West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-08-14
MATRIMONY.
The Blessed Estate from the Unmarried
Wcman's Standpoint.

hrst man and woman. l am there
taught that an infinite God created
woman purely because of His bouudlesS
pity for man.
And the Lord God said. IL is not good that
the man should bo alone. will make him am
help meet for him
And Milton describes the two:
For contemplation ho aud valor rorm'd,
tpr sottncSs she and sweet attractive grace;
He Tor tod only, she for Cod I'm HIM"
God saw that IL was not well for man
TO Oe alone, so lie made him Eve for
company. Down all the ages since He
has continued TO make Adams and also
Ewes, but they do not, unfortunately.
always find each other 50 surely rs tho
first pair did. lproposc at once To come
TO my point. and il is this: Marriage is
an institution as old rs humanity; IL
was divinoly ordained; It is the com
plete the perfect life. Every man who
goes through life unmarried is violating
the first great law of, his being. Who
docs not scorn
Z" such nau, so faint, SO spiritloss.
so duh. ao dead iu look. so woc-bcgonc"
The wisdom of the world is inclined
20 find clothing for itself in muNims. SO
we have the wise old saying:
Every Jack has his .Iill."
But there is nowhere aught sail about
his being at liberty 20 take her or leave
her The whole force of the maxim is
in the words: has her" But il ho
turns his back on her he no longer has
her, and nc then flies in the face of an
almost divine law
And what OF JillP She has been
created for her Jack. She is patiently
(almost always) awaiting his coming.
Icrhaps she Is painting screens for him;
or making hay for him; or turning
milk-maid for him; or shouting that she
wants to vote for himi She is CRYING.
like Rachael "und will not be com
forted"-till she has him.
But are the joys of matrimony such
that She needs must mourn if she com
eth not?"
How can poor girl answer except
by parablcP When YOU take % fish out
the water does il not wriggle and twist
10 get back again? WhyP Because
the water is its element. and it Is hap
py nowhere else. When YOU cntch "A
bird IN "A cage how IL struggles to be
freel Why? Because its homo Is in
the tree-top and the air Havo YOU
watched bear or tiger keep It's weary
ing walk behind the bars, never quiet.
never satiSficdP All things have their
own clement and are happy there, and
there only.
Did you ever know q widow who was
not moro villa than Barkis To marry
againP Did You ever soc widowcr
who did not wipe one eye carefully
while he looked abroad To- replace bis
dear departedP Actions speak louder
than words. What can one do but put
this and that together and declare TO
herself that marriage must be bliss,
when they who have once tried it arc
sure 10 wed again.
Then Judge of il by the superior airs
our married sisters assume 10 us who
are unmarried. We are compelled to
endure this but we hate il with all our
souls. We see them fondle their chill
drcn; we see them caress their hus-
bands; we hear the tender partings and
the joyful welcomes; we stand outside
and realize that a wide world has
opened TO them i'm which we have no
part We.cry out in anguish, but we
do this discrcetly i'm our closets. No
fling can be made at Us so bitter as that
we want husbands no scOrn so great
as that we are angling for husbands;
and no contempt oIual 10 that i'm which
we are called ''old maidsr' Are we TO
blameP Quite often we arc the SUI
periOrs of our married sisters; some
times IL is because Of this that men pass
us by We know all the little arts and
devices our sisters practicod 20 secure
their ends; we helped them i'm many a
deception, and with myriads of pretty
compliments; we were willing TO be
their foils that thcy might show in bet
ter relief. but when they are sure of
their game they turn upon Us with con
tumely, and cast 10 iu our teeth that We
were not sought by any men. We po
through life amusing their children.
entertaining their company, nur-inp
their sick, while all tho time our hearts
arc hungry over our own incomplete
lives.
] often listen 30 datrbcs upon matri-
mOnY from wives who have bsppv
homes. loving husbands and Donny
children, and they seem to be- mockinV
me, or they are mOcking themselves.
! know not which it is. But down i'm
my heart am saying TO myself. "What
have you done that ibis life is not for
yOu?' But no answer ever comes to
me.
" + feol ike ono who troads alone
cry out in the night 10 him whom God
placed me here to comfort: where art
thou, my belovcd?' but the night wind
bring back only the cry of tho whip
poor-will.
Man and woman arc incomplete with
out the other. The woman who loves.
is loved, and, welded. has been born
again She has found the new world
although 10 is, as Tcnnyson says, tho
same old world. And when she takes
her children in her arms. when baby
lips call her mother. she has passed
out Of common things aud walks with
her head among the gods And no
death can take this Joy away from her.
Love is eternal. Love i. the connect
ing link between Heaven and earth: the
ladder upon which we climb among the
angels O. wives' O. mOthorst hear
The voice Of ono crying iu the niuhf
How little you realize all that God has
done for you. ], who am as one in "a
far country. envy you your Opportuni-
ties, your happiness. and am surprised
that YOU seem so little thankful for all
you have.
But If envy women how can ] find
words to- express my scOrn Of those
poor. miserable beings. men in name.
but unworthy the high name Of man.
who shrk their responsibilities. and
dcfy their destiny They should be-
driven outside the pate of society. they
should not be allowed TO enter any
home Of woman children should be-
taught TO flee from thcmf men should