The Washington herald., 1919-01-20

What is the proper age for a
woman to marry?
Many girls ask me this question.
Naturally no hard and fast rule
can be laid down on the subject nor
any specific number of years set
down as the lucky number that is
sure to win out in the matrimonial
lottery. Age is not a matter of
birthdays. but of mental and physi-
cal development. so that one girl
may be fitted for marriage at an
age at which another girl is totally
untitled.
Generally speaking. however. d
woman is most apt to make a happy
and successful marriage If she en-
tiers into the holy estate about her
twenty-fifth year. She is then
neither too young to exercise judg-
ment and discretion in the choice
of a husba nd. nor too old to adapt
! herself to another persons foibles
and peculiarities and the inevitable
exigencies of domestic life.
In a word she has developed char
acter, but it is still pliable. 1t has
not had time to harden into a mold
1t is also the time when she is at
! the top notch of her physical health
and strength which insures vigor
to her children.
| There are many reasons why
young girl should not take upon her
self the burdens of matrimony. one
of these is that she has not had her
playtime of life and is not ready to
settle down to the sober business OF
II ty,l
| that she is and marry on this as
sumption, but after the novelty OF
| having a house. husband and baby
of her own have worn off, she rea-
Lies that she is still a young girl
! and has a young girls natural de-
sire for a young girls amusements
She wants to dance, go to parties
and theaters and take Joy rides. She
wants to fiirt and have men admire
| her. Thus her husband. her home
and baby become hateful to her
They are not her crown of Joy. They
are the symbol of her slavery.
| Nine-tenths OF the women who be-
| come involved in scandals are women
who married in their teens. Practi.
/ caIly all of the neglectful mothers
are child mothers. They are womer
who gave hostages to fate too early
By the time a woman is Is she
has had all the playing around she
! wants She is fed up on society
| and is glad to settle down in her
own little home.
Another reason why girl should
not marry when she is very young
is because she hasn't the remotesi
idea Of what she wants in a nus
band, nor what kind of a man shs
| Is going to be satisfied with for the
balance Of her days. Her taste Is
no more formed in men than it is ir
foods, and the very qualities she ad'
| mires at is she will loathe at Is.
/ OF course the school girl thinks thai
she asks nothing of fate but to sup
ply her with an unlimited diet OF
chocolate eclairs. and she Is equally
sure she can never cease to adore q
youth who wears his hair in a bar
ber's blessing and who fox trots di-
yinely, But by the time she is z
the very sight Of chocolate eclaire
gives her nausea. and the youth who
| is nothing but hair and heels bores
I her to extinction. Then tragedy en-
sues IL she has been foolish enough
| to marry him.
Marriage is full enough of risks
| for women without their taking any
| risks on themselves. The woman oi
Is has come to herself. She knows
what she wants and needs in a hus-
band. and when she makes her choic<
| 1t is for keeps. She isn't forever
wishing she could take him back
| to the bargain counter and exchange
him for an entirely different TYPE
of man.
| The girl who marries when she Ii
very young is apt to make mess
OF matrimony because she Is unfit
for Il She u undisciplined- Shs
/ 1~>ks anlH-.osa4x8a Ard ahA II fxDo.