Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-22
TO MARRY CT, NOT TO
Is A n raw
Tisc ssnsaiion EEunorousIy Gem
eidere0.


sfdered.
Cornelius O'Dowd," in ths nes nun.
Der OF Biachwacd, discusses the question o,
marriage in pleasant way. We Gull a few
passages:
10 LIE really life If one must pass it ON
the tight rope? Is existence worth having
when u Is eternally . question Of haianc-
ing-swaying to this side and bending to
thatr
Is it proven that all people have q voca-
ton for marriage and is cenjugalism per N
certain to require those who, to attain it,
must divide between two what they had
already found barely sufficient for one
Those are the simple questions which We
have no need Of philosopher TO ask CT
answer fer u. If one were simply TO pro-
nounce from what appears on ths surface Of
life-and 1t 10 hard to 60 Deeper We should
say that the single people, especially the
men, have the best Of it. Thev are the
more in request among their friends, avail
able for more attentions, and keep longer
yorng than their married brethren.
The double barrslsd sgotism of marriage
spois many good fellow, and destroys the
charm Of many . delightful woman. The
firm, that terrible partnership, crops up a.
avery moment and routs that glorious spon-
tnneity, that deiiciou. irrssponsibil,y, wc
once remembered
have no patience with those peopls who
want to marry on what il is q puzzle to
them to live snugly upon. They must be
moral, forsooth at the cost Of reducing
some unhappy girl to drudgsry on TIA Il Sc
pretenso-ior it is false-of loving her.
why can't they let /. alone - Is the
grea. master Of common sense said Of less
evsntful contingency.
have met more pleasant and conpsn-
ionablc people among the single than the
married but there is canting notion
abroad that marriage 10 . sort Of backbone
for good behavior, and so the curate must
bc married, and tho doctor ought 70 be
married. don't know how far the theory
goes, or whether . iady's shoemaker should
have . wife, but am sure her co,feu,
ought.
! hope We shall soon hear the last Of thia
tiresoms controversy; for, il ary man
wishes positively to ascertain, from his per
sonal experience, whether it 10 safe to marry
on Il00 per annum, lot him commit email
misdsmsanor in Ireland and be sent to jaiI
for three months. This constitution stand.
the distary-ths seven ounces Of cruel and
pinch Of barley per dism-hs may have hi,
banns published the day he comes out. enc
certainly there win be nothing in bis ab
serbsnt system to interfere with his happi-
ness.
But it 10 . mistake to suppose that mar
risgs 10 necessity, except to three vol
ums novel. am certain that . very lare,
number Of people are net made for tina
species Of companonship. Mind AN no
enamored Of Mofmonism Or spiritual wifsry
nor have | the slightest sympathy will
Agapemones. What desire to insist Of
10, that our present day civilization incul
Gates conjugalism too indiscrininatsly, ans
takes most upjustfiable means to supper
its position One Of these. and the lsas
commsndable Of oil. 10 to disparsgs thos'
who are called old maids. | have seer
mary tinid rider in hunting field jeerst
into riding at fence that cost lin crop
per-" and am convinced that many womeI
arc driven into marriage TO escape tbs oblo
guy and sarcasm of belonging to that ma :
lign.d category.
ltis 10 sxaggeraton 10 say maligned
| would ask any ore who has seen much o
hie-who has, SO 10 say, been man of tn
world, watching It's ways and studying it
doings-l would ask Of him, has he eve
met in any section of humanity create
kindness, gentleness and patience thar
among these same old maidse Where ha
he found moro hearty, genial, generous ma
turssf where sound views Of life disiigurs,
by fewer p,.judicsss where more thorough
= a.
in one word, less Of those very attribute
by which il has pleased the world to char
acterize this class7 1t is no part OF my tas
to call witnesses to what say but one
will cite, bocaace she emnently reprsseu
ted all that have 90 fsebly attempted T.
picture and il her genius might seem t
outshins the lustsr Oft personal qualities
it is only TO those who had not the happi
ncss-and it was happiness-of her init
macy. am talking Of Miss Edgeworth
and il 10 well worth all the weight Of tn
years it obliges TO have met and know
her.
will not affirm that marrisgs coul,
have spoiled such nature, but will 81
1t could have bettered il. Nor 10 il a smal
part Of the matter that At eighty she wa
/ the guiding spirit, the delight and tn
charm OF that family which derived sloi,
from her name and happiness from he
presence.
is il to a class which numbers Mis-
Edgewor,h and Miss Nightingale among it
members women need shame to belong
II have done | will only adj tina,
instead OF hcaring ridlculc on tho condition
Of unmarried women, and out Of hhee
derision driving them to accept any body
anything-as husbands. let us accord then
oil the Difference and regard we bsstow o.
others, and lot us not forget, in the presence
II some old maid whose qualities Of mind
and nature have charmed W, and who's,
traces Of beauty are not few nor faint, thai
il We do deem 0atrimony the great prlz.
in life, it 10 a living shame to our sex tina
such . woman should be single.
III have wandered from my text o
Marriages on Starvation Allowance, il il
SIMPLY because have not that overwssninl
impression Of eonjugalism that woult
Recommend any ono TO face beggary I,
attain il any more than l would advise
| man n tav ouf his LAT ahstiin~ - H.