MISS INDEPENDENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3084, 15 May 1917, Page 6

MISS INDEPENDENCE

A PROBLEM FOR HYMEN

(By Wi.) When Eileen and Dorothy were littlef <rjrls at school, I strove lor one long stricken year to impress upon them the fact tuat a grave responsiuilwj had; Leon laid upon me by >heir parents and the Statc-a responsibility, 1 nee at some Daius to point out, thav, could not beTri e<l with! At the end of the year hV scraped through into thenexb - standard by the skin of their teeth and i mssed a silent vote of sympathy to the next man who had to deal with them That was some years ago. mm years rolled back, «* I ■«■ Eileen, in * «* ° bbon , an d minutes late: I saw !*«s*£ ,* b, R pearls-I mean tea» _ for was frequently. . ■£ and purposes were caWW*• , nbg . k ""when are you two going fer «« married?" T pursued. . "Married!" exclaimed E ken, "Married!" echoed Dorothy. ,* "Yes-married." I "id. Hasn tit occurred to you yet? ~.-.;, "There's nothme in it, said luicen., "I'm very well off as 1 am, said our independence," Elleei^W pffiiti m^o'ther hlB tlS" S frothy "For the samo reasons, I suppose. I asked. mmm I while the voun? men, already do is increasng at wl.at I consider to be an alarming rate, and *e number of young men who self!shly.reject the blessed state, or postpone it till ««* have hnd what they are pleased to call their flin" 'is also increasing. JJ s high time° ome enterprising sociologist investigated this bachelor business aud its associated, complications. ii Ye . w ."began Eileen-—-. »Bul' meVbuts?' I said: stern y. "It is not for you, or for me, or lor anybodv, to consider the question of niaS as a sordid material. proposiHon tobe reckoned at so many pounds shillings, and pence worth of comforts by "av of compensation for one's soiled lost independence You ought to consider your dirty to Life. , "I don't see why I should be draggert up to the altar as a matter of duty, said Dorothy ,with.some warmth. "in some countries you'd be madn to do it." I pointed out. Here, of rourse. we're more civilised, or tie think we are. What I mean to say is this- You shouldn't seek to stifle your natural impulses in the direction nf matrimony when Mr. Eight appears in theoffing, simply because you think yon will he better off as you are The time will come, as certain as you are sitting there, when you will regret it. You will wish, when the bloom of youth has departed, and your friends have gone this way and that—died, married, and so f or t, n _that you hadn't flaunted your "iddy independence in the face of the voiind men of your acquaintance. -That will be the time of the sere and yel"Stop—stop!" cried Dorothy. "You terrify mo!" And she put her hands up to' her ears. ' "You commit yourself to that unnatural state." T'continued, mercilessly, "and fclieii, too late, you find your- ( self thrown utterly on your own resources, alone, aIone—ALONE! ■ Of course, you can have a cat. a parrol perhaps a canary, and •" "I shall throw a cup at you in .a minute," said Eileen, with battle in her eye. ' „ "Truth shall prevail; said I. in fanatic accents. ."Besides, I went on. "there should be no noeel to tin" von up to the altar.' 1 continued. "You're both, if I ™y say so. quite prettv enough'to manage it in'si mor" dignified , way." Thev dimpled. "Well." snid Eileen, with mock resignation, "we 11 think it over—en, Dorothy?" ' "We'll see," said Dorothy, noncommittallv. "Wyy wake him dance at our wndding if we do, she added, vindictively. , "So would the punishment nt the crime," I said, with pious unction.