WOMEN AND MATRIMONY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 696, 22 December 1909, Page 4

WOMEN AND MATRIMONY.

i.The tliondon. .''Guardian";.says;'—"No :; disparagenient ■of the'holy..state of matrimony,, rbut" ratlier the reverse,. is implied-.in certain recent '..utterances,'of i,the ': 'President.'■ of■ '■-■. the :United:;.St"ates,-iWhioh have .been'.\videly v.'cbmmenUd;;ruppn;Jn'!;this.country. '-Mr:f'l'aft,.in deolaring' that .he'desired,- 'Xα :.see* every'woman so'situated'.that; she. need ; ; not. marry -'if she, did nplr:- I t-ant' : : ;to,'-, 11 was:,only. i 'eipre.ssing'.th©: desire felt j by.:^titpse" who ''for. the'; last, :fit'ty '■ years or lnpfpina-ye;sought to iproinote,. the. economic in-. dependence.o£^ypnien.: . Some" change in public bpinipn'at least'.has'taken, place.;. It .is-ainus-' , ing ; '.nb^bly''.-to'.-'ie^.' , i'l4e;'sttniming-up- , -by'--3iliss. Austen of-the hiatiyeswhioh, induced Charlotte ■Lucas,- ;;who ; 'ibad: been'brought up to regard; !narriage.';as v 'fhe/'pleasantest-preservative ; 'i'r.oiu. :want.'..tcr(ti'ciiept;tne i /e ! ijregious.Mr,-Collins, who, .was'/neitlier.'sensible nor :agreeable, and'.whose .'society 'was' irksome';. but' it 1 , does not .increase "our:: respect,lor ; the way-inv which: marriage .Vas-regarded-iri "those';days; •■.Nor can;we;hold up ; forVadniiratibn''the :dispassionate■ : manner in.-whicH her- own prospects .were disoussed;by , that; 'niejje "■ p£ ■ Horace Walpole's;' vrhd,"' : ! oi • re-, 'oeiVing'-ii'ipro/pos'^ ,suitbri'sjiid'■'very.'senaibly , : (writes-ber. uncle), to her sisterj'Lady>;Waidegrave: : 'If'l was but' •19 I .would fefuso■ point-blank. I do .not likb io be married' iii ;a week > to' a.man .1 • never saw.; ,But.l, am,t>yp-'and-twenty.. Sonie ; people-say. I:: I am "not. "J, believe the truthi.is.,that l-am,.likely..to■ be.large, and 'tb./go'-off soon. : It;!is dangerous ! to .rfefuse- so grtat: a!,mit'ch'.' :The",view,put forward;by,'Mr; i'i'aft;-:th&tsa;'.womfth;:sbpuld be. : free; to. marry or'not as'-stio:chooses, 'unfettered by.the .neces-: sity-of gottirig.' a'.hu'sband 6iraply for the :sake of t board- and , lodging,' is more 'likely to raise. , than' to ■ lower the '■■ estimation in which niar-' ■riage is held' in pyiCivilised country." ;-.-:-V.