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The Government of Dalmaria Broke Up Bachelorhood and Spinsterhood By F. A. MITCHEL Copyright, 1910, by American Pre Association, oe 2#0e0908O ‘The population of Dalmaria had been running down for years. The marriage licenses, which formerly had been is sued by the city government at the rate of about a hundred a week, had diminished to ten or a dozen a month, ‘To remedy the evil the government Passed ‘ law that all men should be Married by their twenty-first birthday and no girl should refuse an offer un less she could prove the Proposer to be a man of bad character or that he was not able to support her. ‘There was consternation amoung the unmarried of both sexes at the past Race of this law. Single men began to bestir themselves to secure—as some of them expressed It—the least unde sirable girl in the town. A woman who had received a proposition was given a week to examine into her pro poser's fitness and come to a decision But at the end of the week a new pro poser might be accepted. Consequently the girl was not necessarily compelled to marry the first proposer fitness no one else entered a claim. ‘This was considered a very wise expedient since it admitted of competition. Neverthe less it resulted in considerable [tiga tion. Girls finding themselves unable to decide between several applicants would defer decision till the limit of time had passed. Sometimes a young man within a few days of this twenty first birthday would be out of Us he had broken the law. ‘That which has been called the Duns Dleton cise has come down to us as a cause celebre of this city of compul sory murtis Irene Muanbirton was what is now called a Mirt It is said hit she once met a man at a hall and £ 0 twisted tile brain that within a cou ple of days he lay down to an eternal pon the bottom of a river. An other whhin a week after meeting her is reported to have climbed out of the sixth story window of a building and dived to the sidewalk below. Irene Dumbleton could do anything she liked with a man, either reduce him to douch or hate him so hard that she could kill an elephant with him. Nev ertheless t he instances mentioned were doubtless exaggerated. When the marriage statute became mt law Miss Dumbleton saw that she must marry some man who might pro pose to her. She did not Intend that the wrong proposer should come with to the limits of the law. She did not mean to wait for a proposition. She made it her object to draw Into her net within a week after her first offer 48 MAaDY proposers as possible in order that she might choose between them. ‘The morning after the law had gone into effect Miss Dumbleton received a basketful of proposals. Some of the proposers were desirable, some were undesirable and some midway between the two. She wrote all the names of ten she considered available on cards and laid them in row in order of their desirability. The next day brought an accession to the 1st with A consequent Introduction of new names and a rearrangement of the or der of value. ‘The second and subse quent days brought still larger acces sions, until at the last day of ie three-quarters of the eligible bachelors of her class act proposed to her. One would think that with so many to choose from Miss Dumbleton might find one—all the law allowed—to fit the position of husband. The truth is that the one she really desired, one whom she had previously declined, had not sent his name as a candiidate for reconsideration. When Miss Dumbteton discovered that the proposal of Hebert Whitmarsh had not been sent ih she was seized With a sudden apprehension. If sore days should pier without his having spoken again she would be obliged to choose between butmttinating herself to sare the man who wanted or going to Jail Miss Dumbleton lay nowake all alohe thrashing her pillow like one in a fever over this alternative. At one moment she vowed that he would carry one of the men who had pro pared to her, thus sowing Mr Whit Marah that he was not wanted At the next Mhe decided to break the law end go to Jal. Finally It meen’ to her thet Mr. Whitmirst was it supe posed to know of her change of heart she concinued to make a virtue of neceneity and inform him of that change. That day—the last but one of theme left her to comply with the law—she cnt three hours writing letters to my Dear Mr. Wintarsh, “My Done Egbert, “My Dear Priend, “Hon ored Sir,’ but she ourther came to a decision as to which of these tindey of address she would use, nor did any of the letters she wrote plem to her. Viciny she threw them all in the wasteelasket, went out, bought a few forgetino nots and, putting one of ther into te envelope with her ecard, sent it to Mr. Whittoaret. The reply came back to her: ‘You indicate that you would wish me not to forget you. This is heaplng on me a sorrow's crown, if you realized my wufferings in you a@townt you would wish me to forget YOU Ag soon AB Doe sible.” “Pool” exhained Ase Dumbleton, “Must I tell him that I have changed my mind with regard to him? Yeat Not What shall I do? I have but till tomorrow at noon,” She dashed of the words, “I have changed my mind,” and, placing the message in the hands of her servant, told him to take it at once to Mr. Whinmarsh. The reply was, to say the least, an noying, “To me who have loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you your message is unintelligible. How can one change one's mind so quickly io a matter of love? Love is not an opinion; it is a mingling of souls.” Great heavens!” exclaimed Miss Dumbleton, “Only fifteen hours left, and this stupid man will either force me to marry one I don't wish and whom he doesn't wish me to marry or he will send me to jail! Miss Dumbleton was in despair. Could Mr. Whitmarsh have changed his mind? Were she assured of this, though to marry another would be to blight her life, she could bring herself to do so. But to give up a man she loved and whom she could not con vince that she loved was maddening. She execrated the law that had forced her into such a position. After wildly debating what she should do next she sent Mr. Whitmarsh the following mes sage: “Have you not heard that there are times when a woman says ‘No’ meaning ‘Yes? ' The reply that came back to this was, Does a woman who says ‘Yes' mean ‘Noy Miss Daimbleton stamped her foot; she moaned: she did everything except tear her hair, ‘That she would have done had it not been her crowning beauty. Then when she lid recovered a bit of calmmess she determined to make one more appeal. She wrote: “The law compels me to accept by tomorrow one of a number of offers I have received. ‘Yo this the reply came; “You oil me with grief. How happy would I be to save you if only you loved me. But a marriage of convenience—Impossible! To worry one I devoted my love merely to convey upon her a favor would pro fane my most sacred feelings. When Miss Dumbleton received this size a suspicion came to her that Mr. Whitmarsh was not such a fool after all. Indeed, I occurred to her that he was playing with her. Was it in revenge for the treatment he had himself received at her hands, or did he propose to punish her for what she had inflicted on his sex? At any rate, she could go no further, he consid ered t he plan of inviting him to come to see her with a view to determin ing by observation what was his real attitude toward her, but she felt that she had already demeaned herself to the utmost, and she could not bring herself to do so any further. On the morning she must accept one of her suitors or violate the law a basket of beautiful cat flowers came toher with Mr. Whitmarsh’s name at tached. For a few moments she was overjoyed. Could it be possible that he would relent? She wasted awhile, but received no further word from him and abandoned herself to despair. “The state against Tumbleroys* called the clerk of the court, Miss Dumbleton stepped to the front. “Irene Dutbleton,” said the Judge, “you are charged by the matrimontal bureau with a violation of the tu rage laws in that you have refused to marry Alfred Trimmingham, first of fifty-four proposers, and you wade to claim that he is of bad character or that he cannot support you. Do you plead guilty or not gifts ? “Guilty, your honor.” “How comes it,” rejoiced the judge, “that with so many sulfore to choose from you cannot fadl one to please you?’ ‘The lady stood silently looking We tie floor. “This, your honor,’ avid the pres enting attorney of the matrimonis fy rewu, “in the tent Magrant cis we have had. This werten ever etueeste came of a m intrimenial nye lis drawer fitters to her, keeping Hien Frung jie posing to other Women eli relusive ty marry any one of then tereelf. Aid how we have it these berbiora who claim that they save corgi wir the law in propeing to her te enemme ter the calendar with their cases ! Artist that pote torer veil bailier wine her the Netviest penalty the law ab Jows,” “Anes tmere, treme Pritotdeton, mid the Judge, “task you tu elwome can from winene the ffryefowr inn wher are willing to unmerry pod, 1 would re: Ini ott ENOe Mie Hier dooce tet purniit a worn to chinge her thlrd and he rolegeed frou Mu penelty after ven. tener then hen iitpowed, though ste taay dose before she has reculved her rentenes. The xtreme penalty that Tein lnpore given a woman rete to marry fen sents’ imprisonnent. With the addition of one year for every ron who bare mide Wer A propodition, fe will therefore do my duty to send you to peleen for sixty-four years, and when you are again Crew to merry, ne being olgtity-sie'= “Kiality-font, yeur tiene. “yo WHE tot find av mentee tal TwHFbot wouOl to thet oF toving. Will Fe retary Thewean renmined silent “Then, Tete Dahieton, f wet tone’ “Hed, your Revert’ erled a veer, Vighert Whitrwhel ad foreed of pre trom for the fmt of thie woun WH Sere verry tee Wi the feiintie feemtintep, sent homer, | ona tuld “Net mnie “Vem LOW Rirmeeet, meh fants Miew Hrogohleton, famed te drew it muder ie arin and edttor out of cone
Newspaper Details
Bluefield Daily Leader
Bluefield, West Virginia, US
Wed, Jun 22, 1910
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 13 Feb 2026
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