The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-10-19
THURspAY, ooToBER 70, 191e.
Putting Fetters on Cupid.

EuJClng EeJLerS OH Cup1u'
A lot Of people in Kenosha and prob
ably in lot of other places, are losing
half the joy Of living just because
prosperity-war or otherwise-is put
ting letters on cupid. Pretty nearly
everything is booming right now with
the exception of the matrimonial
bureau, but brides and bridegrooms are
sailing way off. In fact, with the
country in its most prosperous condi-
tion in years marrying and giving in
marriage is slumping. Boarding houses
for men and women are filled to over
flowing and the little houses with the
pinks and holly-hocks growing about
the door are not multiplying as they
should. If you want to know that this
DIS true just look at the marriage Ii
cense records of Kenosha county.
True enough, once in a while the tim
idity of the bridegroom is overcome
and there is marriage, but this tim.
idity is decidedly apparent. A man
who just naturally had love Of home
and home pleasures has for week
been seeking place in some private
family in Kenosha where he can have
some interest in the family and the
home. "Why don It you ge5 married?"
he was asked. "Can't find the RIGHT
girl, = was his response and he followed
the same line of thought when he said,
"Did you ever think what kind of a
proposition a young fellow was taking
ON today when he asked girl to mar
ny him. These "'dolls" are making
more money than lot of the men.
hey are accustomed to silks and satins
it has been so long since they wore
thing but silk stockings that it is
ne to be mighty hard for them to
s.k..e down to Isle thread or cotton
JIn. It's impossible for man max
I@twenty-fve week to get married
! Che girl he wants now for the same
ri is making just as much or more.
ne does not want to give up her in
dependence for a chance to be wife. -
This man confded to us that lie had
tried out the proposition and had found
at a bitter failure as the girls insisted
on rather bearing the independence
they had than fly to a dependence
that they knew not of
We believe that this is an exception
that proves the rule that any real
woman would rather give up a twenty
five dollar week job any time in the
week to become wife and a mother
We believe that the real reason that
marriages are not booming right now
IN these times of prosperity is the
fact that the men are timid. The men
are selfish and refuse to take the
chance OF becoming home builders.
The natural trend of women is to be-
come home builders. True enough. thew
want to earn and earn all they can if
they are not given the privilege of fill
ing their real function in life. but If
IS better than an even bet that any
woman in Kenosha who is working all
day In a factory for wages would be
willing to become the wife of an hon
est man and work all day in the home
and give up the wages which she had
been getting at the end of the week
and accept in return for them that sym
pathy which comes from the husband
and the home. The high cost of living
may be another bar to matrimonv. but
1T is remarkable how soon people find
that 1T is just about as cheap for two
to live as one, when they set out to
1--we. What is more, the life is worth
a lot more. You can put a price on
bread and meat, but you can not put a
price on happy home life The latter
is worth more than all the men and
women who make it can give for it.
1t means contentment, striving for q
future which holds something in it. 1t
means living contented on a reasonable
amount rather than squandering all
that one may have and getting nothing
but an existence in return.
The man who has once known what
1t means to have a wife and a home
and possibly the children playing
about 1T, would not trade it for all the
clubs in the world. OF course, there
are exceptions which only go to prove
this world.
1t you, like this man of ours, are
tired of the boarding house, go out and
look for Cher sSShe', is inst as
tired Of them and she is just waiting
for some ont to come along and ask
her to economize and save, to wear cot
ton instead of silk, and get in return
for what she sacrifices that real home
life for which she was fitted.