Recently on a visit to the USA I read an article that some American wives of Civil war veterans were still drawing pension.  This surprised me as the American Civil War was fought from 1861-65 and that is almost 150 years back, how could their widows be still drawing pension in 2014( The time I was in USA).? On further checking I find that only one widow was drawing pension, but at the turn of the century there were many of them

I delved further into the matter and found that most of these widows had married these veterans  during the period of the great recession (1928-30). At that time these veterans were in the range of 75-80 and they married very  young girls of the age of 15-17. The age difference in some cases was almost 50-60 years , but by all accounts the marriages were a success and 90% of the young girls conceived and had children , who were fathered by the veterans.

Why did such young girls marry old veterans ? From the mans point one can understand the need for a young woman as a mate. This is amplified by Vatsyayana in his monumental treatise, where he has advocated sex with a younger girl for a man to be rejuvenated. A younger girl is the elixir for an older man to remain youthful. The women I understand married for economic reasons. During the great depression to get a loaf of bread was a problem and the veterans were the only ones secure, with a military pension. This was guaranteed by the government, thus it was good economic sense to marry a veteran and bear him a child. These soldiers died and the pension devolved to the young wives.

This brings me to the greater question, that men and horses do not age like a woman. A man in case he exercises and keeps fit is capable for sex  even up to the age of 80+. One can see the case of the famous Hollywood star Anthony Quinn, who had a  love child at 82. Recent examples are Rupert Murdoch the press baroe who married Wendy a Chinese girl in US, younger to him by 4 decades and had 2 children from her. There is also the case of Hugh Hefner.

In India older men marrying very young women is frowned upon, but in the west it is not taboo.   But the trend is catching on in India. Obviously  such marriages are only for the rich and economicallly sound men and not a general rule.   No girl would like to marry a man whatsever his age if he was hand to mouth himself.

In the meantime the case of the Civil War widows is a subject that can be studied further.