Evening journal., 1912-07-11
Why She
Didn't Marry
By SARAH P. LANcDoN

girl she was permitted to read only
books with excellent morals. The sto-
ries allowed her were largely those
showing that it is no disgrace to be
poor; that labor is highly honorable;
eat wealth is often a source of evil
Yet. side by side with this democrat
ic. moral trimming, certain lessons were
gradually introduced to inform her
that her associates must be from the
upper classes; that provision for the
future is always in order; that, while
labor is honorable, poverty Is hard to
bear She was also given to under
stand that, while other girls might
marry poor men and be happy in a cot
tnge, she must have a husband who
could keep her in the society in which
she mad been born, for her father was
not a rich man. Indeed, his wealth !
was not up to his famiiy's social posi-
tion. This was the reason given her
for the exception in her case.
But when Agatha came to be twenty
an uncle who had never been married
died in Mexico, where he had been
interested in mines. and left her moth
er an enormous fortune.
Before this windfsll Agatha had
fallen In love with a poor artist She
did not know whether her love was re-
turned, for she gave him no encour-
agement. Having been told that to
keep up the social position TO which
she was accustomed she must marry a
rich man, it was, OF course, out Of the
question that she should marry the
artist But when the. family were re-
joicing over their good fortune Agatha
said to her mother that now, there be-
ing great wealth in the family, she
might marry a poor man whom she
loved
Then she discovered that the acces-
sion Of wealth did not change the fact
that she must marry wealth. 1t only
changed the reason for her doing so.
The fortune she would inherit added to
that Of some millionaire would enable
her to do so much good in the world.
Think OF the poor whom she could ben
eft
Agatha was inclined to argue the
point. Her mother was a great novel
reader and had often sympathized with
! lovers who had been separated on
!, account Of worldly considerations.
= Agatha reminded her mother Of this
and she had been taught by her moth
er to understand that such worldliness
was reprehensible. There could be no
charge Of improvidence in the girls
marrying poor men, because their fu-
ture and that Of their children would
be amply provided for.
But on falling heir to fortune the
good lady's romance and repugnance
to sordidness seemed to have deserted
her.
That's very different" she replied to
her unhappy daughter, but now and
why II was different she did not ex
! plain. Instead she told Agatha that
= il she did not give up her romantic
Z nonsense" she would take her to the
other end Of the world.
Poor Agatha, having come to woman
hood, discovered that her education
the books she had read intoxicating self
sacrifice and other virtues were for chill
dren and to be discarded as soon as
they reached an age Of maturity. Hel
mother continued to read novels in
which noble impulses were followed
but did not recognize them IN her own
, family.
Meanwhile money was rolling II
= upon the family in such quantities that
r they scarcely knew how to spend it.
One day Agatha asked her mother
r what was the use Of more money thai
q one could spend.
!. "Why, my dear" was the reply. "th'
q use Of more money than one can spent
is to do good to others"
!. Then Agatha asked her mother foi
something to give away to needy
family.
a Mrs. Goodwin suggested sendinI
to a charitable association a re
quest to investigate the case. Agaii
and again Agatha asked for funds Il
}. help others. but was always put of
: by some excellent reason. She did no
j quite zee that adding TO a fortune be
3 cause so much good could be dom
' with 1t resulted in the good beini
a done. The family income was S100OO
s a year, half Of which was all they coul'
4 spend without throwing it away, bu
+ Agatha could not we'd her poor artis
II because 1t was expected that she shoul'
ally her fortune with another, that 81
? much good could he done with it.
! The years sped on and Agatha
: mother lived on. Agatha grew from
: young woman to an old maid. sh
! had no desire to marry any one bu
d her artist. Besides. no man with
' fortune came along who asked 10
& her hand. Each year the chance o
meeting such a person decreased. an
at last Agatha passed the age wher
children would come to her.
Y Single persons do not develop on tn
e lines, the natural lines. of married pei
e sons. Agatha grew crochety. Chi
u dren. especially II they were healthy
Z noisy children. annoyed her She grey
8 irritable. One day a friend asked he
7. why she had never married.
y "Well." she replied. with a sigh, "bt
y fore mother feli heir tc e fcrtane
u couldn't marry the man wanted be
: cause l needed some one who cou
a enable me to keep the family socia
= position. After we got rich 1 needle
r. man who had a fortune to mate
n mine"
II why so7"
N Because we could do so much goo