The Washington herald., 1912-12-27
EARLY MARRIAGES.
They Are Advocated Under Certain
Conditions.

To the Editor: I have heard it argued
time and again that 1t is not proper for
good girl of high moral character, SC
to marry or associate with a man or boy
whose ideas tend toward the lower things
of life such as drinking and immortality,
and visa versa-a man OF higher ideals
ing woman whose character is not the
very best
Then the old cry, Boys and girls. do
not marry too early In life" To these
arguments I advance the opinion that
both are wrong in most Cases-I will not
say all, but the majority of cases. Ny
reasons are: First, l think that when a
girl marries a man whose ideals are not
of the highest type, who drinks. &c, she
has an excellent chance to reform him
completely. put him on the straight and
narrow path, and make a man of him.
This is done every day, and could name
dozen young men, to my knowledge, in
this city, who were drinkers, who in
habited the lower resorts of the city, who
spent every penny they could lay their
hands on, and who had not a prospect
or ambition in the world, who suddenly
married and settled down, got positions,
and are now real men and will blush
when reminded of the lives they used
to lead, turn to their wives and say:
Here is the little woman who made a
man Of me and saved me from a life
of dirt and degradation"
The same has happened to several girls
that I know Of They were gay and
giddy, stayed out late, and who were
getting so they did not care where they
went. They happened to meet some good,
ambitious young fellow they liked and
who liked them-they were married and
now you cannot find anywhere better
wives or women than the girls to whom
l refer.
Now. take the association of young men
and boys with girls. A young fellow
will fall in love with a girl, or think
he has fallen in love with her. and will
reform and refrain from bad habits just
at a thought of the girl when about to
commit a wrong. He will go to do some
thing wrong, suddenly will think OF the
sweet little girl whom he calls his
sweetheart" and will refrain from COM
hitting that wrong.
Now, take the cases OF marriages of
young girls and boys. A marriage of a
boy and girl is ofttimes the making OF
him. OF course, this does not apply to
all cases Of the kind, but a good many
of them. For example, 1 take a young
fellow in my office who was married a
short time ago. He had a small salary,
a minor position, and no ambition to
raise himself to a higher level in life. He
married girl who was thrifty and am
bilious, and the result is that she, in
this short time, has instilled in him her
ambitions and ideals and he has started
to work with a will and works hard for
promotion in position and salary, for he
now is ashamed Of his position and lack
of ambition. What would he be doing
now If he were still single? Right in
the same position and at the same pay
he had before he married and without
any ambition or a prospect in the world.
These are the arguments / advance I'm
favor of early marriage and the asso-
citation, for a good cause, of one Of high
er ideals and ambitions with one of
weak and loose tendencies. and I'm sure
the majority will agree with me-
hal DOUGLAS.