New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-15
AMERICAN MARRIAGES..

Mr.. Howells's novel, Just finished, has attracted
unusual interest, because he has chosen to write OF
people whom every American claims as OLD ac-
ouaintances We each know somewhere Marcia
IN rags or velvet and BARLEY Hubbard turns up in
newspaper doctors or lawyers offices i'll San Fran
CISCO and Denver as well in Maine. The story Is
modern instance of the blind worship which tho
Titanias Of to-day lavish Oh the Bottoms and 1t Is
an aggravated and pitiable case But that sort OF
mental paralysis with which Marcia was afflicted IS
more common than even Mr. HOwells perhaps would
have us think 1t not only makes sensitive, clear
Drained women every day set up some gross, haDDy-
minded animal as a god and grovel their lives long
before him, to the disgust Of other men who know
the creature as he u.s. but it forces men like Keats to
wreck their souls before some pert, worldly little
Miss Brown.
Look in many households and you will find men
keen-witted and of pure taste in all other matters
not merely making the best of the fatal mistake
they made in marriage but believing with all their
souls in their grained frivolous selfish wives,
adorng Them gratefully accepting pretty trick Of
expression "a kind word and then in place of the
noble womanly heart, the self-sacrfce the devO-
ton which never were and never will be theirs.
This peculiar sort of blindness, too does not belong
alone to love or married life In every family 1t
ia the azy selfish, cynical member who calls it
forth He Is most tenderly cared for; his rare
words of affection are remembered and cherished /;
young women make hero of him whereverhe goes;
mt home the calf is kept ready to kill and the gold
chain FURNISHED in hope this unrcpentant prodigal
may take it into his head to come back, while the
ploddng unselfsh elder brother is set down as COM
monplace fellow and gets scant thanks for spend
ing his life for others
There is no need in being provoked at this blind
ness of love. 1t has its use like every other within
OF abnormal freak in nature Suppose, for
moment, that such cataract could
form over tho mind and that wife,
mother and friends the vulgar, selfish,
unable wretch with clear. merciless eyes, as do the
rest of the world What earthly chance would
there be for him afterwardf The only chance for
any such man is in trying to live up to the height
where somebody has placed him. If these gross
selfish souls that have gone into the world be-
yond are to make any progress there one would al
most be persuaded that there too they will find
some fond fool to believe in them: and that there
isamerciful degree of short ghtedneSs among even
the angels.
The main object, however of the book in ques-
ton. and of two three others now running
through American magazines is to set forth the
mseries Of an unhappy marriage, and to suggest
either the righteousness or crime of its remedy by
divorce foreigner, to read our novels of the las t
year. would imagine all American wives bound by
the chains of an unfortunate marriage each az n
rule struggling madv TO escape to the ouistretched
arms of some responsive being awaiting outside.
What do these hints meant Are American homes
less sacred.tO virtue and pure love than those of
Englandi What change has taken place in our
women that makes them, in the first place. too dull
in perception to choose the right man for husband
nf
abroad to look for congenial mate afterl
If there be any such impending revolution IN our
domestic relations as these prophecies Indicate there
IL no visible sign of it now to the ordinary observer
Wives to-day jog their accustomed round be-
tween nursery and church, household and social
cares, as faithfully as did their grandmothers, and
as far as we can see are little troubled as they
with consciousness of antipathy to their husbands
or wild Iongings for the right man" elsewhere.
There seems to be, from the cottage to the palace,
the old sweet drama going on of innocent love be-
tween young happy girls and boys some day to end
in q pure marriage. We would fain hope that
the prospect is not dark represented, and
that the question of divorce its crime or proprety
is of no more Importance here than in any other
Christian country.
II, however, the majority of American wives are
IN such case. and find relief from the marriage bond
if dstasieful necessity. we do not see how they
can be required to discharge the other duty which
devoves upon them-that of the care of their chill
dren. II one obligation can be thrown aside as
soon as it becomes heavy and repugnant to the
taste sensibilities, why not ALI Why should
the mother lose her beauty and health in the care
of child, or the father sacrifice his ambition.
youth and pleasure to make a man of the boy"
when very hkely the boy may turn out meaner
man than himself Why should the engineer not
desert his post he grows tired, the sol
dier leave the ranks when the battle is near1 Why,
in short. should we not write down all duty sham,
and honor old-fashIoned prejudicef