Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-28
I'D what Aee Should oIrIs Marry2


inrton would simply be one shining
center Of universal Wilderness.
At what Age Should Girls Marry
The age az which girls should marry
is a subject upon which teachers OF
social economy philosophers and moth
ers have discoursed long and learnedly
since the time when the fret mother be-
gan TO plan for the future OF her on
spring
In the day OF our great-grandmothers
girls undertook the cares ana RESPONSE
bilties OF married life almost before
they were out OF the nursery Mar
riage was then looked upon. especially
by the girls thomselVes,as the chiet end
and aim OF existence. Now however
In this day OF advanced thought, the
girl-that is, the sensible girl-usually
waits until the right man comes along,
even though she be well along In the
thlrties before this happens. An arr
ticle on this subject by Sarah Grand
Appeared In recent issue OF the Amer
lean queen. II Is SO interesting that /
give IL here for the benefit Of those who
find In this subject ground for discus
sion.
THE age at Which girls should marry
rs one VI the questions which people
are prone 20 consider by the light OF
their own personal experience. Ideas
on the subject of the age al which girls
should marry vary considerably. When
wives and daughters were the goods
and chattels and men had the principal
say Ia the matter litle girls were
cruelty forced TO marry at the begin
r.I Fr... u T.T w.. d. IH
change from childhood to womanhod.
They were made wives, that Is % say,
while they wer still far from being
perfectly developed women physically
and were uNerly Immature mentally,
with al their naturally wOmany in
stiucts which are the only safe guide In
the matter sull IN allegiance. F0rtu-
nately the inlQuty and absurdity Of this
have been thoroughly exposed, and now
II parents attempted TO pitchfork their
little daughters OF from y 20 l6 into
matrimony as they did with impunity
not 80 very long ago the whole world
would cry shame upon them.
THE whole tendency Of the modern
education for girls Is 10 prolong their
girlhOod The CHASTITY doctrine that this
Is necessarily a wicked world, In which
misery must be our portion no longer
finds general acceptance. II is a favor
ice axiom with us nowadays that every
age has It's pleasure or should have,
with a fair chance-childhoOd girlhOOd
womanhOod-and TO get the full value
out Of each. our Intelligent girls begin
% have ideas OF their own on the sub
Jet of the disposition Of their lives,
prmpted no doubt. by mothers Of a new
order They don't care 20 De put of
with half an education and hustled into
matrimony while they still should be
doing their school course. They Ike TO
enjoy as they go along. They combine
recreation with study and delight IN
everything. and Il is not until they have
had the foundation OF a good general
education that they begin 10 be serious
on the subject OF matrimony Serious
Is quite the right word for their atti-
tude. The meaning of life has begun TO
interest them and they pause 20 inquire.
What they demand In a husband IS
comrade. friend and l0yer-e superior
IN attalnments and talents, by all
means, II possible-but one who must
appreciate her all round for what she Is.
"She decidedly objects 10 marrying an
eNtingushcr. who would tell her that
her proper place is I'm the nursery and
kitchen, with an infection on the words
that tell her that the nursery and the
kitchen are more wOrthily regulated
without mental Advancement and the
care OF them necessarily precludes any
further degree OF cultivation. To such
a sutton the modern girl replies, Not
for me. my good man. am a versatile
being. in whom are infinite possibilities,
and mean TO make the most OF myself.
by so doing / make the most OF you.
too. and of every one with whom / come
I'm contact Thinking thus for herself.
the modern girl grows gradually more
self-respectlng. She recognizes the
full indelicacy Of being bought UP as
wares for the market, 10 be disposed OF
10 a suitOr. and sees no sense In &C.
either. Let the suitor come and find her.
She knows that a woman's life Is no
longer considered a failure simply be-
cause she does not marry and this
makes her not only independent. but
somewhat defiant. the position being
still sufficiently new TO be wondered at
and not wholly approved
The pendulum, however, swings
toward approval We have consider
ably less jcerng at old maids than for
merly, and We frequently nowadays
hear Of single women whose indepen-
dence and fuller interests make them
the envy Of many a married sister,
whose health has suffered and liberty
been circumscribCd by what are too Of
ten the thankless cares OF married lile.'