The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-07
Where Marriage i. a Crime,


paper article descriptive of New Yora
fashionable society, SAYS of a certain
large class: They have money, but that
Is only another way of saving that they
can afford to do their worst and procure
partial means of cOncealment. Their
peculiarities are chiefly developed in
secret and after dark. They dare not tell
the half they know about their neigh
bors, nor listen to half what they know
about Them Their gospel is the gospel
OF 8 per cents, and beyond a large in.
come and an unchecked passion lies the
terra incognita OF morality, which they
, have no desire to explore Their time
is spent in a round of pleasures, sug-
gested by painful ennHi. Intrigues of The
most compromising character are not
IntrequGnt, and the air is ut times made
foul with scandals which point to the
hopeless wreck of domestic happiness
Now the wonder of this whole matter is
that pure young girls can be fascinated
by mani use the miSnomer in the
way Of politeness -WhO on .iit never to
throw his shadow on their path. 4 mar
riageable girl who feels herself to be in
the market is not the slightest degree
shocked because her lover dare not tell
her where he goes when he leaves her;
on the other hand, his known impurity
seems to be an added charm in her sight
She has not been taught to set any high
value or virtue, neither does she regard
it is Indispensable in husband She
excuses the inexcusable and ignores the
prime conditions OF happiness, SO she
have money, she ceases to ask questions
1t is better so, perhaps, because If she
we're at all curious she would never
marry. Old-maidism is the purgatory
of social life; and so, rather than live in
purgatory, she moves into a palatial
residence in the nameless region beyond
Who does not know that in the set
to which she belongs simply honos
and fidelity are regarded as "slow, :"
and that the appetite for excitement ir
so quickened BY the condiments of vice
that excitement is tasteless and insipid
unless it is highly seasoned with imnor-
ality. Nay, the WHOLE community, for
that matter, is walloWing in the pit. In
dramatic representations, for example,
Shakespeare is adored with sham adora-
ton, but never listened to with even
tolerable patience. In the rivalry be-
tween Shakespeare and a semi-lewd play,
the bard of Avon is voted out of the
house The sensational drama in which
the heroine totters in the first act on the
dizzy edge of vicious precipice and in
the last act falls into the fathomless
depths of domestic infidelity, rouses us
to the highest pitch of enthusiasm.
Nothing pays 50 well in a play as dis
guised indeeency; and if the disguiseibe
very thin, we do not allow our scruples
to mar our enjoyment, Good reading,
| change" In order to be really inter-
| esting, novel must have "A snlphurous
| plot, one the heroine or hero of which
| has reputation which ought to bring a
| blush to the cheek OF the reader, but
which generally fails in the accomplish
ment of that end We use the word
French to express, not the national
| ity of book, but its character that is,
| its bad character James or Howells
may be found on the sitting-room table.
| sham representatives OF the style OF
| NiHLHS We t4itpN CHt f'tlif
ways Kept out of sight, has thumb-marks
which show that it is the source of oft
repeated pleasures The most salable
books are made up of the piquancy OF
broken vows and the delights of life
of shame This Moloch worship, which
| demands that mammas shall turn their
daughters into the open fiery and con-
Stunning arms of an unholy marriage, is
far more prevalent than we think.
Young girls are drilled into the belief
that an elegant mansion on corner lot
in matrimonial inferno is preferable
to an honest snuggery on side street
in the matrimonial heaven. Money
must be had at any cost, and since the
only merchantable article in her posses
sion is herself, the young girl gets the
largest price the market offers, and runs
the risk with the man who pays ii.
use the word risk, but that implies a
chance of happiness, and the chance is
40 small that | may as well be little
more exact, aud say that she gets the
largest price, endurrs the new relation
ship for while, and then either seeks
her own pleasure in her own way, Oh
applies to divorce court for relief, A
blasted life with fashionable society, OF
alimony as last resort, is the history
CT scores.