The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-02-29

FROM our limited knowledge we are
: forced to The conclusion that no one has
ever vet given an unscceptionable def
nition Of marriage With some man
and woman loving each other truly ia
marriage With others the performance
OF the ceremony or the pronouncing q
man and woman husband and wife by
some one authorized by State or Church
or both il marriage. With others man
and woman publicly acknowledging.
themaclves husband and wife is marriage.
With others Capitalization er the living
together Of 'nan aud woman ss husband
and wife is marriage And, with still
Others, it requires all these to constitute
marriage. With tue indebtedness and
imp rfections of the definitions, and with
ali the different and conflicting epin-
;ans as to what constitution marriage to
say nothing Of the duties and obligstio Ms
arising from is relations, it may we'll he
asked and We ask again, What is mar
rage?
Our writing on marriage at present
was induced by the reading Of letter
from our friend James j. Petit incl sing
a notice Of his marriage. The letter con-
ssts of two parta-tha first dated New
York City Feb. 21, 1872, and tn second
without date. Judge Petit, though far
away, does not forget TO jnclose, with tie
marriage notice Ono cards) sufficient to
procure the customary cake, coffee, &c.
FIR all in the Office, nor does he forget the
place to obtain them. The first part Of
the letter we are willing to recsiYe IS
private and confidential The second
part may be equally private and conf
Dental bat our selfshness ia so small and
our benevolence 81 large on this occa4-
sion that We are not willing to enjoy it
all alone. We therefore throw our
self on ths Judges indulgence and
generosity, and publish it, that others
too may have an opportunity to enjoy It.
We congratulate Judge Petit upon
his taking TO himself wife and wish
him much joy and happiness. We cos
gratulsto him too upon his taking to
himself credit for taking wife. We are
not quite certain however but that Miss
Elting is entitled to equal credit with
himself for taking to herself husband.
It being leap year, and society recogni-
ling Wom&n's Rights in this respect on
leap year, it would not be strange nor
she to blame if che had done full part
and was therefore entitled to equal credit
with himself. And, as they have by
r their joint action, removed from the
Judge what he might consider ''mere
liberation" they will occupy the social
position which thar intrinsic goodness
, justly entities them to.
, Judge Petit does not forget that we are
solitary and alone. He enjoins it upon us to
"go and do like 'wise' and closes by bid
ding US farewell and epressing thousand
wishes for our renovation and future success,
: And we think we can fully appreciate all he
7 says and may perhaps profit by it. Having
lived more than thirty years of the first par!
r and nearer nine than eight years unmarried
we must, in Judge Pettit's estimation, have
lost much in our single, lonely and socia
position. We have not however felt the LOST
= as i2uch as indicated by what he says.
7 H. IaSno 4
. single life than he, we have not noticed the
3 loss as much. We have thought that what
: he might call want of social position depended
more upon our voluntary withdrawal from
o association with society rather than upon the
q bans at society being placed upon u.s. But
i. as we advance in years we feel the solitary
!, single and lonely position In life and society
more than we did in our younger years. We
know well what it is TO feel the need eta life
companion, Of a mate for life or eternity o.
0 both. But we have not for the last eight or
Q nine years seen clearly just where duty
v would lead. At an early period after ouI
:. bereavement, two sisters OF our departed
- wife, unlike sisters-in.law generally, wrote t.
us suggesting marriage. And one Of them
. who, like ourself had lost all her children
0 went so far as to point out the kind of a
a woman it would be well to marry. and to ex
press the hope that we might yet have chill
dren which she considered the greatest bless-
. ing OF life. We replied that wa did not know
what effect time and association with society
. might have, but that at that time we coule
Q not think of marrying. Time and association
, with others brought about change SO tina
we could have married il the right oppor-