WHEN SHOULD GIRLS MARRY

Temuka Leader, Issue 2031, 10 April 1890, Page 3

WHEN SHOULD GIRLS MARRY

An indefatigable interviewer has been drawing from a number of prominent married ladies their opinions as to what age girls should marry at. “Instead of making twenty-two the proper age to marry, I (said one lady) should make it twenty-five. As a rule a woman is married two-thirds of her life, and she can easily lend two or three out of those years to what ought to be a happy period with every girl, the years between school-days and marriage. Physically and mentally a woman is at her best at twenty-five, and that is the time she should marry.” “ Never before twenty, and rarely before twenty-three,” was the reply of another of the interviewed. “When girls leave school they are susceptible to kindness from anyone they meet, and they should never mistake that feeling for love.” A third lady expresses her opinions thus:—“A girl is not at her best physically until she is twenty-five, and therefore should not marry much before that age, as the housekeeping duties require her best energies. Women who marry before twenty often find themselves broken down at thirty, just when they should be enjoying life the most. Por health alone an early marriage is inadvisable.” In answer to the question whether a girl should ever marry for position, this lady said:—“No, for she has to sit before her husband three times a day, and position does not count in everyday intercourse. Ido not think a girl should follow her first fancy. She may think she loves at eighteen, but is wise to wait until she is twentytwo, and then, as a rule, she does not marry the one whom she selected at first.”

“ What about early marriage ? ” the interviewer asked of the next lady he called upon. “The case is against them,” was the reply. “If one studies society for a year there are hundreds of prominent men whose wives are markedly inferior to them.” “ What is the reason ?’’ In nine cases out of ten you will find that they were boy-and-girl matches. The girl has too soon assumed the responsibilities of wife and mother, and has often become querulous, petty, and indifferent to improvement, while her husband has advanced every moment until there is hardly a common point upon which they can meet. It is the most pitiful thing in the world, and I venture to say the next generation will rarely see it, for girls are every decade marrying later.” Scott’s brewery at Havelock has been destroyed by fire. It was insured for £3OO. Mr Carlton Fynmore, aged 17 years, a cadet in the railway service, at Dunedin, was run over by some trucks on Tuesday afternoon while he was engaged removing tickets, a stone having tripped him, which caused him to fall in front of the trucks. He was removed to the hospital, where he died. Three fishermen while plying their vocation at the Dunedin Heads on Tuesday morning found the body of a man in their net. It has been identified as that of James Eodger, of Poctobello, who has been missing for more than a week. At the inquest a verdict of found drowned was returned. Deceased had been in the asylum some time ago.