The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-05-16
An AmOrollleter.

The Suggestion Tor the hcWc>t ftlpTh'
comes fauin the oldest OF the empires.
The flow.ry Kingdom, whose history
runs back five thousand years "till II i
lost im the twilight OF fable" has indi-
ivctiy become the, teacher 10 the new
world OF u great social or matrimonial
reform. We should hardly have expect
cl such device from the land OF Cox
rr,Irs. But the Celestial people who
anticipate paper. and printing. and the
compass. and gunpowsler. and nnmer-
Gus other at the greatest of m,sicrn in
vcmtions. might. after all. he expected ia
introduce. or suggest. reform IN the
most important social relation that Is
known among men
The Chinese. older than history. al
most rs old MS mythology. have been for
thousands of years the people of COM
pctiiivc examinations. Political or lit
erarv emincnce can only be reached
among them by passing through these
examinations. We might almost say
that civil service reform is Older than
the pyramids, and we haven't got II
very perfect vet. Hut, n least in the
field of romance. this system has enlarg
ed its borders aud siren gthencd its stakes
1t has gone beyond the plain. matter
of-fact domain ofcivil affairs, and enter
ed the realms of the heart. An East
Indian novelist has written a story cal
led "Miragnama. which is published in
Puniaubee. that gives the suggestion for
this matrimonial reform. Ii is the story
of an accomplished. aud beautiful, and
pious lady. daughter of n Mohammctlan
King of China. This Young lady had
taken a vow to marry him alone who
equalcd her i'm learning and pietv. Ques-
tons were prepared touching morality
and religion. Suitors appeared and
submitted themselves to the crucial test.
A lover was NJ last found who success
fully met the application Of this anthro-
ppmeter. and Of the account of these
examinations, with the answers Of the
successful competitor. this Oriental nov
81 consist. 1t is very suggestive book.
1t leads us to inquire il competitive tests
for inafrimony can not and ought not to
grow into universal use. a man can
not become an officer in the army with
out an examination. The soldier must
pass physical examination. \ gentle
man can not become schoolniaster or
lady schOolmistress without being
examined. The boy or girl can not en-
Ter the high school except via the neces-
sary examination. 1t is attempted to
prevent men from becoming clerks or
public officers without submitting them
seves successfully TO an examination.
Ought bows and girls. or men and wo-
men. 10 enter mairimcny, which is of
the greatest consequence to themselves
and the world. with less fitness than
they would need 10 study algebra in
good company. or carry mu>ket: -
Ought not we who live, as we think. i'm
the fulness of time, to borrow and act
upon the suggestion made in this ro-
nance that is laid in the Celestial Empire!
OF course it would be possible and
necessary to add to the device in the
shape in which it comes 10 us. If some
women of whom We have heard should
equal them in ''picty and learning" the
examination would not be formidable to
men capable of virtue and reasonably
intelligent. Clearly. therefore. the mat
rimonial test should he mutually applied,
else it would not be equitable. With
equal philosophy it can be urged that
the tests should not only be mental aud
moral. but physical. No man can enj"!
religion or matrimony mixed with toe
much dyspepsia and consumption. And
when physical aud religious and intel.
lectual measurements are made of can.
didatcs for marriage. the matrimonial
millennium will have dawned To he a
married man in that day will be proud
distinction. and bachelors will be con
demned to the ignominy from which 9
charitable public has too long tendetly
spared them. On the other hand. n pre-
sumption will In any case be established
in favor of maiden lady on the ground
not that no man had invited her. bn
that no man had passed the exami
nation. All this would be rs it should
be. Love. in that happy day. will b
rational, because II will be the subject o
measurement. The science Of lOve-mak
ing will be an exact science, like math
ematics. Learning will lie along al
the hills. religion will climb the noun
tains and bloom In the valleys. the phys
ical grace and perfection of the cit.
where PHlDIAs wrongh; his bits Of mar
BILE beauty will visit the earth ono
more, and race Of gods will spring III
where men and pigmies once lived AM
irrationally loved.
OF course it is likely that abuses will
creep in, and many questions Of casuis
try arise even at the first hasty glance a
the new matrimonial era. Who shal
conduct these examinations How shal
surreptitious "crammine" be prevented