Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-04-22
STUDIES IN DISCONrENT.
BY a Woman Who Wants to Be Married.

| would preface my lament by re-
marking that | am considered by the
world at large as very fortunate
young woman. am nearly 30 years
OF age; | am well born, well bred,
well educated, rather clever, not bad
looking; | possess sufficient income
to keep the wolf at safe distance
from the threshold. In addition to
that, | hold a position in the business
world which brings me in a salary
on which many a man supports wife
and family-most uncomfortable. l
have a host of attractive friends;
there are q dozen homes in which
may find myself a welcome guest
any night. | live well, in a suite
furnished with my own books, treas
ures and pictures. What do have to
complain of? Because | want to get
married.
AS matter. of fact, / have had
more attentions from men than most
OF the women know. For one thing,
my work has constantly thrown me
in contact with men. unlike the work
of a teacher, who of necessity spends
her time in a continually feminized
atmosphere. l have had seven offers
of marriage, most of which were too
ridiculous to be entertained seriously.
Some of the offers were from boys,
others were from old men, the rest
we're a iOb-lot of worthless incom-
petents who l had reason to think
regarded my paltry income as no de-
terrent in the choice of wife.
Where are all the desirable men of
fiction? l do not mean great catches;
l mean what might be considered
ordinarily well-educated men estab-
lished in business or a profession and
able and willing to support the wife
of their choice in the style to which
their own sister has been accus-
toned. The species seems to be be-
coming as extinct as the dodo.
When man arrives at the success
full stage in his career which would
warrant his asking girl. himself for
instance. to marry him, he finds that
his own comforts and pleasures pref
ty well use up his income. To mar
ry. therefore, would entail sacrifice,
and to welcome sacrifice one must be
under the spell of romance. But ro-
nance is such silly thing that the
average coOl-headed, succussful busi-
ness men. or professional man, SCOTS
at it.
On every side l see refined. lovely
women of my acquaintance settling
down to resigned bachelor girlhood,
planning their lives independently of
the male sex. They have their clubs,
their teas and amusements, and have
apretty good time, but know as they
do liz their heart of hearts. that this
is not the life of their dreams, for it
is not meant for woman to live alone.
Yet the papers dochronicle notices
OF marriages. Yes, of course. Our
civilization is rapidly coming to the
same state OF affairs as exists in
Europe, where the girl who expects
to marry must provide the home, the
money. the social position; in fact.
everything but the man, who grac-
iously-so far-provides himself in
exchange for all the rest. On every
hand one sees women who have de-
liberately sacrificed themselves to
suitors who are obviously unworthy,
in order that they may satisfy their
natural instinct for home, children
and q husband be he never so hum
BILE. II man possesses an iota of
attraction he goes to the girl who
has more to offer. In these days it
is case OF Queen Cophetua and the
beggar man.
Many young matrons have given up
entertaining entirely except for the
married set, because they can find no
men to grace their dinners and dances.
Their husbands seem to have severed
all associations with their own sex
on their wedding day. The debu-
tantes tell me that the functions given
for them are enlivened only by the
vapid youths who take themselves SO
seriously that they are ridiculous and
antediluvians who are paying the
same compliments when the preced-
ing generation was young.
l should like to meet q man or so
whom a reasonable young woman
might intelligently learn to love, hon.
or and obey-should he give her the
chance = without sacrificing every
ideal of her girlhood. Am unrea-
sOnable in this? l wish someone
would tell me, quite impersonally,
for it isn't the sort of thing can ask.
my friends. With many of them the
question comes too near home.
No, Iadeed.
You Hamericans say we ave no
'umor," said the loyal Britisher.
but III ave you understand, sir,
that Henglish jokes are not to be
laughed at!'