The Washington herald., 1913-09-03
WHY so MANY MEN
REMAIN UNMARRIED
Il Takes a Deal of Faith in Himself
for Man to Ask Girl Nowadays
to Wed Him.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

Graciousi
Nine million men unwedded. eight mill
lion women?
These are the statistics the Equitable
Life Assurance Society is sending out,
and they must be true. Yet, as one
watches the throngs on a Sunday after
noon, out for a stroll together, II verify
seems that the whole youthful world has
its mate, and that, on to old age, every
Darby has his Joan.
But apparently there are quite few
celibates left. Indeed, the fact that 80
per cent of male adults are unmarried
leads some speculative folk to wonder
why they hesitate or possibly do not
care to make the fateful plunge into
matrimony.
Naturally, woman's increased inde-
pendence has made her rather slower TO
follow the normal way. but it also has
operated in another direction. And, in
a way, il has pressed a bit hard upon
the aspirations of the ordinary man for
a home all his own. Because, II his
choice happens TO turn in the direction
of a young woman whose earning capac-
ity is as great as his 1t requires some
courage and faith in himself to ask her
to drop it all and to merge her fortune
into his. II may be that she is quite
willing to make the sacrifice; but there
is his pride to consider, and, trying to
look through masculine eyes, one can
easily guess that pride says no. For
we are bound to reckon with traditions
and with things comfortable, or other
wise, taken for granted. And one OF
the things fondly cherished by man Is
that he is better equipped by nature
than is woman to meet and solve the
problem OF earning a living, whether he
nv hands
Prefers 10 Join CcIibates.
So, if he cannot manage to exceed her
earnings, he prefers to join the big army
of celibates And ii is not so strange,
after all. that he has Tebelled at the
opening of wider ways for women, be-
cause for every woman that steps in,
some man must step aside. His objec-
ton is selfish, OF course, but then the
world has its selfish side.
The increased cost of living is given
as one of the reasons for the growing
number of bachelors; and. for that ordi-
nary man again, it seems ground sufh-
cient for holding him back. at least for
a year or so. And perhaps II the pros
pective Benedicts made the rounds OF
the butcher. baker. candlestick maker,
and a few other needful shops. still more
might be fearful lest their incomes fail
to go round. Because the bills that roll
up in ordinary homes are enough to dis
may the average wage-earner.
But, looking out at the many brave
young men-too brave they seem some
times-who take their courage in their
we1l-nigh empty hands and fare forth to
seek their partners, it scarcely appears
that the increased cost of living has very
great terrors for them.
And along with the high prices there
are the higher standards of living which
are making some young men afraid. If
they could start out in the same modest
way that their grandfathers did. the
problem would be quite simple, but they
are told that the young women Of today
Is not content to waH for her luXuries,
not satisfied to go through hardships and
sacrifices, many and long drawn out, and
not over-fond OF household duties at best.
So that is one more reason why men
refrain from assuming new responsible
ties and are quite happy to go their way
alone. \