The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-04-27


These were the musings OF Or. Va
ieria Parker, delegate to the twenty
NTH annual convention of the Ma
tional Congress of Mothers here and
one OF the leading sociological work
ers of the country, in an interview
discussing the growing trend toward
marriages between rich old men and
young girls. as she sat in the lobby
of the Ebbitt.
DR.. Parker's musings are peculiarly
timely. in view OF two marriages OF
this kind which have attracted ma
tional attention recently because of
the prominence of the principals.
CITES OYSTER MARRIAGE.
There was the short-lived marriage
OF George NJ. oyster, the seventy
two-year-old Washington business
man. and Miss Cecile Ready. twenty
six-year-old Syracuse beauty, cut
short by the death OF the aged
bridegroom ON Sunday last in the
Ambassador Hotel at Atlantic City.
Oysters will revealed that he had
left his bride penniless.
John Haldane Flagler. the multi
millionaire steel and iron man. sur
prised friends when he married on
Sunday last Miss Beatrice Frances
Wenneker. thirty-three years old.
daughter of William Wenneker. OF
Brooklyn. Flagler is sixty-ntne.
And now behold the latest blush
ing bridegroom. He is only eighty
one. He is papa and grandpapa, and
has twenty-three children. His bride
il twenty-three. Maston Christian,
a Webster county mountaineer of the
Virginia hills, already married six
times, thinks seven brides are not too
many.
without any intention OF COM
menting on these marriages" began
DR.. Parker, az believe marriage be-
tween the rich old man and the young
girl. or the old man and the young
girl, is disastrous. Real love can
only exist between men and women
of the same age.
GIRL WANTS FIRE OF YOUTH.
at takes the fire of youth to satisfy
OF Imagination of young man."
continued DR.. Valeria- AN old man
has yachts, motor cars, country
villas, palatial city residences, but
what is that compared to love? A
young man can make love SO
Economically.
"And here's something else: Can an
old man make love? DO you really
think those old men who totter to the
altar and then spend their evenings
by the Preside and hearth have any
romance left? Certainly not.
There can only result unhappiness
from the mating of December and
May, whether the man be rich or
poor and that's all there is to IT.
III the rich old men are sensible
and possess that judgment that only
the fullness of age can bring, they
will stay out of the marriage market
and give the young man a chance.
They must realize the wide disparity
in tastes between young girl AMI
an old man. She wants to go to the
dance; he wants to stay home and
read. She would like to give a
dinner party; he would like nothing
better than a quiet day in the coun-
try. And there you are.
OLD MEN BUY LOVE.
"Then, too" continued DR.. Parker.
the rich old man is usually a
bachelor. who has tired of life and has
bought everything that money can
buy. and finally becoming world
weary. seeks out q mate. He hopes
to buy her II love doesn't come. Buying
love has become a real experiment in
the marriage market and is especially
INDUCED in by the rich old man. The
pretty girl Is the ware.
GIVE the young man a chance.
that Is my plea"
DR.. Parker is especially qualified to
discuss this question, as she Is
director OF morality for the women's
Christian Temperance Union. She has
iust completed a survey of socia, con-
{ itions of the United States. go