The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-03
Matrimonial
Delay Laid
to Finances
BY MARTHA LEE

BY MARTHA LEE
A woman, who married at the ten
der age of IT, writes to ask the rea-
son why men are postponing mar
rage until they are so much older
than they were in the days when
her 1e-year -old sweetheart per-
suaded her that marriage was the
thing.
This woman has a couple OF
daughters, so I imagine the question
was rather pertinent, as far as she
was concerned.
If QUESTIONABLE could be taken,
there is no doubt that three-fourths
of the unmarried men would say the
reason they had stuck to the blessed
singleness (Which they do not think
is blessed at alb is because OF
finances.
Living is higher. Girls expect too
much these days. Chances for ad-
vancement are limited, once a man
is married, because he is pretty Sc
curely tied down to the town in
which he is located. And some OF
the men will admit frankly that they
need more than a small apartment
and a couple of pieces of Grand
Rapids furniture to make them
happy and contented. They will adj
nit they are not satisfied to start
out on the humble scale their par
ents did.
Still Wants Home
What is the answer? The fact re-
mains that women still wish for q
home and husband and children.
Men still have the same longing for
a. wife, home cooked meals, shirts
with buttons sewed on and socks
that are darned and the JOY OF see
ing their own children growing up.
Let's hear what this woman has to
say on the subject.
Dear Martha Lee--What is the matter
with the young men of today7
MY husband and I were married when
he was 10 and 7 was II. We were poor.
but together we have worked up until We
have quite a nice little home and sub
stantial bank account. We have been
happy and contented all these years. We
have three children. two girls. one % and
the other 81. Our son is rs. And they are
all singlei
The boy says he can not get married
because he can not afford to. He has
good position. and is making more a week
than my husband was when We had two
children to support. He Is in love, too.
The girl is in love with him, And yet they
say they will not get married until he has
a certain sum saved
Having Dates
The Oldest girl has been seeing boy
for several years. They are engaged, but
the wedding date has not been set, for the
same reason. The younger girl just has
dates, and says she never will fall in love
with any boy until he can show himself
to be as fine a man as her father. OF
course in talking over our romance with
the children. they think we we're the brav-
est of the brave to venture married life
on the sum of money we had.
Miss Lee, is 1t true that times and people
have changed 50 much that money is fore
most in their minds? Or are my children
and their sweethearts exceptions to the
rule? I hate to think that romance has
become SO mercepary that it must be
s~uS0u Wy =" D"'N MOTHER HUBBARD.
Surely times have changed, and
so have people. Some say we OF to-
day are more sane, more sensible.
Others say our standards of values
have degenerated, until we can
Judge nothing without counting the
dollars.
Through School Early
Here are some of the logical and
plausible reasons why the marriage
able age has become higher. Boys
and girls in your day were through
school after the eighth grade. Some
went to high school, but not many.
That meant that the boys were well
started on their jobs before they
were out of their teens. The girls
were ready to marry, because they
had learned all about housework in
those intervening years, and there
was no other work they could do to
occupy their time.
Now the necessity for education
has set the age when boys get
started in the business world UP to
% and more. A boy fresh from COL
lege can not step into matrimony
with even a margin OF safety
financially. He is poorly paid and
must wait for chances to advance
himself the same as any other man
just starting out.
Secondly, our scale Of living has
increased. We require more. What
we want is more expensive.
Your children are not exceptional
in their beliefs. In fact would say
they were very standard. Don't rush
the youngsters into matrimony. Per-
haps your own marriage has been
such an inspiration to them that
they wish to take every precaution
to keep their own as charming.