San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-06-18
NO. ~.

u
blush. H
Formerly, when brides entire
wardrobe with every eonnubial detail
had been advertised in the newspa-
pers, it was assumed that the prying,
irrepressible reporters, on whose
shoulders SO many sins, not their
own, are usually laid, had surrepti-
tiously obtained the particulars. This
assumption is no longer made. The
mother, sister, or other near kins
woman of the bride meets the report
ers eagerly, and furnishes them with
complete information of the inostiin-
fdelicate sort, on the ground that, in
matters so momentous, entire accu-
racy is absolutely necessary. Tho
transparent fact is, that the bride, as
we'll as those related to her, are re-
solved to have her bridal, and every
thing connected with it, blazoned be-
fore the public, irrespective Of propri-
ETY. She and they might claim that
the marriages of titled and prominent
persons in tho Old World monarchies
are copiously chroniclod, and that the
majority of newspaper readers enjoy
such gossip. This 10 true enough;
but the Old World monarchies arc
not examples for Republic and q
pure Democracy, and no sensitive
man or woman would be willing to
crafty vulgar curiosity unless petty
self-love were sorely involved.
The unsafety of o spectacular we'd
ding is shown by the fact that o large
proportion of marriages prove disap-
pointments- often bitter, very bitter
disappointments. 1t has been as
serted that more than ono-half Of
them turn out badly, and that at least
two-t thirds of them would better never
have occurred. This may or may not
be correct, There are, unfortunately,
+no statistics on this importantsubject.
But enough is known to clearly de-
note certain hazard in every matri-
monial venture; and in many such
ventures, o positive peril. 1t may be
conceded that they who possess suf-
ficient means to warrant them, fipan-
cially, in q pompous wedding-many
do not scruple to secure one by credit
would have less prospect OF serious
disharmony than those Of slender in
come. 1t is easy to see that o rich
couple are not nearly so dependent
on one another as poor couple; that
their friction is necessarily less; that
their chances of contentment or silent
resignation, are increased. Poverty
is always a fearful strain, especially
in marriage, and it is hard to hide the
STRAIN. Many rich husbands and
wives who now live in apparent ac-
cord, and are called happy, from ig-
norance of their mutual feelings and
attitude, would have Jared apart
long ago, had their circumstances
been straitened.
If women insist, as they seem to,
on some grand demonstration or par
ade in regard to marriage, lei. them
defer it until o number Of it's ami
versaries have passed--fye, at least,
though ton would be better. While
couples often adjust themselves to
one another in year or two, it is nm
wise to believe all peril over until
they have had longer experience to-
gethor. Not infrequently. pairs sep
arate after fifteen or twenty years OF
welded bliss but commonly they
find out, much earlier, their irrecon-
cilable incompatibility. Few have the
patience or the fortitude TO bear with
one another's failings to such an ex-
tent But the peaiod Of trial should
not be less than ten years, to insure
prudence. II they have 30 far borne
and forborne, sinned andsa and suf-
fered, forgiven and been forgiven
all marriage is a series Of adaptations
and compromises--let them celebrate
their tin wedding with such pomp
and parade rs they mayl Then they
will, in all probability, have passed
the danger point, and they viii have
cause to orejoice that they have escaped
the rocks on which 80 many conjugal
ventures have been wrecked But all
discretion forbids the cry Of victory
ere the first blow has been struck.
JUSIUs HENRI BRowsE.