The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-12

HERE is so much could do
to improve things generally
in and about Europe, if only
had free hand. 7 should not
propose any great fundamental
changes. These poor people
have got used to their own ways; it
would be uzWise to reform them all
at once. But there are many little odds
and ends that I could do for them. so
many of their mistakes could correct
for them. They do not know this. If
they only knew that there was a man,
living in their midst willing to take
them in hand and arrange things for
them, how glad they would bel But
the story is always the same. One
reads it in the advertisements of the
matrimonial column: "a lady, young
said to be good-looking' herself is
not sure on the point, she feels that
possibly she may be prejudiced. She
puts before you merely the current gos-
sip OF the nelghborhood; people say she
is beautiful; they may be right they
may be wrong, it is not for her to de-
cide-''Wen educated; of affectionate
disposition; possessed of means; desires
TO meet a gentleman; with view to
matrimony. Immediately underneath
one reads that a gentleman OF Is: Tall,
fair considered agFeea ble''-reaiIy the
modesty Of the matrimonial advertiser
teaches to us ordinary mortals quite a
beautiful lesson. I know instinctiveIy
that were anybody to ask me suddenly,
do you call yourself an agreeable
/
agreeable man! OF course, I'm an.
agreeable man. What silly questions
you do ask" If he persisted in argu-
| ing the matter. saying, But there are
people who do not consider you an
agreeab BILE man." I should get angry
with him. ooh, they think that, do
they? I should say, well, you tell
them from me, with my compliments.
that they are set of blithering idiots
Not agreeable! You show me the man
who says I'm not agreeable I'll soon
let him know whether I'm agreeable or
not These young men seeking wife
are silent on the subject of their own
virtues. Such are for others to discov-
er.
The matrimonial advertiser confines
himself to simple statement of fact: he
is considered agreeable" He is do
mesucally inclined, and in receipt of a
good income. He is DESTROYS of meet
ing lady of serious disposition, with
view to matrimony. If possessed of
means-it is a trifie hardly worth con-
sidering one way or the other; he does
notinsist upon it; on the other hand, he
/ does not exclude ladies of means; the
main idea is matrimony. 1t is sad to
reflect that young lady said to be
| good looking-let US say good look
| ing and be done with it. A neighbor-
/ hood does not rise up and declare q
/ girl good looking if she is not good
| looking That is only her modest way
of putting it. Let US say young lady
!
Tomato disposition, 1t is sad to reflect
/ II repeat it-that such an one, matri-
monially inclined, should be compelled
to have recourse to the columns of a
| matrimonial journal What are the
young men in the neighbOrhood think
/ ing of? What more do they want2 Is it
/ Venus come to life again with ten
/ thousand a year that they are waiting
/ for! It makes me angry with my own
| sex reading these advertisements. And
when one thinks of the girls that do
/ get married.
But life is mystery. The fact re-
mains: here is the ideal wife seeking
in vain for a husband. And here inn
mediately underneath will not say
the ideal husband, he may have faults,
none of US are perfect, but as men go
| q decided acquisition to any domestic
hearth, an agreeable gentleman, fond
| of home life-none of your gadabOuts
calls aloud to the four winds for a
Wffe-any sort of a wife, provided she
be of serious disposition. In his de-
spair, he has grown Indifferent to all
| other consid Is there in this
| world, he has said to himself, one I'M
married woman, willing to marry me,
an agreeable man, in receipt of good
income Possibly enough this twain
! have passed one another in the street,
have sat side by side in the same train
/ car. never guessing, each one, that the
| other was the very article of which
/ they were in want to make life beauti-
| full. Mistresses in search of a servant
mot so much with the idea of getting
work out of her, rather with the OBJ
ject of making her happy, advertise on
one page.