The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-08
From tho Louisville courier-Journal.

~ FRUITFUL topic Of discussion
WO II words are to be regarded as
fruit; and a barren one If meas
ured by results-is the question of why
many educated women do not marry.
An explanation made by a Kentucky
writer, some 20 years ago. was that the
average man regards the highly edu-
Gated woman as he would a brilliant in
sect which might or might not have a
sting, and which 1t II wise to avoid.
A new contributor to the sum Of dis
cussion is Amanda saepe ouassita, who
makes a few remarks in the New York
Independent. Unlike another contrib
utor to the Same publication. who la
mented, or at least commented. upon the
fact that she had never been sought in
marriage, although conscious of no rea-
son why, this student of the marriage
problem say that Through the accidents
of prcpinquity'' she has received several
proposals from eligible men
From this invineible spintsr's explana-
ton Of the failure of half dozen Amer
lean suitors to measure up to the mark
we quotsi
1T have often found men moro COM
panfonahle than women Intellectually,
But one does not marry for the sake Of
intellectual discussion. And as a sutton
the Americans OF my acquaintance are
failures. They propose, which Is the main
thing, but with no romance or charm.
pass over plainness of face and
meanness Of stature. The main
difficulty was that In every possible re-
spect I was their superior. =. This
they said themselves and they were quite
right. was more accomplished. more
Travelled, more socially experienced, moro
versatile. Their enjoyment of my COM
pany consisted largely in sitting back to
listen to my words. with a fascination
not unmixed with terror. p. Un-
educated women admire these men. be-
cause to them they seem remarkable"
But let Trenchmen, Germans. English
men. swedeA Polacks, Norwegians. Rus
SLAMS, Italians. Portuguese, spaniards.
Hungarians and men Of other nations
cheer UP. There Is q chance for some one
to win this maiden OF high education and
high ideals. As the poet has put it;
She rs woman, therefore may be
wooed;
She is a woman, therefore may be won.
For, says Miss Amanda saepe Quaesita
the mama. of course. being merely
nom de piume-Amerioan men only are
the subjects Of her scathiag erituism. Eu-
ropeans are All right. The only detail in
which they fafl 10 far. IL that they have
not looked upon the leveainess Of Amanda
and fallen at her rri1byesqus feet to sue
for the great good fortune Of hearing her
talk about her sduoaticn and her travels
fascinated and perhaps terrified by the
tales she tells Of what hotels and historic
sights she stopped at in ''fnrrin parts"
But for the fact that such foreigners as
she had had tho experience Of admirins
have not popped the question in rhyme.
blank verso or oratorical prose. they suit
Amanda from the ground up. Man-save
in Ameriea-is an imperial animal worthy
Of capture.
with steady nerves and a feeling Of
surensss that compels admiration Aman-
ia sapient Quod Frat Demonstrandum,
winds up with this meaty paragraph Of
helpful hints:
III the good hearted. companionable,
honest American man would wake up. use
his wits. straighten hts necktie. improve
his manners, become informed on things
in general. try seriously not to marry but
to make himself marriageable and above
all get over his terrified admiration Of the
nimbler sex, cultivate his capacity to con-
tradict her, and even bully her now and
then-he would get what no wanted in
wives as he has done in every other de-
partment Of life. :
Meanwhile the woman who has taken
her education more seriously will like
him. will play with him and will work
with him, but she has too much romance
left in her to marry where she cannot
wholly respect. or to substitute for love
a liking not unmixed with contempt"
The advice which tail-ends tho article
Is not exactly germane to the subject I'm,
der discussion, which is not How Can
American Men Achieve Matrimony,'' but
"Why College Women Do Not Marry"
A. matter of fact, American men fnd
it a reasonably simple matter to marry.
Generally speaking. and leaving out OF
consideration q small class Of the idle
rich in = few Of the LARGEST centezz Of