The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-24
WHEN SHOULD A GIRL MARRY?

Eve woman a knockout blow the other
day at the medical convention at At
lantic City by declaring that she was
progressing backwards, wound up his
jeremiad about the feminine sex by
lamenting that women were marry
ing later in life, and declaring that
every girI should be married by the
time she is is.
DR.. Smith evidently holds with our
noble President that womans chief
object in life should be adding to our
infant industries, and that she can
not get too early a start on her career,
but if he knows any community in
which the average girl of Is is fit,
either mentally. morally or physical
ly to marry, he has a piece of exclus-
i've information that the balance of
us do not possess. Here and there, it
is true, there may be a girl of IS who
has lowered into a precocous matur-
ity and who is a settled woman both
in body and character but the oTdi-
nary slip of Eighty, irresponsible,
gum wing and candy-eating girl is
just about as much fitted TO be a wife
and mother as she is TO be Secretary
Pof the Treasury, or minister to the
court of St. James.
Of course our grandmothers married
when they were IT, and II, and IS,
but they were old women by the time
they were 80. Worse than that, their
s'babies died like flies. Nothing is more
Fpathetic than to go through an old
cemetery and see the rows and rows
of little graves and realize that each
one represents mothers broken
heart and unavailing tears. The de-
crease in infant mortality is one of
the most notable achievements of our
times, but it is not only triumph
of improved science, ii is triumph of
improved motherhood. The immature
child of the immature woman had, at
best but a feeble hold on life, ana
was still further the victim of the ig-
norance of its girl mother, whereas the
child of The mature woman starts out
with a better physical equipment, and
has the additional advantage of hav-
ing it's early years surrounded by in
teligent care. That women may mar
Nv now at 25 instead of 16 is the main
reason that there are fewer RaChels
mourning for their children, and
weeping because they are not.
Fortunately, public opinion has
changed upon the subject of early
marriages, and most potent of all,
fashion has set its condemnation upon
them We used to think it romantic
for a girl to marry in her early teens.
Now we think it idotic, and bad form,
and when we hear of a girl of six
teen getting married we extend her
the same compassion that we bestow
upon the child bride of India, for in
deed there is no spectacle more pain
full that that of a girl making vows
whose significance she is too much of
a child to understand, taking upon
herself responsibilities she is too young
to fulfill, too often, in her ignorance,
fastening a milestone about her neck
that is to drag her down TO misery
and long life regret.
Nor are girls nowadays eager to take
this flying leap from the cradle to the
altar and thus cutting themselves out
of the play time that lies between
the school room and matrimony.
Viewed from the strictly practical
standpoint of getting as much happi-
ness out of existence is possible, a
girl has everything to gain by post
poning marriage to a date well beyond
her teens.
To marry the minute she gets out
of the school room is to rob herself
of all the joys of young ladyship. and
to abdicate the throne where. for
few years at least, she might reign as
Undisputed queen. AS affairs are or
dered in this country, the grown
daughter is the despot of the home,
and her will the undisputed law If
she belongs to rich people, you meet
her dragging equity papa, grumbling
and protesting, around Europe in her
wake. At her bidding the family
breaks the association of a life time.
and seeks a new domicile among
strangers in a strange city. She has
but to speak and all of the family
customs. and habits. and traditions are
changed. No self-sacrifice is thought
too great. no Hardship too heavy
if only it adds to her happiness and
enjoyment.
If the family is poor, mother may
have to hustle out of bed at o'clock
in the morning to get the breakfast
for father and the boys. but the girl is
never asked to assist. On the contrary
everybody goes on tip-toe by her door
in order not to disturb her slumbers
Whatever economies must be practised
she is exempt. Whatever sacrifice must
be made she Is spared. Her mission
in life is TO enjoy herselfg and with
q self-abnegation exhibited alone by
the early Christian martyrs and Amer
ican parents, nothing is expected
of her but TO have a good time.
/ know of nothing more touChingly
tender than this, for 1t is the parents
appreciation that a woman's life is
bound to be fun of suffering. and sor-
row, and anxiety, and before their
daughter embarks on this stormy jour
ney they want to give her one little
interlude of perfect care-freeness and
pleasure to which she can always look
back With happy memories.
Married Ire, even under the hap
piest auspices. can offer no such
elvsium to "a woman. Matrimony
brings its responsibilities. that none
may escape. In its earliest and bald
est aspect 1t means house keeping, and
the bride finds herself up against the
awful servant problem. II is her first
1ntimation that life is real and she
sheds bitter tears over the discov-
cry. Then. if she is a foolish child
after a struggle with incompetent
cooks and saucy maids. she confesses
herself beaten and takes refuge i'm a
boarding house or hotel. If she is a
sensible woman she ties on her apron
and goes down into the kitchen and
fights the battle out, but she knows
that she is starting out to learn the
hardest and most exacting profession
in the world. and that never again will
life be a picnic where somebody els,
pays for the band and furnishes tn,
refreshments.
She also finds that somehow whei
woman gets married she falls off thu