Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-19
Modern Marriage.

One or two incidents OF recent occurrence,
which appear trivial enough to the casual
reader, bear SO directly upon deep rooted
evil of our domestic life that it is worth our
while to examine into their causes and re-
suits. One is the account OF the suicide Of
young married woman "the cause, an un-
fortunate attachment :" the other the shoot
ing of gay young fellow by girl to whom
he had paid attention for several years, but
whom he had lately deserted to marry
iairer and wealthier rival. The young lady
was of course acquitted on the ground Of in
sanity, and the man is in a fair way to re-
covery from his flesh wound. The local
papers make haste to exculpate him from
all blame, "as no engagement existed be-
tween the parties" In neither Of these
eases was the attachment Of criminal
nature the women suffered in nothing but
the matter of feeling which is 50 intangible
and weightless thing in public esteem that
only insanity can excuse the desperate deeds
to which it drove them.
Here is precisely the point to which We
wish to call attention. What is the worth
of a woman's honorable affections or has it
any at all? The courts award handsome
sum 10 dollars and cents as the price OF
wounded feeling in case OF breach OF prom
Use and that to the very women who, by
their coming before the public to set price
upon their hearts, prove that they have ne-
Their feeling or delioacy to injurc. In Amer
lean private life, on the contrary, the pure
affections of young girl are the only pos
sessions which by common consent are left
totally unguarded, and which custom aud
every social law forbid shall be protected by
any means whatever. A daughter is born
| let US say, to parents of culture and Of the
highest social position she is the center Of
their hopes and plans; all their wealth and
influence are brought to bear on the perfect
ing of her body and mind no safeguard can
be too vgllanty set to protect their treas
ure from any contamination Of disease, I'M
purity Of thought or vulgar manner. So far
the course is rational and commendabe
But from the day when she technically en-.
tiers society, while she is guarded in other
respects as carefully as before, any man is
at liberty to gain her affection who chooses
Here is tho result of that peculiar freedom
of our American social system Of which We
are so apt to boast. The French demoiselle
receives no attention from possible lovers
unless in the presence Of her mother or TEN.
porary guardian the man who would begin
a Irritation with an English girl Of respecta-
bic family knows that he is passing the in-
spection of her father, brothers, and most
certainly the mother, who has been her near
est friend since birth. If his behavior ia
dictates that he is triaing he may look for a
sharp snubbing from the family and prompt
exclusion, and such punishment would be
regarded simply proper protection and a
matter Of course. ..".....
The American girl, on the contrary, is
left wholly to her own guardianship. She
has half a dozen intimates among the
young fellows OF her set she corresponds
with them, accompanies them to concerts
and opera uuaided, aud sometimes winds up
the evening by supper in the restaurant,
which ends in the small hours. They arc
not ostensibly lovers-they are friends, bOaS
comrades. She finds tho friendly half pas
sionate intercourse more intoxicating than
direct love-making She opens the depths
OF her innocent heart to the vulgar prYing
eyes; the favored intimate becomes a
haJitue Of the house. In few months,
perhaps weeks, he knows more of the secret
feelings desires, aims Of the girl, than her
sister or brother or mother who bore her
lie treats her personally with a liberty that
is graduated by her individual character
But it is inevitably a liberty. The girl ends
by loving him; the more unworldly, the
more pure she is, the moro likely is she to
mistake his course as honorable. la the
meanwhile the mau has not the slightest idea
! Of marrying her ; very small minority Of
young men are in a marrying mood in these
hard times no had just as little idea of dis
honoring her or njuring her in public es
teen, but he accepts the intimacy of friend
ship of the young glrl as one Of the good
things society offers him he would be !
J dull fool if when lovely That's is left to s
beside him he did not take the goods th'
gods provide him. Meanwhile American
| society rules that the father and mother o
! the girl shall remain perfectly passive, Thu
/ man may be the most desirable or uusuita
bio husband for their daughter, but they