The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-02-05
The First Divorce.

who had been twice divorced by re-
printing the following legend: This
question of divorce, is very old one
Tar Older, if we can credit tradition,
than most people imagine. The rabbIs
have beautiful and romantic story re-
spectipg Adams divorce from his first
wife, Lilith, which Is good Sunday
reading.
Moses, it seems, says that God created
man in his own image-''male and fe-
male created he them" They were i'm
mortal, say the rabbis. Adam, majes-
tic and noble Lilith, fair as the tabled
Aurora, daughter of the dawn, and
with hair golden as the sunrise. But
she was termsgsnt, common scold.
She, as all scolds do, led her husband
terrible life. He was thoroughly
hsnpecked. He could not call his body,
far less his Soul his own. Their chill
dren were the gods, of whom it was
said that "they took wives of the
| daughters of men," Adam was in de-
spair. They were immortal. He could
not die if he would. .His misery would
never end, and he at last besought his
Maker to separate them, to remove him
to the ends of the earth if needs be,
anywhere so that &c might be free from
the red-hsired, strong-minded woman,
the terror of life. His request was
granted, but the most that could be
done with Lilith was that she was
made incapable of being seen in her
natural form, and the querulous, dis-
cordsnt voice was stilled forever.
Relieved of his woes, the cowed,
broken spirited father of mankind could
rest-the rest of wearied immortal.
He sank into deep slamber, dream
less sleep, during which the Maker in
deep pity took a rib. from his side and
''made" woman. fashioned her'In the
most beautiful and .voluptuous form;
loving, clinging, winsome creature
dependent upon him; ''bGne of his
bone, and flesh of his flesh" 1t was a
sweeter song than that which the stars
sang together on the morninguof crea-
ton, that stole upon the senses of
Adam. He. opered his eyes and beheld
a vision of beauty clad like her daugh-
ter, the Lady Godiva, five thousand
years afterwsrd, in her own loneliness.
Her face was toward the East with the
dawn, and which was gradually light
ened up with the rising sun.
Adam gszed with astonlshment upon
the new scenes which were around him
beautiful garden filed with things of
beauty, and in the foreground this love-
~ vision with outstretched arms en-
raptured by the glories of the coming
day, believing that the rising sun was
her coming husband, was pouring forth
her soul in song:
Arise, my love- with beaming light:
Oh bless with roseate hues my sight,
In this bright world. so fair and free,
Alone, alone cannot be.
Whence come these thoughts that crowd my
These yearnings in their endless trainf
How came here; these doubts and fears,
That break in signs, dissolve in tearsS
feel thy presence near..me now,
Thy balmy breath upon my brow,
Thy clasplng arms, thy melting Kiss
On, this is life, and this is bliss.
Aud this was the first marriage in
Eden. A divorced man with the
''mother of mankind"
We need not repest the old story of
their dutIes-to dress and to keep the
garden, and to partske freely of ali the
fruits, except of the two trees, which,
although beautiful to behold, were for
hidden.
Lilith could not reveal herself to
Adams sight, nor could she show her
material form to Eve, but she saw all
this happiness with much feelings as are
only known to the Jealous. She watched
and waited, and her time came, as
comes it does to all whe can labor and
wait. Eve was wandering alone amid
the flowers and fruits of Paradise,
when, as she approached the tree of
Knowledge and of. good and evil, the
glorious form of a seraph stood before
her, the perfection Of beauty, and the
only time ever mortal eyes looked upon
him. II was Lilith, transformed into
this rsvisning creature. Ia tones more
musical than the voices of all the birds
of Paradise combined, he spoke to the
already lost woman, and in the most
graceful manner presented the tempt
ing fruit. I've shall not surely die,
but We shall become as gods, knowing
good and evil"
She ate. Yesl who knowing human
nature as it is can doubt It; and with
her. hands filed with the ruin of all her
race, she approached Adam, sccomps-
MED by the seraph, but who was to him
invisible. She gave him of the fruit,
and he, who had never in all his life
asserted his own will, psit0ok. A
fierce, 6kcOTdant, scorniul laugh rang
throughout Ellen. Often had Adam
heard the SQUAD before. snd be then
hnew that the baleful influence Of his
divorced Lilith had triumphed. The
blackness of darkness and ruin fell
around him. and hiding themselves
from the tight of day, they heard the
voice of the All-seeing One calling
them.
We all know the old, old story by
heart Hand in hand, IN tears and
heart-bresking sorrow, the hapless pair
passed out Of Paradise forever. Lilith
was condemned to besr 8 loathsome
form which, when it appears, always
strikes mankind with terror. and the
music OF the sersph's voice is trans
formed into the hiss Of the serpent.
But this Is not all. The influence Of
Lilifb, according to the tradition, is
yet felt. When youth OF maiden dies
| Of love , golden hair OF the immortal
scold is found wound tightly around