The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-11-19
WHEN WOMEN SHOULD WE'D.
There Are Crises In the Lives of All
When MatrimOny Is Inn
peratiVe.

There are times in every woman's
life, according to the Baltimore Sun,
when she will marry anybody that
comes along. These times are when she
is II and q. Between these ages she
is discriminative, and after the second
OF the two she is apathetic. To the girl
Of II, it is said, the idea that she makes
a real live mans heart go pit-a-pat is
so ecstatic that in gratitude for the dis
tinction of a passionate proposal she
easily fancies she is in love She thinks
her refusal to marry Augustus will
break his heart and send him to an early
grave. So she weds him out of gener-
GUS pity in order not to wreck his life
She says yes" and learns afterward
that Augustus heart is tough and had
survived numerous prior desperate at
tachments. At II it is any man-any
individual sufficiently inoffensive to al
low her to nOurish unchecked the illu-
sions which her self-love cherishes.
For at this age man is only the occa-
sion, not the object of her affections.
He is only dummy; it is she who oc-
varying fancies and caprices.
At IS she has evolved an ideal. It is
not longer any man, but a particular
mana man tall, dark, passionate look
ing, with Byronic air One at war with
his kind and of abnormal opinions is
the type. He may be pessimistic and
melancholy. His merit is that he finds
in her the beauty, purity and innocence
that restore his faith in humanity and
make happiness again a rational hope.
A year later she is still romantic, but
experience begins to make her trife
more practical. The spectacular beau
of striking physical aspect is refined
into the strong, earnest man, who looks
at things in lofty, high-minded way
and has fad. Her idol may be matt
nee hero, an unappreciated genius, a
social settlement worker or a long
haired poet. 1t is time of danger. She
may accept theological student or elope
with her music teacher. Such is her
missionary spirit that she is capable of
marrying drunkard to reform him.
With % there is less risk of such I'M
promising ventures. She begins to en-
JOY life in its imperative aspects, with
out exclusive reference to her subjective
meditations. Matrimony, like Heaven,
is cherished aspiration, but social in
cidents have become Interesting. She
sees farther than before into the drama
of life as others play it and it entertains
her. Many tepid admirers, she thinks,
are better than one who is fiery. In
short she is having a good time and is
averse to exchanging the gayeties of life
for humdrum husband If she marries
at this age she is likely to make dis
Greet choice.
AT II, however, comes a period OF
panic, and, as ten years before, the dan
ger is great 1t is seen that her contem-
poraries have nearly all married. The
girls who were her schoolmates are set
tied matrons and boast the virtues of
their children. She accordingly begins
to feel lonesome. The younger set
put her aside or ask her to chaperon
their parties. Perhaps gray hair-aw-
full sight!-makes its appearance. Is
she an old maid? The idea affrights her
She loses her nerve and plunges wildly,
taking the first man that offers. Fool
ish matches belong to this period-the
superannuated beau or the widower
with ten children.