Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-01-16
COST OF MA1RIkONY
Writer Laments the Passing OF
the Good Old Days."
Plunge Into Double Harness Now
Means Something More Than II
Did a Few Decades Ago, and
"There's Z Reason"

1t Is difficult these days for young
fellow to decide when he Is financially
able to marry, asserts Labert st Clair
in Golfers, sr a.
The doctors of matrimony, whom al
most all live newspapers now employ
to advise the lovelorn, and the high
cost of living contribute largely to tho
perplexity Of the question, 1t strikes
me. ..@
The cost of living sets new altitude
records every day, and, regardless OF
whether a bride has an appetite like
humming bird or hay baler, 1t IL
bound to cost good deal to feed her.
And this item Of expense cannot be
compared in advance with any degree
Of accuracy.
One might be able to forget this
fact, however, If the doctors would bs
silenced. But they will not be. Mel
Their can any two of them agree ON
how much money fellow should have
before attempting matrimony. Some
say $500 in a bank and a salary Of $26
a week, while others insist 1t Is al
most criminal to wed on less than
81 900 account and $50 salary, and
so on. If poor bachelor would marry
he had best stick to one adviser. To
change Is almost fatal.
A. friend Of mine proposed to girl
; on the advice Of $500 and $25 a
week expert. and was accepted. When
he had saved $500 his landlady sub
scribed for newspaper with a. $1,000
and $50 week doctor. He started
reading her advice, lost his nerve, and
ran out of the engagement.
| In the dear, dead days when | was
| sparkling the girls there was no high
cost of living problem In our town, and
the only expert we ev!r consulted was
Grandma Peck. Ske Ind beensmarried
almost sixty years. and as she and
Pappy Peck always were on speaking
terms her advice was considered
golden.
Find out II your sp eetheart throws
more out the kitchen door with a
spoon than you could bring in the
front door with a shovel" was her
main guidepost to marital success.
But how is fellow going to get
that information in advances" most
every one of us, asked her Mt some
time or another.
Simplest thing in the world" she
would go on. Get her to. bake you
batch Of cookies. II there Is one
little round, fat cookie that's made
from the trimmins, she's savin' girl.
Marry her. If there amt no such
cookie, look out!" She's throwed that
good extra dough away" g.. T.
That advice was valuable In our
town, where no woman could feed her
husband store cookies and retain her
membership in the Fortnightly club,
but it would not work in the cities
now. Delcatessen stores and social
engagements are too numerous.
lnasmuch as there was no high-cost-
of.living problem, lovesick youth sell
dom let the lack OF a paying job or
a bank account keep him single. All
married folks got along some way or
another, though. as look back now.
| wonder how some of the newly-weds
bridged over from Saturday to Mon
day. especially when company came.
Maybe if had been a grocery man IN
stead OF buggy painter could ex'
plain it! but, as | recall it, everybody
ate much and worried little, anyhow
II boy and girl fell in love they
Just up and married and took a chance
on eating regularly.