Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-10-13
Unhappy Marriages.

There is nothing more melancholy
But what shall we do about il? Mus,
people unhappiIy married live on in
remediless misery Must a man be for.
ever chained to Xantippe? Must wo.
man always endure man who is a pet.
ty tyrant? These are questions which
some social reformers are asking vehe-
raently just now. Let US loose these
bonds, aud let these chained people 90.
What right has the law, civil or moral,
to bind people in a living death Let
people live together who love, aud let
people who do not love go free.
This surely seems "a very simple rene.
dy very easily applied. But is it rem
edy after all? VIII either of these un.
happily married people be any happier
if they are separated? You have hus.
band or wife who makes you exceeding.
ly unhappy. Will divorce relieve YOU ?
You carry still the memory of the un.
happiness, the sense OF disappoin ment,
the fatal and terrible blight with YOU
VIII not separation aggravate your
misery? Aud if one of the two might
be made happier by divorce, there
would be no aggregate increase Of hap
piness. If you have made mistake Ia
marriage, it is your mistake. If YOU
are not happy, your companion surely is
not? And you have no right to blight
and blast the life of ano her unfortunate
by separation making matters tenfold
worse than they are.
People who are unhappily married are
not likely to remarry happily. Ii there
are tempers that have spoiled the first
marriage there is no prospect of better
fate in second marriage. To hese evil
tempers there is added the shameful rec.
election of a marriage bond to one who
is yet living, and the humiliation and
disnonor of a divorce. For marriage is
ID It's very nature indissoluble. There
cannot be re-marriage while former
husband or wife lives without hopeless
deflement of the souls purity, blunt
ing and blurring of the very sense of
purity itself
If there are children the case is worse
lie who is father indeed, would endure
any nnhappiness rather than subject his
children to the modification and demor-
allzation of divided filial affection and
conflicting allegiance to father and moth
er. In such a case, divorce and re-mar-
riage is confusion, destruction death.
We know that it seems hard for those
who sit down in loving homes to advise
those who sit in the shadow of this dea h
10 endure it. We are not speaking of
those cases of brutality or fendishness
in which separation becomes necessary
but OF those continual droppings aud
perpetual "rainy days" of bicke ing
and dissenslon, of thosesudden and fierce
storms that sweep through some unhap
py households. No separation on ac.
count of incompatibility of temper can
do any good.
Part OF the unhappiness in any family
may be cured BY any husband or wife.
A bad temper is as much a misfortune
as sin. 1t is born with some people.
and they are no mo responsible for its
possession than for splay-foot or
squnt-eye. We do not say that it NAV
not be controlled. But we do say that
your husband or wife is only partly to
be blamed for an ill-temper or a selfish
disposition. What is not matter for CEN !
sure is matter for pity. If you can come |
to treat the unfortunate member of the !
house a unfortunate, you will get your
reward, at least in your own peace Of |
mind. Make up your mind to cure all |
you can of the unhappiness in your
household, and patiently to endure the
rest. Every one has some burden to
bear. Yours may be heavy. Bot there
are others also who have heavy burdens
The worst termagant we ever knew had
also generous qualities. And she mar
ried husband who knew how to bear. to
De patient, to conquer by patience. That
'he will ever be otherwise than trouble
'ome we doubt. But she is utterly de.
voted TO her husband. She regards his
of her as little less than mirsc-
ilous. We have seen him under yexa-
ions, but one word in any way censni-
ng his wife we have never heard escape
lis lips, and we do not believe she has
'ver heard such a word. He has his re.
ward in measure of happiness where
ess patient man would have had only
Inmitigated misery-Hearth and Home
An Irish doctor advertises that persons
flcted with dea ness may hear of him
n house in DIfiey street, where also
lind persons may see him daily from 8 {