Arizona republican., 1910-03-14
 THE AGE OF DISCRETION.
French Courts Support an Old Prov
 erb About Girls and Boys.

Girls grow up sometimes. b"ys ncv- er. So runs the ancient proverb. IL has just received support from a de-
 'iSion of the French courts At least 1T We rightly understand the import pf an impolite judgment The lady of 3S brought a suit of breach of promise against q man of 19. to which french justice answered, Whereas. owing to her age, plaintiff had suf- fcient experience of the world. to know that there is an element of un- certainty to every matrimonial scheme" but quite omitted tO note that the young spark of 79 had also sufficient experience of the world" to know that it is not considered mo- ble to make promises. even of mar riage. and break them. Thus is there ever one law for the man and an other for the woman. The lady, being 39. has attained to the age of discre- tion. The man at 70 is not there yet After alle it Is kind of cOmpli- ment to the fair sex
 One point. unfortunately. the French court omitted to make clear. d point most important for our future guild ance. At 3S, it appears. woman has sufficient experience of the world" toi g. warily and expect dis appoint matrimonial and otber But when precisely is this experience attained2 What is tine age of dis erection? The French judge, you may think, showed his discretion in avoid ing any definition It is not bad plan. when you have to deal with q trh to speak of it as so plain and sim pie that there can be no two opin- ions about it. Then the natural in ference is that the people who do not hold yours are fools. If you take that tone with sufficient emphasis you will find vast number of folks on your side. For human nature is weak. and always nclines to agree with those whose talk is arrogance
 But let us preserve absolute calm and observe our dear friends. Some of them. you see. have not grown up. and apparently never will. They are as playfully silly. as fluffy, as kitten. sh at 8 as they were at l5 You cannot associate them with discre- tion in anything. On the contrary, they take q pride in being foolish. They realize that q pretty imbecility is not the least part of their charms Without that they would be the merest cOmmonplaces of femininity And, naturally. they have no inten- ton of bartering their power to amuse for the doubtful blessing of common sense They are wise in their day and generation. For the h. |, h..xH are. your babyish simpleton will al ways get a deal more "f consideration and protection and affection, than. is her due. Which hard hearted novel ist was it that wrote the incisite sentence. She had large eyes and was rather stupid. so no wonder the men ran after herr"
 Of such creatures you cannot fairly say that they ever reach the age of discretion When their hair is white and their limbs feeble. they will still say the silliest things and exhibit the slliest emotions and still get affec- tionate indulgence. Possibly they are not within the official experience of the French courts. but we know them well enough over here. Another type is still more puZzling; The people who do reach the age of discretion and grow out of it. or grow back wards. Who has not met undergrad uates and -ingenucs SD worldly wise and so cautious that they divine guile
 in the simplest saving. and cannot allow themselves to exhibit the most unimportant emotion? The whole of their juvenile abilities is concentrated ;,, off oIx. themselves away They would rather die than get to know the wrong peO- pie They would rather be tortured than commit faux pas They are, in fact. discretion itself. which is not at all beautiful sight.
 As a rule they grow up You have settled yourself comfortably to de- test and despise them when they suddenly begin to blossom forth and be human At an. age when ordinary people are beginning to find the first sprightly rannjpgs" of youthful sim 'plicitya rather too much of good thing. these precocious creatures be- gin to display a new and powerful talent for folly Instead of suspect ing everybody. they become absurdly credulons. In their youth they were cold to the most respectable people,