Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-04-30
Marriage and Longevity.

OF all the relations into which q
man enters, marriage Is that which
oxerts most influence on his mind
and body, on his powers Of study, on
the development Of his affections, on
the bringing forth Of all the hidden
qualities of his character. The intel
lectual element in his nature, without
the softening and humanizing effect
Of domestic love, might, at first sight,
be expected to absorb the whole man
and render him q giant in mental
achievements. Practically, II has, as
u rule, no such effect. Few monks
have distinguished themselves for orig.
inal invention, for great thoughts, for
an expansive philosophy, or for any
thing implying superiority in the quail
tiles which raise one man above an.
other. 1t is beneficial to the most
active minds TO havo the current of
thought occasionally broken in upon,
and diverted from the channel of sys-
tematc investigation into the calm,
sweet delights of bome-life, of wife,
Of children, of playful sportiveness,
which gives to man in his period OF
greatest force something of the care.
less frame of mind which gave fresh
ness to his childhood. Marriage,
therefore, should be regarded in gen.
cral as help to long life, and should
be called in TO u mans assistance as
soon as he has completed, or nearly
completed, his studies--we say nearly
completed, because, in many cases,
the companionship Of a wife is of great
service in directing and giving high
or aim to the intellectual force. Some
are of opinion that the contracting Of
marriage ought to be deferred till tho
tervor OF passion is over, till youth
has lost its bloom, till the companion
ship of woman is rather desirable as
friendship than as q source of love.
Aristotle thought that eighteen years
for the woman and thirty five for the
mas were the likeliest periods respect
lively to insure happiness in marriages;
but the Sparlans, whose institutions
had been framed by one of the lofticst
intellects ever concerned in the bust
ness of legislation, acted on differ.
ent principle, thinking that persons Of
nearly the same age would love each
other more ardently and harmonize
better together.
As a rule, early marriages are bet
ter than late ones, botter for the wom-
an especially, all whose maternal du-
ties are less exhausting to the consti-
tuition, more productive of health and
beauty of offspring and of happiness
to all around her, than at later pc.
riod of liio. Tacitus observes that
the ancient Germans, the most robust
and war-like nation with which he
was acquainted, eschewed early mar.
riages; but, when he comes to explain
what he means by the phrase, we find
that he thinks it late enough to defer
marriage to the nge Of twenty. Chas.
James Fox, who was, perhaps, as good
judge as Tacitus, brought into the
House an act for fixing the majority
of women at fifteen, and, in the speech
with which he introduced it, put for
ward reasons which the country in
general thought conclusive, though
the Legislature did not. As one swal-
low does not make q summer, so neith-
or is one example sufficient to serve
as basis for general conclusion
yet it is worthy ofremark that one of
the most extraordinary instances of
longevity among women, recorded in
roman history, is that Of Clodia, who
died at the age of one hundred and
fifteen, and in her youth had been the
mother of fifteen children. - Cham
berS'S Journal.