The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-10-17
Home and sIarrIed Life.
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The Rev. a. a. willetts has been lee
turing on Marriage and Home Life. II
would be well ii more OF our ministers,
lecturers, moralists and statesmen,
would seriously study and discuss and
throw all possible weight of Influence
to bear upon the community, in favor
OF well-cOnsidered marriages and home
life; for all statistics go to show that
the growth in national power, in civili-
cation, in wealth, in happiness and in
morals, depend more upon correct
knowledge and compliance with the
laws of marriage than most persons
have any idea OF. The growth of the
United States, from three TO thirty mil
lions, is unequalled in history; but
then the element of emigration entered
largely into ii. The other day, at "A
meeting of the Social Science AssOcia-
ton, paper was read showing the eff
feet OF the pressure of population upon
marriage, and presenting vital statis-
tics, the result of which, for practical
purposes, may be briefly summed up
thus: Marriages will be most numer-
GUS, and the natural increase of popu-
lation will be in proportion to the
abundance of the means of support
and to the sparseness of population.
The reverse of all this might have
been deemed not Improbable. In cities,
for instance, where young men and
young women see SO much more OF
each other, il might have been suppOs.
ed that marriages would be formed
from more perfect accord of tastes
and disposition, and that IL larger pro-
portion of marriages would take place.
Yet the difficulty of finding support,
and the artificial wants and distinctions
OF society. the fancies and dislikes and
over rehnementS of social life, raise
barriers to marriages, to say nothing
of the irregular, brief and evil career
for which dense population affords
more ready opportunity. So, also. with
the greatest variety and best kinds OF
food and clothing; life is not so whole
some, men are not so strong, and fami-
lies raise fewer children, and those
children are not so healthful in the city
as i'll the country. In very exact pro-
portion to the destiny OF population,
these evils have TO be guarded against.
In the Eastern States the old settled
families do not increase ut all as they
used to do, or as the Irish and other
immigrant population, that settle down
on the same spot, do now. The famt-
lies i'll the Western States increase much
faster.
Is this all part OF general law, or Is
IL development of Il Divine purpose,
by which, in proportion TO scarcity, is
the abundance of supplYP The best
is this: TO cultivate home life, family
ties, early and prudent marriages.
Family influence in city, or county
or State, and national greatness, de-
pend more on this than any outward
prosperity beside. Let all aim to bring
the simplicity, purity and true heart
edness of a country life into the city.
This alone can preserve old families
from decay. The love of show and su-
perficial accomplishments, as the first
end and aim of life, is destructive TO the
last degree. 1t is II stab at the heart OF
"A nation and every family. All that
encourages men to be away from their
homes and families of an evening is
mischevious beyond calculation. DIR.
Claiming, Hs u moralist, used to
contend that even large, gay, fash
ionable assemblies, either for the yOnng
or for any, were not ordinarily TO be
encouraged. They are the enemies of
home life. But much larger number
of inexpensive gatherings, without con-
straiut or late hours, or extraordinary
excitements-meetin of friends or "A
few families, young aEl old, of an
evening, are in every respect more de-
sirabIe.
" ithin a few years there has been a
great rush of population to cities and
towns, but the older and more expert
euGed Inhabitants of these places are
becoming increasingly aware OF the ne
cessity of mixing up the simplicity,
economy, early hours and domestic
habits of the country, with the facili-
ties for high culture and refined taste
which city life so abundantly offers.
Many OF those laws OF Kindness and
morality, which are instructive in
scattered population, are intended TO
become matters OF scientific study and
religious cultivation, to preserve socie-
ty from stagnation and decay in the