The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-09
FORTHE WOMEN.
Observations on Marriage by
One Who Knows.
What MatrimOny Means at the
Age Of 81.
BEING AN OLD MAID.
Prospect Drives Many a Woman
to the Altar.
What the Topeka Smart Set is
Wearing.
BEING AN OLD MAID.

The Oracle sat on the front piazza de-
nvering herself of weighty opinions on
people and things in her accustomed
positive fashion. There were eight or
ten other young people on the steps, in
the hammock and chairs but nobody
was paying any attention to the Oracle
because they knew she would go on
talking anyway and didn't care whether
she had a listener or not so long as
there was something in human form to
talk at After a while a-solitary man
appeared in the gathering dusk at the
edge of the. lawn and Joined the group
on the piazza and two by two the
Oracle's audience melted away for the
ping pong table, the piano, tie soda
fountain down the avenue, or the ham,
mock under the apple tree in the back
yard, leaving her alone with the newest
arrival.
What was it you We're saying as
came up the walk asked the man as
couch and lazily famed himself with
his Panama, about your St. Joe
friends engagement? I think it was
hearing her name that drew me in here.
I've been intending to ask you what
sort of a fellow she is to marry ever
since / heard that her engagement was
announced She struck me as such
good sort What's the man like"
Il don't want you to think, said the
Oracle with ominous calm, lust be
cause 1 let it pass for the present that
I've overlooked that slam about coming
in just to hear what was saying about
another girl, nor yet the hint that
was shouting so that you could hear me
half block. But I'll tell you, in strict
confidence since 1 haven't so far, told
any one / haven't met, that Marjorie
has taken up with dead one You
know Lillian Bell says that the average
girl chooses a husband as she does a
book to read on a railway journey. She
really ought to have very positive no
lions about what she wants in both
cases but you meet her coming out of
the shop with the book and ask her if
she found something that she likes. o,
I found something that will do, she an
swers patiently Well III, Marjorie ri has
How do YOU know?" demanded the
man. why should she take any one
she didn't want?"
That's the point" said the Oracle.
"Why should she? Why should any
girl? But you know lots of them do.
. There's no use your pretending other
wise for I've heard you say the same
thing"
Yes, but how do you know that Mar
jorie has?" insisted the man.
How do I know?" the Oracle repeat
ed Haven't 1 seen her crooked stick?'
Couldn't any one tell at glance that
he's the sort that no girl like Marjorie
would care about? Marjories taking
him because she thinks it's time she
was married. If she doesn't love him
she doesn't love any one else, either,
and then, of course he has lots of mon
ey''
"Well, If he has lots of money" said
the man with that bitter cynicism which
the average young man thinks is the
proper play for an opening like this
one, Il should say he is just the kind
of man any girl would want. That's
all woman cares about"
90, is it?" There was a degree of
fierceness in her tone very unbecoming
to an oracle. THAT charge is so old
that it's positively moth eaten. And
there's nothing in it. Half the men
you meet nowadays frankly declare
their allegiance to the marriage-for-rev
enue-only theory. Awfully considerate
of them not to raise the hopes of US
poor girls. But who ever heard a girl
own that she'd marry for anything but
love2"
mo. they won't own up to it," said
the man changing from the couch to
the hammock ''They won't own up to
anything But they do it,
"They do? Who, I'd like to know"
'Why, Marjorie, for instance" he an
swered. You just said SO yourself
81 didn't say so,'' returned the girl. ST
never said she is marrying for money.
/ said she is marrying because she
thought it time for that to happen and