MOTHERS IN SOCIETY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1694, 25 October 1887, Page 3

MOTHERS IN SOCIETY

There Bre a considerable number of young and " well, preserved " mothers who like going oat more than their daughters do. These look upon their children as a nuisance that Inevitably reveals their age to the world, and they keep them back till they are nineteen, and then brtDg them out, as they Bay very young — barely seventeen. These mothers may often be seen dadoing while their daughter! are standing oat without partners ; and they cannot but be aware of what a ludicrous eight they present by dancing, m many oaaes, with men who are young enough to be their sons. It U needless to say that selfishness and vaulty »re tLe leadtag traits m their characters. They will not acknowledge the faot that it is apparent to all the world that they are getting on m years, and that their "frisky "days should be a thing of the past ; while they exhibit tbeir selfishness by not making it their object to get as maty partners for their daughters as possible, and help them on m the world to the best- of their abilities. Many marriage* are made by young mothors making the men fall m love With themselves and then handing them on to their daughters, who m all probability resemble them ; for it is a well-known fact that a very young man is prone to bestow his affection on a lady considerably older than himself. Some women, who are really good mothers, thoroughly enjoy going out m the world, and nevei eeena to tire on the "social tre»draili." They art at it till their daughters en me out, and, if they have a large family, they may continue for many years until these are all married Even then they oannot make up their minds to give up the one objeot of their lives, their | one great occupation ; but they look out I for young girls who are motherless and m want of a chaperon, as they feel tbat, if thf 7 bad m>t a younp, and, if possible, pretty girl to take out, they would drop out of the invitation list for balls aod parties. Their one objeot is to die m harness, and to be constantly going out as long as health and age will permit. Bat a mother's lot " is not a happy one" on'ess her daughters aro very beautiful or amusing, as there is a great scarcity of " eligible partis," so many men preferring " single blessedness" and their freedom to plangiug into the unknown btate of matrimony, which they look upon as a complete lottery. Id London they feel that it U impossible to kno'f whether girls really care for them for themselves or for their money and position, and they do not j like to risk it. Another hardship m the mother's lot ia the number of pretty American girls that come over here and ! are successful In capturing the prisns that { have been pursued so unceasingly and nn- | successfully ; and undoubtedly they de- | serve sympathy while the present fashion for marrying these fair foreigners continues. The mothers In society are a I most hard-werking class, and may fairly claim with many others that the remuneration ia small and that the times are | bad, the matrimonial trade being m a state of deep depression. — " Saturday Review."