Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-19
IUxURY AEp MARRIAGE-srMPLER HAB-
Irn nR LIVE

An article in the GALAXY, for September notes
the decreasing willingness to marry without
va.lth. To sacrifice the Injuries Of life for the
sentiment of Love is regarded As an act Of folly,
bat TO sacrifice the passion and add to the lux
uries is wisdom In . word, less importance .
attached to the individual than the pArAPherna-
kA One person is desirable in heart, mind, and
b pay. bat not possessing the coniitionai oohAt-
erals ia rejected for one who does, and this Ia
the arst downward step in the scale OF social
morals.
Nothing can remedy this but the establish
ment Of simpler habits Of life, and the develop
msnt Of less sensuOus, less glAring, less pagan
culture We cannot change the courses OF the
st.-s. nor stem the flow Of Nature this is and
must be our Iron Age in Americs--the Era oi
davsIopmeut, OF improvement, Of increase in
v.lue. OF acquiring riches Of chasing After
wealth, Of all the various GRABS But Wema!
rtainly restrain Ari modify this terrible head
long pursuit Of gold. At least it will be wise and
rational to try. We must seek to preserve, At
le,st among the masses Of the people, simph"
city of life which will persist in marrying pro
perly suited couple, who love each other' even II
the husband is not now rich, and able to keep
his wife in luxury. II may be the habit OF Lon
don and Paris to regard the clothes and purse As
Of more importance than the person-the para
pherpaliA as greater than the indiyiduAl-And
perhaps the luxurious, corrupt. and pagan
imitators Of New York may so far have Aped Paris
TO make this TIER rule but let us yet preserve
Lore nearly the preeepts OF Nature and Human
i;y among the masses Of our people.
AZ the duty OF those who administer or innu'
ence public affAirs-and this includes every citi'
zsn-is to demand more economy and waste,
80 is the business Of al in their social relA-
tons, to encourage simplicity and moderation.
The extensive and thorough education Of the
people ought to have this enect,fSr the acquire
ment OF knowledge is tranquilizing, and tue stu
dent is near to the philosopher. One who loves
books, and has them easily and eheaply within
reach, az our people all have, or may have, en-
joys wealth that the vulgar rich, with milhoni
expended in show, cannot have. II, in acquiring
education, We may acquire SENSE il with knowI
edge there really comes wisdom; there will be
tranquiizing influence spread abroad by ever
increased measure Of public education, and II
that degree the fatal intensity Of our nAtionA
anxiety to get rich will be modified aud neutral
lied.
Not only has the worship OF the Dollar inter
fered with marriage, but it is at the bottom OF
great part Of all our crimes and social offences
Men who ought to be trustworthy prove to
without honesty they forge, steal embezzle, an
grab" The pressure toward the acquisitio
Of pagan Injuries, through the possession {
wealth, is so great that il they fail to get none
honestly and fairly, they press on, instantly,
ways that are dishonerable, and criminal. Fl
the sake of all things good let us try to be Co
tented with more simple, more natural. al
less reckless career for the American nation.