Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-16
BY Mrs. Wilson Woodrow.

by MIS-. wilson WOODROW.
l ran through a batch of letters
lying on my desk. They were all
written in feminine hands, and dealt
principally with one subject-mar-
riage. Some were from women who
had found out that the way up the
church aisle is not necessarily the
road to happiness. More were from
young girls who blithely prefer to
believe that it is.
The problem of the latter class is
hieily that of the old receipt for
cooking hare; how first to catch the
hare. The problem of the former
is what to do with the beast after
it has been caught. For meek and
rabbit-like as the average fiance
may appear, marriage makes q
magic which transforms him into
something entirely different.
Diana, the huntress, sallying forth
upon her quest, spies a bunny which
suits her fancy hopping along in gay
bachelor freedom. Maybe she cap
lures him in one of the snares which
she is an adept at spreading. Maybe
he merely sees her shining self and
follows. But once a captive to her
golden spear, she begins to discover
about as many different kinds of
creature in him as the blind men
when they began their famous ex-
animation of the elephant.
With just plain rabbit she would
know very we'll what to do, but con-
fronted by an animal who appears
at one moment a lion and the next
a mouse, at one moment barking
dog and the next a lordly chantieleer,
she is at q loss whether to roast,
bake, stew or fricassee him or serve
him with fine herbs
Good Looking, Capable and Sympa-
thetic, She Sees No Wooer at Hand
The problem of the maidens still
believing the old fairy tale formula
for living happy ever afterwards"
is simple.
They stand before life's shop win
dows like the children at Christmas
time, and pick out the things they
want. II choose a home of my own"
they say, "a husband and kiddies."
They write their letters to Santa
Claus telling their desires and then
when they wake on Christmas morn
ing and find a well-filled stocking,
but nothing in it that they have
asked for, they are naturally dis
appointed.
1 recently published a letter from
a girl of twenty-one who was un-
happy because, although longing for
"a home of my own, and all that
goes with it," she saw no chance of
husband anywhere upon her hori-
zon.
She must have touched a respon-
sive chord in many feminine hearts,
for I have received a quantity of let
ters in regard to it. There was a par
ticularly clever and interesting one
from a girl of twenty-seven.
She describes herself as cookbook
in nd q otf on6
cellent salary. Her plant is that love
has never come her way.
Unlike the girl of twenty-one who
pictures q dearth of men in the viii
lage where she lives, this girl knows
hosts of them-business men and
professional men, Successful ones and
struggling ones. They tell her all
about their affairs, business and sem
timental; their hopes and their am
hitions; they confide their secrets and
seek her advice and counsel; even the
the little office boy says: 81 love to
talk to you, I always learn some
thing" Everyone tells her what
wonderful girl she is. What a devoted
daughter and admirable friend, and
they can't understand why she has
never married. She cannot under
stand it herself.
She writes, I'D marry a man on
LWeuly-HNe uOlldTS IL week IL lON6u
him. If he is the kind of a man I'm
looking for, he won't stay on twenty
five. He'll make good. I want a man
who has the stuff in him, who can
appreciate the real things of life;
man who viii lead me to heights 1
cannot reach alone. 1 want home in
the suburbs and kiddies. I want an
open fireplace and easy chairs, and
guest rooms where people will feel at
home. I want my husband to be a
leader, and I want to help him take
an interest in communal affairs. J.
want to help those who need help IL
it's only to give a word of cheer"
Whats the matter with the men,
Mrs. Woodrow? Can you tell me?
Are they afraid of women who have
ideals and who will be helpmates to
them? They marry the selfish, help
less creatures and leave the real
women behind. After they are mar
ried and 1t is too late, they awaken
and see what they might have had.
"AlI the married men / know tell