Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-05-28
Compulsory
Marriage
The Government OF D1lmAria
Broke Up BAcbeIOrb0Od
and Spinsierho0d
By r. A. mitchell
Copyright, INA by American Press
By r. a. mitchell

1 O@O~O@OSO~OeOO ~OeO~OSOsOsO
The population OF Dalmaria had been
running down for years The marriage
licenses. which formerly had been is
sued by the city government at the
rate Of about n hundred q week. had
diminished to ten or a dozen a month.
To remedy the evl the government
passed a law that al men should be
married by their twsnty-hrst birthday
and DO girl should refuse an offer IN
less she could prove the prOposer TO be
man OF bad character or that be was
not able TO support her.
There was CONSERVATION among the
unmarried OF both sexes at the pas
sage of this law Single men began
TO bestir themselves to secure-as some
of them expressed 1.-THE least unde-
sirable girl In the town A woman
who had received a proposition was
given a week 10 examine into her pro
poser's fitness and come TO a decision
But at the end Of the week new pro
poser might be accepted Consequently
the girl was not necessarily compelled
20 marry the first propOser unless no
one else entered a claim This was
considered 4 very wise expedjenf since
# admitted OF composition. Neverfhe-
less it resulted in considerable htiga-
tion- Girls finding themselves unable
20 decide between several applicants
would defer decision TIL the limit Of
time had passed Sometimes \ young
man within few days Of bis twenty
( first birthday would be put Of tin be
had broken the law
That which has been called the DUN
bleton case has come down TO us as a
cause celehre OF this city Of compul-
sory marriages. Irene Dumbleton was
what Is now called a 6trt. II is said
that-she once NET man at ban and
SO twisted his brain that within cou-
PIE OF days be lay down to an eternal
sleep on the bottom OF a river An
other within a week after meeting her
In reported TO have climbed ont OF the
sixth story window OF building and
dtTed TO the sidewalk below. Irene
I Dunbleton could do anything she liked
4 with a man, either reduce him TO
dough or bake him 50 hard that she
could KIN an elephant with him New
I ertheless the instances mentioned were
I doubtless exaggerated
When the marriage statute became =
4 law Miss Dunbleton saw that she
must marry some NAN who might pro-
pose TO her She did not intend that
the wrong proposer should come with
in the limits OF the law She did not
mean to wait for 4 proposition She
I made It her object to draw into her
1 net within q week after her first offer
as many proposerz as possible IN order
1 that she might choose between them
The morning after the law had gone
! into effect Miss DuDbleton received q
/ basketfuI OF proposals. Some Of the
/ proposers were desirable, some were
undesirable and some midway between
the two. She wrote al the names OF
men she considered available On cards
I and laid them in q row in order Of
their deSlrabiiity. The next day
brought an accession To the list with
4 consequent Introduction OF new
4 names and q rearrangeDenr OF the or
I der Of value The second and Eubse-
Quent days brought still larger ecces-
Sions. until m the last day OF grace
4 three quarters OF the eligible bachelors
Of her class had proposed ID her.
One would think that with 50 MANY
4 TO choose from Miss Dumblefon might
4 find one-al the law R1owed-to in
| the position OF husband. The truth Is
that the one she really desired, one
whom she had previously decliDed. had
not sent In his name rs candidate for
reconsideration.
When Miss Dunbleton discovered
4
! had not been sent IN she WAS seized
with q Sudden apprehension IL seven
days should pass without his having
spoken again she would be obliged to
choose between hu1ilsating herself be
1 fore the man she wanted or going TO
I 3xl
Miss DanbletOn lay awake al night
thrREhtng her pillow like one IN a
1 fever over this alternative At one
moment she vowed that she would
mzrry one Of the men who had pro
/ posed To her. thus showing Mr.. Whit
marsh that he w2s not wanted AT
the next she decided to break the Law
and 80 TO jail Finally il occurred to
her that MIR. whitmarSh was not SUP
posed ID know Of her change Of heart
She concluded to make a virtue OF
Necessity and inform him Of that
change
That day-tbe last but one OF those
left her to comply with the law-Ehe
spent three hours writing letters 10
My Dear Mr.. Whitmarsh,' MY Dear
Egbsrts" MY Dear Friend" Hon
Ored Sir" but she neither came 10 q
decision rs TO which Of these modes
Of address she would nse, nor did any
Of the letters she wrote please her
Finally she threw them an in the
wzstebaskef. went cut, bought q few
S0rgetner0ts and, putting one Of them
into an envelope with her card. sent
II 10 Mr. Whitmarsh-
The reply came back to her 4fYO1
,, Indicate that y0u would wish me mot
TO forget you This Is hearing On me
q sorTow's crown IL ron realized my
sufer7ngs ON your account ycu would
wish me to forget you rs soon as pos
Eib8e-
-'Fool!- exclaimed Miss Dumbletoa