The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25

lish a home of his own and to perpetuate
his name by progeny, as well as to have
children to care for him in his old age,
ceased to exist in the young man Of to-
day? Not at all. He refrains from marry
ing mainly because he feels that under
existing conditions he cannot afford to
marry-which logically means that it has
become more expensive to support wife.
1t may be questioned whether the va
rious avenues of employment in CONNER
cial and other pursuits that have been
opened to women have resulted in a bene-
fit to the sex from a matrimonial view
point. Before the advent of the type
writer, every respectable law office en-
ployed at least three or four male copy
lists. They received fair salaries, and
they toook wives unto themselves.
To-day girl, for less wages, has
taken the place of the four men-who are
now out of employment or are earning
so much less that marriage is out of the
question. And this girl more frequently
than otherwise is not obliged by neces-
sity to labor and what she earns Is put
ION her back"-in other words is ex-
pended for dress. In addition, she feels
independent and demands more of the
young man than she formerly did. In
every large store are to be found num-
bers of girls who could very we'll live at
home, but who prefer to work outside in
order that they may dress more finely
1t is bad enough when girl is obliged
to labor among men for the actual sup
port of herself or family; but when she
does so without necessity, and simply for
the sake of dress, she Injuries both sexes.
If she does not displace man she places
an obstacle in the way of another girl who
actually needs the wage, and she aids in
lowering the never too large rate of COM
pensation paid to all.
So far as girls i'm employment displace
men, they decrease their chances of mar
riage; so far they increase the love of
dress, they make the prudent young man
afraid of matrimony. The manager OF
any large department store will tell YOU
| that when these girls marry they make,
| as rule, a big "splurge" at the wedding
and IL is not many months before the
majority return seeking employment.
| They find themselves unable to crafty
| their love of dress and to maintain a home
| on the average mans earnings.
| Here. then, is potent reason why young
| men are not in hurry to wed, and why
| so many do not rush into matrimony even
when they are earning respectable wages
| being aware that the tenure of employ
| ment, except in rare instances and where
the labor is especially skilled, is very un.
| certain. They see no chance of saving fol-
| rainy day with a wife who a gir
| became lmDue0 with the love or dress
| They have female cousins to speak
| OF nearer ones"-and female acquaint-
/ ances, single and married. They hear theil
| conversations and their repetition of Their
| friends gossip; and this is the sort of thing
| they listen to- II can't visit Miss Brown
! and her friends the way dress" II should
| like to got to Mrs. Smiths. but 1 haven't
anything fit to wear" Il can't go calling
| in the same old dress" CIT is not shabby
| and ii is not worn, but IL has been perhaps
| in frequent use.) II don't see how thai
| girl dresses on her income" Can innuendc
that likewise has not escaped the thought.
| of the young man, Il am ashamed TO bt
seen again in this costume" etc.-with ths
young married women as particular as thu
| single girls.
| Certainly no one wants a girl to dres.
| shabbily or dowdily If Ii can be avoided
aud with the quantities and varieties OF
dress goods TO be had nowadays, ii is pos
sible to dress neatly at a modest cost, es
| pecially if girl has any taste and will
| learn to be handy with the needle-an &C
| complishment that the vast majority OF
| girls could acquire II they would make al
| new dress for every occasion. when i
comes 10 deriding a costume. not becaus,
| il Is tattered or worn out. but because 1
| has been in use over given time; when i
| comes TO striving TO 0ress as IL one pos
sessed an independent income TO be useS
| solely for dressing and as If dress were tn.
main object of life land, by the way, IL II
| only the parvenu and the most ignorant o.
| servant girls who make displays of them
selves upon all ocssions); when a larg,
| majority of women think OF little else thar
| dress frequently, as the observant youn,
| man has found out. procured at the expens
| OF landlord, grocer and butcher, which Il
| decidedly not honest)-it is an altogethe
| different story. which at least suggests VIII,
the modern young man Is holding aloo