Matrimonial Notes
February 26, 1946
The press service reported that in Spokane, Washington, in the “for-sale” column of the Chronicle, sandwiched in between ads about a gas range and a bicycle was this: “Charter member of Brush-off Club will sell diamond engagement-wedding ring set.” That sounds like a pretty sad story and gets me wondering how the young lady came to be in possession of the wedding ring it she was “brushed-off.” Did she take it as security or had she purchased it herself in the conviction that being forehanded was next best to being married? Murdoch, of course, says in his sour way that it’s probably just a trick ad inserted by an installment jewelry house who will have an engagement-wedding ring set to sell to all comers. But, if it IS legitimate and if there is a Brush-off Club hocking their ill-gotten trinkets, it only confirms what was suggested in an earlier edition of this column, to wit: that the shortages of various commodities are causing a distortion in the matrimonial market. This young lady in Spokane who finds herself brushed-off and with nothing but a few diamond rings hanging in her scalp-belt probably just didn’t have a few fourteen-and-a-half shirts as bait. That’s all.
The young eligibles returning from the wars are not interested as their fathers were in the normal dowry. They don’t cast appraising eyes over the available talent, measuring color of eyes, texture of hair and sundry architectural dimensions. What they want to know is . . . has the old man a slightly used blue suit and is there an older brother with some shirts to hand down? I wouldn’t have mentioned this again but for the fact that a ripe bit was wired in from Clun, England on this very subject. Clun is a nice little town in England where shortages go beyond gent’s wearing apparel. On the bulletin board of the town ball, neatly thumbtacked, was this notice, “Gentleman with little lard wishes to meet lady with some dried eggs! Object matrimony and pastry.” Man is a modest creature and his wants are Spartan. If some of you gals are really serious about hooking a husband, spend a little less time studying the beauty ads and a little more time examining the market shortages. Pays dividends!