Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-04-17


a French doesor. BerlillOn By names
person with taste for figures, miii-
gated by an appreciation Of the popular
preference f6r what concerns the per-
sOnal lie and -exrerienee Of mankind
in the concrrte, has made some cuFi0ua
studies in the statistics Of matrimcny
with q view 10 extracting therefrom such
practical suggestions as they may con-
tain.
The frsl question which he Under
takes 20 throw light upon 4 whether Is
= healthy aud ronfsarise a long liia e.
marry. Those who age Ssaffie alfeatlY
and propose y "rcmain - they ere
will be gvati6ed 20 learn that hn reaches
an affirmative CONCLUSION. while thosb
who are welded only TO themselves
will be likely 10 cast cynical sluTs on
the correctness Of his calculations. He
finds that those who share their joys
and sorrows, aud perhaps multiply them
at the same time, will stand "the thou
sand natural shocks that flesh Is heir
TO- much better than those who attempt
to bear the burden Of liie alone. There
is a single exception which should con-
vey wholesome warning. There is an
altogether abnormal rate OF mortality
among those foolish people who marry
under the age Of twenty. But, taking
thousand married men from twenty
FIVE TO thirty years oil age, he finds that
only six die yearly. while Of like NUM-
Der Of bachelors ten drop of. Perhsps
some Of the latter perish on account Of
persistent and unavailing efforts TO get
married and the misery which their
future entails. Perhaps they blaze out
their lives 10 a greater extent than huS-
bands in dissipation and are every way
more careless Of themselves. But what
ever the cause, the vivacIous figures at-
test the important fact. The disparity
continues, however, during the sobeTer
days of manhood, slightly diminishing
with the decline into the vale Of years.
Thus between the ages Of foriy-iive and
fi(ty, OF 1000 Benedicts. eleven die
yearly, and Of an equal number Of the
single men who survive their wretch
ness that long twenty give up the strug-
gle every tweivemonth. The same
Thing is true ofwomen as Of men, though
to a slightly smaller extent, owing, pos
sIbly, TO more regular habits and better
care of their health. But those who
have been married and lose their part
ners IN life fare worst OF all. OF wid-
overs between twenty-five and thirty
years Of age twenty-five in I 900 die
annually. Whether this alarming NOR
tality is due to grief does not appear
from the doctors statistics, but another
part of his calculations show that /! such
is the case a large proportion Of the VIC
Tins of the malady seek for speedy
cure.
The inquiries that furnish the basis OF
these latter calculations were directed
TO asccriaining what proportion Of the
bereayed marry again and what relation
the number bears 10 that Of celibates of
the same age wbo assume the blissiul
bonds. The aforementioned Consid-
erations of health and long life appear
to have nothing to do with the result.
At all events. -.Ie learned doctor makes
an entirely different application OF bis
figures. His purpose is TO indicate the
effect Of experience on the inclination
of those who have once yeniured, with
happy ,results or otherwise. What be
expected topFove is not altogether clear
He fintaa. salleF assiduous cipllcring froEa
carefully concealed data, that Of 1000
bachelors between the ages Of twenty
five and tIirty-fve about 10 enter tiIs
state of matrimony in the course Of a
year. OF 1000 widowers Of the same
age 356 is the yearly number that take
the yoke. Now this may indicate that
the happiness and the advantages Of The
married state exceed in actual expe-
rience the anticipation and belief Of
those WHO have not made The trial, ort
may not. Doubtless 10 shows that at
least welded life loses some Of its ter!
rors for one who has had experience Of
it. Possibly the widower who made q
mistake for the first time IN The bind
ness Of youthful sTdoF is conscious oGan
ability. acquired by sober observation,
10 do better a second time. He may or
NAV not have found matTimony all that
his ardent hopes had pictured 10, bat he
very likely reaches sober and unro-
mantle state Of mind in which he feels
that he can make choice on good com
mon sense principles. Then there II the
fact that ~ many cases he has children
that need the care Of mother, whiciS
may exert a powerful influence over his
action. Aud here again tits sLown that
the same rules applies TO women - TO
men, but not 10 the same extent. AB'
other class 10 which DR.. Bertiiion exc
tended hIs inquiries is that Of divorced
persons. One would suppose that Ist
such cases marriage having maDifestiE
once proved failure there would be
more reluctance TO try it again, but tiIs
figures show that from The age oftwcn%
ty-six to forty divorced persons Hafry,
m smaller proportion than widOwers
indeed, but more readily than baehe.
lors, while after forts they even excel
widowers in their readiness TO Te-enter
the connubial state. t@