The Washington herald., 1913-10-08
BY LOUIS MAssEN.

What is the right age to marry?
The right age to marry for what?
This is a question the correct solution
of which depends entirely and always
upon that little word "What?'
Is 1t for the purely hedonistic desire
of insuring our own personal happiness
Is IL for the still grosser and more
materialistic motives of social or finan-
cial success? Or is IL in the interests OF
posterity? According to what one Of
these three ends you hope to attain by
marriage. will your answer depend as TO
the preferable age for entering that con-
dition.
Let us take under consideration the
first-named reason, the indulgence of our
own personal happiness, that being, as
believe you will agree, the motive inspir-
ing the average man to propose marriage
to the woman of his choice. II such is
your object in marrying my advice is,
Don't marry too early in life. II you
would be selfishly happy in the love Of
any particular man or woman, let mar
riage be deferred until you are some
where in the neighborhood of thirty-five
at least.
story Book Ideas Mistake.
The great mistake most men AMI
faith to story-book ideas about love and
the Constancy of love. IL is very difficult.
for instance, TO convince any very young
man and young woman in love with each
other that IL is not only possible but en-
tirely probable that both will enjoy many
repetitiOns of the same experience. The
mere suggestion of such a possibility is
accepted with holy horror. The thing
that prompts nine out of ten marriages
l. .g0N
us another opportunity of being in love
With somebody. Personally l do not be-
lieve IT possible for any very young man
or very young woman TO sincerely love.
Such a man and such woman may he
III love with each other, desperately and
madly in love with each other. but they
do not love. There is a great difference.
you know. In other words, young men
and young women are in love with love
rather than with each other.
Now, sentiments of this sort are all
very beautiful, lofty, and ennObling to
the character. 1t is one OF the glorious
things about men and women that they
are privileged to feel such emotions. to
enjoy such experiences. No one would
deny their beneficent effect upon the
soul nor have their sweet memories OBJ
liberated from the mind.
And yet, Notwithstanding, romantic.
idyllic love of this sort is a most PERM
cious thing when il becomes the basis of
matrimonial union. 1t is peTnicious
because it, is false, utterly false, like
fools gold. II is pernicious because, with
all its iridescent beauty, il has no more
substance than the rainbow and is just
as quickly dissipated. What both men
and women have greatest need of learn
ing is the infinite number, of romantic
love affairs OF which they may ne capa-
BILE and which they are practically GER
tain to experience If they will but have
time and repetition taking the keen edge
off the enjoyment of a love affair is only
so much nonsense. The superiority OF
first love is only another OF these sense
less superstitions which for some reason
or other we are obsessed of. Any man
or woman of experience knows that tho
oftener he or she has been in love the
greater the joy has been, the more renu-
inc the emotion. and the more enduring
its effect. For this reason, then, if for
no other, it is a somewhat foolish thing
to marry too early and thus cut oneself
off from the further indulgence of this
most beautiful experience in life. For
you may depend upon it, il you are Wild
Is in love at twenty with one particular
woman. you will be still more so at
twenty-five with another ana at thirty
still more so.
Youth Invaluable Asset.
But perhaps it is not for personal hap
piness you are marrying. Perhaps you
are ambitious of social or financial sue