Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-12-28

4 MATRIMONIAL QuESTION.-ln the corTeSpou'
dence column of Noah's Times and Messenger,
for this week we find the following query and
answer:
as there any causes for the number Of 'un-
happy marriages just at the present time or IS
there always the same proportion OF the fortu-
nate and unfortunate"
AxswRR-Marriage, being described as a lot
terry, will always turn out a certain number of
blanks. From all reports there would seem to
be a larger average Of ill-starred unions than we
should look for, considering the general pros
perity of our country, the free choice allowed in
making selection of a partner for life and the
very few apparent reasons for unsatisfactory re-
suits. BY some, such result is ascribed to the
money spirit, which has increased the number
Of mercenary matches; by others to the extrav-
agant spirit of American women, which IN its
demand for dress, furniture, and other costly
l~uxuries, breaks down the strength and patience
of their husbands, and disqualiiieS them from
being suitable companions for the domestic cir
Gle and the married hours which should be de-
voted to enjoyment Others, again-and these
are by no means the least intelligent critics of
the unestion-are disposed to charge the unhap-
py issues of the marriage relation to the light
headed disposition Of husbands, whose %self.love
prompts them to prefer new faces and the talk
of strange women" to the Legitimate love of
their better hearted but less pretentious spouses.
All these causes, no doubt contribute their quota
to the general result; but weaFe inclined to think
that there is a cause lying deeper and less tho't
Of, which furnishes the key and feeds the foun-
tain-thOugh it works silently and unobserved
more freely and constantly than all of the
others combined. The American husband cult
yates too little those ornamental qualities which
are dearer to woman than house, dress, furniture,
or costly apparel. He is deficient in %imagina-
ton, and therefore lacks that element Of ro-
nance, without which it is difficult to retain the
affections of a woman. Every woman likes IT,
regard her husband as n hero; and when, after
several years intimate association, she wakes up
to the fact that her male companion is merely n
onIp place ready-rcckoner, utterly deficient
in sympathy viii all her finer feelings and her
noblest hopes and aspirations, she feels as one
suddenly Weakened from a dream, and she must
henceforth sink down into a hopeless household
drudge, or open other sources of sympathy
She has been imposed on-she feels it; and if,
meanwhile, the grosser nature of the husband
has driven him also to look for other channels of
enjoyment, you can readily see that unless the
wife is fortunate in providing for her more as
piring and hopeful nature the means of recover
ing her disappointed affections, there must be n
new recruit added to the army who takes rank
as sharers in the unexplained mystery of unhap-
ply marriages. A thorough yearly or monthly
reading of "Thc Arabian Nights would restore
many a husband to the heart Of his dcsparing
wifc-provided he had the heart and the imagi-
nation to enjoy them.