Show TIlE THE MARRYING AGE One evening recently In a little company of oC men and women no none no Ina in ina ina a position or of peril the question of or a proper proper age age for Cor marrying was dis dis- cussed One Ono of those pr present ent held that thata a man should marr marry at twenty four CoUl 01 or earlier and to tot a woman a few Cew years ears his junior Against that that-posItion It 11 was contended that no man should man marry before beCore he was thirty at least and that a woman had had no right nor duty in hymeneal bonds under twenty- twenty five years eals of age No attempt will bo he made here to decide the time question question even even as to theor theory Involved And nd of course courso none of or u us us will ever evel see seo the tho day when ago age for Cor marriage will be fixed by Ly legal regulation regulation regulation regu regu- lation in Iii practice But one ma may offer the argument In favor of oC the early i marriage that young p people ople seem Beem to tobe tobe be more mOle pliable in their natures more I adjustable to each other There seems seem's seems less likelihood of or their clashing if the they unite their theil lives when the habits and fancies of neither are arc fixed aa as the they will be by the years cars The chief motive in life married life married and single sin sin- gle Is gle-Is is happiness The avoidance of oC disputes with their theil heartaches and antl their perils bf of permanent disaffection is a n. desirable thing It seems more difficult for tor a man at thirty to yield In an any of or the compromises which must be made In every overy as association in every evoly friendship than it II would be bo for a younger man The older he ho gets gets- the themore themore more set he will bo be In his wa ways s 's The Tho less willingly will viii he ho concede that his wife ma may be he right about some somo of or the points which she on her hel part re regards regards re- re gards as ns necessary or Imperative But the of early marriage has a n strong point In iii the statement that neither man nor woman Is prop- prop I. I ertly matured either In hod body or mind for the d duties and l' l responsibilities of or married life if Ir they assume them at twenty to twenty Neither Is at nt that ago age qualified to make judgment as to the mental and ph and spiritual qualities of or the other Neither can weigh Impartially tho the tho slightest attribute Neither can see ee clearly the defects of the other And i A I. I f there are arc defects In both of oC thom them Neither can conclude that tho the chances of oC marriage with the other are nrc in fa favor Cn- Cn avor a- a vor of happiness L And these arc UlO all Important matters that should be decided de tie- and antl decided right before the time final step Is taken before beCore tho fancy Is given charge of the tho case and permitted permitted permitted per per- to paint the tho other with all the colors of or radiant perfection Once the choice Is made no matter what tho the age may be that perfect in infatuation infatuation In- In should come corne ant and should re remain remain re- re main maui till death do o them part Shakespeare was married at nine nine- teen tech His wife was as a lit little tic older and they did not live c happily In fact they did dill not live together at nt all after the thc first list few years ears Ben Johnson married at twenty one Franklin at ul four twenty Mozart 1 w was s twenty five Dante Kepler Samuel Johnson Edmund Ed Etl- mund Burke Sir Sit Walter Waiter Scott at twentysix ty six Byron Washington ton and Bonaparte Bona Bona- parte married at twenty seven i Nelson at twenty-nine twenty Burns at thirty Chaucer Chaucer Chaucer Chau Chau- Hogarth and Peel two thirty-two Wordsworth and Day Davy three thirty Aristotle thirty six Ix Sir William Jones and Wellington thirty seven Wilberfor Wilber for force e thirty eight Luther fort two forty two Addison four forty Wesley esley and i I Young YounS Cort seven forty so cn Swift nine forty Buffon BurCon five fifty-five Old Parr tho the last time Gossip has not tout told us in all cases whether hether these lived happy happ ever aCter after after aft aCt er but we know that Byron nyron was Inconstant Inconstant in inconstant In- In constant that thal the tho Immortal George Geol quarrelled with his wife wire hat Bonaparte Bonaparte Bona Dona- parte parle put jut aside the tho woman he lie wedded when ho he was wa twenty seven and went and she she- was older We e know that Nelson never never never nev nev- er rested content in the rule of oC his home home home-as as Indeed he ho could not vcr very ery well do 10 sailor 1101 and hero as he was And we know that the marriage of Burns was less an Incident In his life than some previous alliances which take him him quite out of or the category I I under discussion here I It is after aCter all nIl a question of true love Anil that means the patience that endures tho the charity that overlooks overlooks overlooks over over- looks and forgives the spirit which rewards and the tact which gives dominion dominion do do- minion while seeming to serve If oung persons can look a fact squarely square ly Iy in the tho face can weigh weight the tho habits and tendencies of or the other in un- un trembling scales and then having decided can maintain the position of oC lover through life lire then marriage at atan atan atan an earl early age ago should be as wise as at any other time But would It not be bo strange l If the they could decide this matter matter mat mat- ter unerringly when they arc are confessedly confessedly con con- Incapable of sound judgment In Iii every other matter |