all about thrift! the
idea is simply revolving! They know
nothing about these sort OF things.
They are beneath contempt and I'M
worthy of notice. So when the modern
Edwin calls upon Angelina it is in his
dress suit. 1t is their 'at home" night.
and Angelina is radiant in tasteful
gown, and she poses prettily on couch
and gazes at him, or she sings senti-
mental ballads in thin soprano voice,
at piano that is draped with silks and
art muslns, and surrounded with ferns
and trumpery ornaments, until every
bit of melody is deadened in it, and
Angelina is awfully fashionable and
awfully up-to-date, and knows all the
Latest divorce cases, and has read the
newest unsavory novel, and seen the
latest play. She adores 1bsen, and she
has views, and cackles about every
thing and really knows nothing. She
is very fine and ultra-refned, and Ed
win partakes of thin claret cup of
Vim Ordinaire, at Is bottle, and bad
whiskey, and musty sandwiches, and
fruit that is not at all too previous, and
they are all very fine as l have said be-
fore, and it is quite a shoddy imitation
of Lady de Midass Eat homes" And
Edwin looks at Angelina. He has been
rather struck with her till he went to
the ''at home,' and he thinks of his
small income and his tiny banking ac-
count, and he marks her lack of domes~
tic interest, and her extravagant ideas,
her bold views as regards her detesta-
lion of children, and that she considers
that husband is nowadays only key
that unlocks the doors of freedom, and
perhaps Edwin has rather pain at his
: heart, and wonders if his mother was
that type of woman. Perhaps he is
quite complacent, and congratulates
himself that he is bachelor, so that
he can have the run of the clubs and
visit these houses, and live within his
income, and be quite jolly, and not be
troubled with a wife. And Angelina
gets older and thinner and more bad
tempered and cynical, and her parents
wonder how it is that she doesn't mar
ry, and they cannot see, or will not see,
that their nonsensical pretences, their
sham gentility, their absurd notions are
at the bottom of it ALL And so Ange-
lima remains to
SWELL THE RANKS OF THE OLD
MAIDS,
and Edwin gets miSopthrop;oa1 ola