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Show WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO MARRY? June is open season for the altarbound but before you say, MI dot" marriage counselors suggest you try answering seven basic questions By THEODORE IRWIN Luci RAINES JOHNSON, intent on Patrick Nugent, 22-year-- old flew to the LBJ ranch in Texas last fall to ask the President's consent Her father argued that at 18 she was not ready for' marriage. But for the next two months, d Luci persisted. Finally on Christmas Eve the President capitulated and the young couple's engagement was announced. Across the nation, millions of Americans have since wondered whether this youthful marriage The question goes beyond the White is House. June, the traditional marriage month, is buatin' out all over, and before the year is out nearly two million men and women will have re peated the ancient vows. Whether these marriages succeed will of ten depend on one over- trong-wille- banVttl Unwn(nmnr liniliif . When researchers at the University of Minnesota recently polled 4,283 young men and women, they found that two out of five bachelorsand a good many bachelor girls had never- given much thought to token they would like to marry. Just how can a couple decide when the time is right for marriage ? Psychologically, when is it wisest? What do you look for before you leap? Leading marriage counselors consulted by Family Wbxklt agreed that an important element is emotional maturity. when the persons "Any marriage is involved are not really emotionally prepared for the experience," observes Dr. Paul Vthanian, director of training in family counseling at Columbia University's Teachers College. How long the couple have been dating should - ed Luci Johnson, 18, and Pat Nugent, 22, typify the trend (o marrying younger. also influence their decision to apply or not apply for a marriage license. They need time to know each other. The consensus of marriage experts is that too short an engagement isn't desirable. Says the Rev. William F. McManus of the' Family Life Bureau of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York: "No couple ought to get married until after they've known each other for at least a year. Though that's not one of the Ten Commandments, it's some kind of norm. Clearly, the more you know about a person, the more you can love him in spite of his de' sets. I believe that no one should marry unless he can point out three major his inshortcomings as well as virtues-r-o- f tended partner. You can't learn that during a . cost of establishing your new living quarters." The experts agree that a young man subject to the draft should put off marriage until he finishes his military duty. Psychologically, a GI in Vietnam may be sustained by the loving tie with his wife back home, but the enforced separation leaves his bride feeling desperately lonely and unwanted. About half the current crop of first brides are, like Lud Johnson,- - in their teens. Generally social scientists frown on the trend toward turly marriages as impetuous, hasty, and likely to be based solely on physical attraction. "Y ou should have a chance to live a bit, to have an idea of what you're up against," advises Dr. Vahanian. The younger you are, the less chance you've had to experience the kinds of relationships essential for marriage. Moreover, a teenager has not had time to narrow the field to the one person he or she can't live without" Lot marrkioes are risky, too. Confirmed bachelors of 85 or older tend to be set in their ways. Adjustment to marriage can be difficult Financial matters, for instance, often pose special problems for older persons long used to earning and spending their own money,? And girls who wait too long may find the roster of eligible men picked over and then reluctantly settle for second best Studies show that persons marrying during the ages have the easiest sailing. Sociologist Robert Williams of Lehigh University interviewed 530 Philadelphia men and women and found that most men preferred marriage at about 25, women at 23. Ambitious men are justified, the experts tell us, in postponing matrimony until they have gained a foothold in their business or profession. The early 80s are considered a logical age for such . men to marry. A resolve to marry largely depends on what you're, looking for. Psychiatrists say that many short engagement" On the other hand, when an engagement stretches out interminably tensions can build into frustrations and the magic of romance fades. Finances, off court, can affect the wedding date. Many plunge into matrimony on a shoestring. Illness, loss of a job, or pregnancy can rock this kind of marriage. Yet when people wait too long to build up a comfortable nest egg, the dewiness dims and the marriage lacks fire. Best -- advice marry when you have enough reserves J to get by without worry in case of most unex" pected crises. Clark Blackburn, general director of the Family Service Association of America, puts it this way: "After estimating what it would cost to furnish their first apartment or home, a couple contemplating marriage should have enough savings to equal at least three months' income." Robert Gibson of the National Committee for Education in Family Finances adds: "Before marriage, a couple should work out a balance sheet covering income from all sources and realistic weekly or monthly expenses. Know in advance what your rent is likely to be and what, for instance, food will cost you in the supermarket. The reserves put aside should be beyond the cost of the honeymoon, regular expenses, and the r. 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