The Washington herald., 1917-09-21

~ VI ~ 10 III lOfC "Ae-
woman of 30. The lady is willing, but
holds back because she doubts the
wisdom of marrying a man so much
younger than herself, and the couple
ask my advice in the matter.
with all the earnestness of which
am capable / ertreat them not to
commit matrimonial hari-kari as such
union Is bound to be. Not once in a
million times does a marriage in
wmch the woman is ten years older
than the man turn out successfully.
fracucauy always II ends in misery
and regret for both parties,
Ihere are many discrepancies be-
tween a couple that time and effort
may ADJUST so that what seemed an
unsuitable marriage when 1t took
pace turns out happily. The poor
and humble man an aristocratic girl
marrles may make money and raise
himself in the world. The iIlIterate
ana uncouth girl a cultivated man
taxes TO wife may educate herself and
acquire a society manner. People of
dnerent nationalities may learn to
speak the others language and adopt
the others habits and customs.
But insuitability in age between a
man and woman is a difference that
time aggravates and that grows worse
ana worse every year. And this is
particularly true when the woman is
the older, because women age faster
than men, and while affection may
mmbly skip across the bridge between
twenty and thirty and call it nothing.
only duty halloo across the chasm that
separates a woman's fifty from a
mans forty years.
A woman is always older than a
man is at the same age. She is born
older. A girl baby cuts her milk teeth
before boy baby cuts his. Also she
cuts her wisdom teeth sooner. She
learns TO talk before he does, and she
has made up her mind whom she will
marry and what sort of a wedding she
will have before a boy has found out
that women, as a sex. even exists.
And she keeps up this running start
OH age that she has gotten i'm the
cradle, so that she is an old woman
while he is still a mere youth.
These are stern facts of nature that
no rouge or straight fronts or dieting
or massaging or thinking young
thoughts. or milliners, or dressmakers
~'Ah NAoieN Ollt iOld. anu IL Is "HdN
makes every marriage of a mature
woman with boy a tragedy. And the
gall and bitterness of the tragedy are
chiefly the woman's, for il is easier
TO bear being tired of an old wife than
for the old wife to know that her
young husband is wearied unto death
of her.
There are countless reasons why a
boy of 20 should not marry a woman
of 30. The first reason is that a lad
of that age is not mt to marry any
woman of any age. He hasn't come
to himself. He doesn't even know
what he is going to be himself. still
less can he guess what sort of wife
he is going to need and want.
The woman that charms and thrills
a boy of 20 bores him stiff when he is
% and is an insupportable affliction
when he is 30. Mems tastes change in
women just as much as they do in
food. and man is no more allured at
middle age by the feminine qualities
that charmed him in his salad days
than his appetite is piqued by the
lollypops on which he was wont TO
feast as a school boy.
Marriage is a mans sized job. son.
1t is not for babes and sucklings. Wait
until your shoulders are strong enough
TO bear its load. and your character
and habits are formed. Then you will
be able to bring judgment and dis
cretion and experience Of women 10
the task of selecting a wife who will
really suit you. And she won't
ten years older than You are. III
can gamble on that You never see a
man of 80 marrying a woman Of 10
Unless she has large and substantial
bank account.
Another reason why a boy should
not marry a woman much older than
he is because they miss the only basis
on which matrimony can be made a
success. and that is having the same
point of view. thinking the same
thoughts. and liking to do the same
things. This is impos sible when there
is muchh disparity in age.
The boy husband wants the amuse-
ments, 1.-THE frivolities. the fun that be-
longs by right to him in the play time
of life, but the wife has arrived al
sober middle age when she Is tired
and desires to let out her corset
strings, and cut down the heels of her
shoes and wash off the paint on her
face; and be comfortable. She may
force herself 10 drag around with her
youthful spouse. but there's no pep or
ginger in her forced pretense of pleas
ure. and she Is n misery to herself
and a poor playfellow for Friend Hus-
band.
Still another reason why the mar
riage of a boy and mature woman
is a fatal mistake is because il strikes
at two of the most pronounced weak
nesses in the masculine character. One
of these is the fear of ridicule. Men
have far less moral courage and are
much more conventional than women.
as is prpoven by the fact that every