Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-06-02
Premature Marriages.

A delicate creature of eighteen wears
was introduced to us, who would have
been beautiful had she been healthy
She was so frail, it seemed the north
wind must subdue itself to softness ere
1t would sweep over her. To her moth
er, Mrs. Blank-a charming Woman
we said:
'1our daughter is quite feeble; vet
1t seems unnecessary she should be
vigorous, as she inherited good con-
stitution.'
YES" she replied, ssSophie is NV
greatest anxiety. That cough has
troubled her year; vet she saws she is
WE'LL am fearful, for she will not use
medicine. Sometimes l feel as if ]
should go distracted"-and the maeni.
ficent and really alarmed woman, in
her intense solicitude, did become
distracted, so that she took no notice
OF our question, ''Do you keep Miss
Blank at school? 20 She whom we had
supposed a young girl of fifteen wears
old, and called hiss Blank, replied to
the question.
"My name is Mrs. Squier. ! have
not been at school these three years.
l have been married more than two
years.
married! you married? And yotl
husband-not to defer marriage till YOU
were developed, and your tissues 50
consolidated as to assume with safety
the responsibilities of matrimonv, and
the tax it imposes ?''
"I on must see him-so large and
manly-I am proud ofhim. He is Just
different from me. He calls me his pet
doll. 1t he is absent one day am very
wretched."
Noble but he is either reckless or
ignorant of woman's nature and wo-
mans needs; he is ignorant of those
truths which no man is excusable for
not learning before he asks woman
to marry him-so we soliloquized.
Mrs. Squier added, II am failing
but L deny it to mother, for were I to
own it she would grieve her life away.''
Here Mrs. Blank, recollecting our
presence, said, eyes, Sophie is my
anxiety. And she has so fine hus-
band, and is SO well settled-iust as I
would have her-and now become so
feeble! Formerly she was never sick.
She was so healthy. She was lust the
loveiest bride" (Mrs. 3. here again
became abstracted.)
And she will make Just the loveliest
corpse, we added, mentally: and it will
be lovely to hear the minister at the
funeral refer her death to the inscruta-
BILE providence of God, who always
calls to himself the loveliest-those too
good for earth-thus affording us the
discipline needed to draw us to his SER
wee. Such charges are meanly detract-
i've of the Divine Being, and libelous
OF the great and good of this beautiful
but DETAINED earth.
Much mischief comes of this childish
romance thrown around the marrying
OF boys and girls, "Isn't Cousin Car
RE old enough to be engaged?" asked
a volatile girl Of seventeen, herself mar
RED. When nursing her baby, wear
after, she thought it cruel that she must
be cut off from all youthful enjoyments
to take care of baby. She was RIGHT
her child was grievously SIN
ned agalnst-she was right; her place
was among the youthful mates of her
childhood, and not with the matrons of
the land. She was unfit for that place.
Both boys and girls should be taught
that 1t IS wrong to enter the holy state
OF matrlmony before their bodies and
minds are SO matured aud invigorated
as to assume safely and perform Joy
ously the duties incident to this state.
Their own health and happiness de-
mand this.
And the children-stinted in life.
health, and apacity-how can they
rise up and call their parents blessed!
1t IS crying shame for a parent to
have a child miserable or vicious #
need not be.
Yes, the children-they are entitled
to large fund Of life-to high and full
endowment. But how can children in
merit vigorous constitutions when the
parents are lmmature-their tissues not
only lax, but partially developed OBJ
servatlon shows that the children of
very young persons are generally de-
ticlent in strength of intellect and stabil-
lty OF character. DR.. Franklin was the
fifteenth child Of bis father and the
eighth of.his mother. DR.. Samuel John
sons mother was over forty when he
was born. And the parents of Lord
Bacon, Fenelon, Sir William Jones.
and Baron Cuvier were fully mature
when these illustrious men were born.
what IS not possessed by parents
can not be transmitted to children
Life illustrated.