Once upon a time, any young woman who did not have to work for her living was kept on a relatively tight leash until she was married (or went into a convent, I suppose). If she married a nice man, she could then breathe a sigh of relief and take advantage of whatever freedom her position in society afforded.The logic behind this was to foster the young lady’s marriage prospects, since it was believed that the the surest route to happiness and fulfilment for a woman was marriage, children and grandchildren. Anything that messed up a woman’s chances of making
Link back to original source ... http://www.overapplesandroses.blogspot.com