The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-26
Matrimonial Missionaries.


tillment, as to interfere with the charm
of their society. And their attractive
ness is more or less diminished by the
character of their mission, which, when
in any way connected with the life or
surroundings of their associates or &C.
quaintances, is apt to be made tiresome.
Matrimonial missionaries come within
this category, and they are likely to be
unfagging in presentation of their views
and the advantages of what they advo-
cate. Naturally, most of them are
women, and married women for if they
were not already wives, they would be
restrained by delicacy from expressing
themselves warmly in favor of what
they had not tried, lest it might be sus-
pected that they were over-willing for
the experiment. But being wives they
can not be accused-unless they chance
to have marriageable daughters or rela-
tives--of interested motives or studied
designs. When their eulogies Il we'd
lock can be referred to any personal
cause, they are liable to be called, and
not unjustly, match-makers, between
whom and matrimonial missionaries
there is so much difference that the two
should never be confounded.
A matchmaker may be said to be en-
listed for a campaign; matrimonial
missionary is in for the war; and when
the present war is over, for the next
4 war, and the war AFTER that. Her serv-
ice, indeed, is for life. She will never
cease TO recommend marriage, gener-
ally and particularly, abstractly and
concretely, in season and out of season.
Her faith in the institution is mistaken
and unshakable, whatever her outward
observation or her received condolences
may have been. She is an enthusiast on
that point, and so interested in it as to
be forever darling off from other topics
to take up the one she loves.
1t is the first duty and the last of every
man and woman to get married. There
is not, there can not be, any valid ex-
cuse Tor celibacy-not poverty, nor dis
ease, nor Discrimination, nor bad habits,
nor want of affection; each or any of
which is, in unbiased eyes, accounted
an excellent reason. She knows better.
Marriage is a panacea. If a Young
woman be an invalid, it will cure her.
If young man be dissipated, it will re-
form him. If he be poor, it will insure
his pecuniary independence. If he be
opposed on principle to the condition,
or IT he be convinced of his unftness for
it, experience will disclose his mistake.
Does young woman confess that she
loves no one, has no such feelings as
would warrant her in accepting hus-
band, she is told that this is all foolish
romance; that when marriage comes,
love follows, with happiness and all the
rest.
The missionary is often fortunately
welded herself, which explains her ten
dency to misrepresentation of marriages
in general. Seeing the world through
her own rosy spectacles, she can not be-
heve that it does not reflect her happy
state. You may mention any number
OF inharmonious alliances, of deep spir-
itual tragedies that have resulted from
mis-mating, but she will not credit YOU.
You have been misinformed, and if YOU
assert your positive knowledge, your
Judgment has certainly been warped.
She may concede that such a thing as
connubial unhappiness exists, but t is
clearly the fault of the parties them
selves. They need not have been I'M
happy unless they were so resolved.
The kind OF marriage she recommends
she actually recommends any and
every hnd-would not and could not
nave such consequences. The whole
globe may be wrong, but the divine in
stitution, as she likes to name it, is I'M
questlonably right, and even a very ill
marriage is better, she is sure, than no
marriage at all.
Even when the missionary is not such
wife as she claims that nearly all
women are, when she is VIGOROUSLY I'm
suited to her husband, and he to her,
she is not less persevering and ardent in
her labors. She contends for wedlock
and its joys, whatever her private suf
ferings in the cause; she not only loses
no opportunity to chant its praises; she
turns all times into opportunity, and is
as loyal to the thing that tortures her
as if it brought her unending ecstacy.
Perhaps she has such faith in what
should be that she refuses absolutely to
put trust in what is.
There are persons who think her i'm
PEELED by malice; that, being wretched
nersef through matrimonv, she would
like to see others wretched by the same
means. But they probably do her in
Justice. Her own sad experience does
not mar her faith in, or her admiration
for, wedlock. Having missed her des-
tiny by some deficiency which NAV vet
be made good, it would be a SOVEREIGN
satisfaction to have her free friends en-
Joy what has by uncomfortable cir
cumstance been denied to her. It is
really benevolence which moves her
connubial springs. She is more re-
signed to her domestic incompatibilities
when she reflects that her tireless eff
forts have been expended in directing
the mind of others in the path, as she
eonceives, of true felicity. Her per-
sonal disappointment is softened by the
thought that the many have realized
their radiant dreams.
q She is absolutely sincere in her conn
sells and endeavors, and nobody ac-
quainted with her will question her en-
ergy and resolution. She would not
could she have her way, leave maiden
or bachelor on earth. She would have
the whole world arranged in coniupaI
pairs. She would admit no SINGLE peo-
pie to her paradise; indeed, it would be
vain, for, without marriage, there could