The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-09
TIE AGE OF A BRIDE.
tWent-Six Years Best. Says Governor
Warfield.


WariieId.
Last week Dorothy Dix gave many
excellent reasons against early mar
rlages. Now her views are re-en-
forced by Edwin Wartield. the GOV
erhor of Maryland. In an interview
IN the Baltimore Sun. he is quoted as
SAVING somewhat iocularly that tWen-
ty~slX years was the best age for a Wo-
man TO marry, that that was the age
Oh MRS. Warfeld when he married
hei. Continuing more seriously, he
said:
Il do think that many lives are
made failures by persons marrying
before their characters have been
formed You know whom first We
love we rarely we'd This is a very
true saying. Young people are i'm
questionable and romantic. and, il left
to their own free will. ara apt to rush
into !natrlmony without properly con-
s'derlng the grave responsibilities Of
married life. Many cases have come
under m" observation where youthful
and hasty marriages have resulted in
rnhappincss. discomfort, and lives Of
GrudGery. The old saying. Marry in
haste and repent at leaSure, proves
too often true. Young men and Wo-
men should remember that the ro-
mantle attachments of youth are not
generally lasting.
No IronclaG Rules.
Il would not wish to be regarded rs
laying down ironclad rules concerning
the exact age when girl should mar
ry; it might be at twenty-five, twenty
four, twenty-five or tWenty-siX it all
depends upon the physical and mental
development of the girl. l mean rath-
er to indicate that a gill should not
marry until she was over twenty one,
and of an age To comprehend the
responsibility Of the marriage state
alll to NAVE an intelligent choice of
the man whose comranionsnip Will be
either a help or a hindran2e to her
life.
There are many serious questions
to be considered in deciding upon this
most important step. Health, hereGity,
environment. taste, social tendencies,
all should be carefully weighed il "A
happy married life is desired. Girls
should not be carried away with the
good looks and fascinating Planners
CT men. The man 4 girl would marry
when she leaves schools is usually not
the man she would select after size
has st al more of the world
Marriages T,ut Rail.
Marriage for the purpose of set
Ting a daughter in life is as q rule
failure and an unharAy Jne SO par
enl. ard especially go true and 'Dv-
ing mother, will wish to push her
into matrimOny before she
is fully matured and fitted for the
grave responsibilities of married life.
Young girls just out of school are not
equipped for the ordinary household
duties of wives and for the cares and
trials OF motherhood. They should,
after leaving school, spend some time
" 18th their parents, giving those par
ents the pleasure of their companion
ship and learning something of the
everyday work that will be theirs as
wives.
'"rhe girl who marries too early
misses many OF the pleasures of life.
She is doomed to spend her youthful
days in the trying and taxing cares of
motherhood and household duties,
with broken health and run down
nerves before she has passed out of
her teens. Such marriages are UNI
fortunate. They are entered into with
out due consideration, and frequently
before the husband has fully establish
ed his business ability and the earn
ing capacity that Will enable him to
provide for the increasing wants of
that there is more in life than getting
married; that when they leave school
they owe some service to their par
ents, and that they should spend some
of their days in making the lives of
their fathers and mothers easier and
brighter
Advice TO Young Men.
1.-THE same advice pertains to young
men, / have known OF cases where
young men, because they married too
soon and before they had established
themselves in permanent positions,
were compelled to give up good OPP
portunitieS for advancement because
family ties and environments kept
them down to one locality. The reali-
zation of the mistakes Of marrying
too early has discouraged many a
young man, blasted bis future brought
to himself, and depri-
walton and suffering to his family.
81 believe in marriage, and would
like to see every man and woman
rlated in congenial companionship for
life but l am opposed\t to early and
marriages.
do not understand me as fixing any
age limit as the period for marriage,
though the proper period, in my
is between tWenty-one and
twenty six. ] only speak from my
own experience. L was thirty-e eight
years old when / married and my wife
twelve years my junior. We are hap
by and contented with our lot and
have four children--three girls and
one boy-all vigorous and healthy
and mentally. Hence my
reasons for advocating mature age
before marriage.