Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-04-14
Widows to the Rescue.

! There is an old ballad the refrain Of
1 which says: "A maid is sometimes
charming, but n widow all the while.
! Iatter-day rhymes on the subject OF
widows charms are scarce, it is said.
/ The fascinations of widows are not, it
seems. 4 popular theme just now with
writer's in this part of the country.
/ Neither in fact nor in fiction does the
widow now play the leading part III most
matrimonial romances.
| Ii was a New York widow of mature
! age and large fortune who pointed out
/ this circumstance when mt her luncheon
! tables someone referred to the scarcity oil
widows among the winters brides and
suggested that nowadays widows didn' I
seem to ne IN such hurry TO marry as
formerly. says Il writer in the Kansas
| City Journal.
/ Il could name n dozen widows" she
said, women of middle age and younger,
good-looking and with nice little incomes,
whom | have been expecting To step off
tor the last five years, and they don't
! step. Not one of them, so far rs | know,
| Is engaged.
AT one time there were every sea
son several weddings of widows who
were conspicuous in society. 1t was al
most the exception for a comparatively
Young and good-looking widow to stay
single more than two years"
Il do not know anything about the
Wla1ws To whom you refer said the
hostess. but | do know that, taking
widows as Il class they are much less
| popular than they used 10 be. Widows
! don get the chances to marry they once
did. How do | account for il! In this
/ way:
Widows are just as attractive as they
ever We're, but spinsters, as they used to
be called, bachelor women as they are
now described. are good deal more at
| tractive than in the old DAYS
l was introduced to society at II
ana soon after | remember | met 6
young widow of % who used TO go tC
the parties and entertainments given by
her girl friends with whom she had
grown up She was not nearly so pretty
as some of the girls, but she always got
lot more attention from the young
men.
In those days a young girl might
stand slight chance of holding her owl
with Il widow of her own age; but 6
spinster of 30 or more had not the ghos
OF chance when competing with {
widow of 81.
Young girls were kept back from
mingling with general company and old
er folks till out of school and almost sc
gregated from the other sex. with tbs
result that when first introduced to thu
world they were shy, lacking in CONVEX
SatlOnal topics and no match at all for ;
widow of any age. 1t is not like tina
now. The bachelor woman. instead o
assuming an apologize air, born of ;
| feeling that she is almost in disgrac'
because she has reached so without be
ing married, goes about with a superior
lofty, I-prefer-m y-freedom expression, eX
actly the reverse of apologize, and in
stead of retiring modestly behind young
er women and widows she is more ap
to be found in the front row when i
comes to a question of being entertain
ing and jolly.
The widow is no less charming thai
she ever was, but the unmarried womal
the one time old maids much mors
better read and better educated thai
most widows.
Simply because she is Il widow i;
] longer entities woman to first plact
as a charmer of the other sex. Sh'
must compete now with the young girls
who are neither awkward nor shy, MOI
tongue tied i'll the presence of men, and
also. with single women of her own age
quite her equals in diplomacy and pow
ers Of fascination
Perhaps you are right returned Tx
woman who had first spoken. Il an
inclined to think. however. the roasoI
why fewer widows than formerly marry
is because they are more chary of maiu
mony than were widows in the old days
and prefer to enjoy their freedom. The,
believe that the most cnviable state fol
Il woman is widowhood in coniunctioi
with good-sizcd bank account"
When the manager Of a big bus
ness concern which employs hundreds %
women. among whom are many widows
was asked what proportion of th'
widows married again, he gave the All
sWer
almost none, so far as | know. Il
ten years | can only recall one ease q
a widow giving up her place here bN
cause she meant to get married