The Washington herald., 1911-01-22
BEFORE
ABLE TO SUPPORT
WIFE And FAMILY
1t is a moot point.

People argue holly for and against II.
Men say they have no right to tie a
girl down to them. when, while she Is
waiting she might have so many better
chances. That when a man marries a girl
he ought to give her as good a home as
the one she leaves. and various other
utterly nonsensicaI rubbish of that sort
1t Is all ridiculous and absurd
No man who loves a woman really and
honestly and has reason to believe that
she loves him in return ought to hesitate
for minute
Many a woman's life has been ruined by
the mans insensate folly or pride. or tho
sacrifice he makes to the fetish honor.
Women are not as mercenary as cynics
would have us think. They love a man
in the majority of cases-for what he Is.
not for what he has.
! A woman worth the name would inf
nitely rather start in a small way and
help her husband up the ladder of sue
cess. than wait till he had achieved it,
and then marry him when all the struS-
giles were over and his path smoothed
before him.
She would grudge him his hours Of lone
~ strife and struggle when she was not
Those hours Of deep depression when
she was not near to exercise the evil
spirits.
She does not wish to play the part Of
an expensive toy or luxury: she wishes to
be his comrade and lodestar: to help him
up when he stumbles. and to soothe the
burrows Of care from his brow.
Until Both Are Ready.
II he is too poor to marry and her pco-
pie object to long engagement. the fact
need not be announced till he and she are
ready. 1t is always a mystery to me why
people hasten to announce their engage
ments as they do. 1t seems to be hardly
decent
No sooner has a girl received a mans
pledges Of the real love of his lifetime
still warm from his embraces and with his.
kisses still on her lips, she dashes out
into the open and cries:
Come and see. 1 have captured a
man-the victim of my bow and shield
Come and see the sport I carry in my
hand-'
One would think if one really loves the
man one is going to marry. one would
anyway at first like quiet time for
peace and reflection.
If man is too poor to marry he can
surely have a private understanding with
d
girl of any spirit and has no money OF
her own. she will use her wits to find
some way in which she can make money
in order to furnish the little house quiet
~ and unobstrusely.
So interested have become in this par
ticula- subject-after having noticed
many cases of ruined lives. brought
about through the Il could not love thee
so. dear-loved I not honor more atti-
tude Of certain men. that I once pre-
pounded the question in q room in which
there were twelve other women beside
myself.
A Tlmid Little Woman.
Nine Of the women were on my side
without the slightest hesitation.
One, timid little woman, hesitated
and declined to express any opinion.
A soured old maid gave a decided neg
alive, but could give no adequate rea-
son for it.
harder than granite, with many daugh-
ters, notorious for marrying badly" as
! hateful phrase has twas overcharged
with indignation at the idea. and hurled
Eirulent invectives against it.
Propose to a girl-have secret I'M
in her way Of better
while her youth and beauty
xane, and she loses her commercial val
Ie:' disgraceful, unheard Of"
But If the man be the one love Of her
i've, she wants no other chances, and
'eauty and gold are not everything"
aid boldly. Love, real love, Is worth
else!"
"A pack Of nonsense" she said angri-
y. MY dear woman, where poverty and
owe are, we know which goes and which
she sneered.
Then. II that is the case you ought
o be ashamed Of yourself for bringing
aughters into the world for whom you
an provide no substantial dowry," I
aid hastily. She left the room in high
isdafn.
or course, I was rude, but none the
'ss the French understand these things
etter than we do, and the nondowry Of
ur daughters is a cause Of half the
l1sery IN the world and that I will up
old against an the world.
NJ, DE L. B,