The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-10-08
FILTRATION.
The Greatest Obstacle in the Way of Hap
py Marriages and Happy Homes.


py Marriages and Happy Homes.
If the writer We're asked to name the
thing which in her opinion is in these
days the greatest obstacle in the way
of happy marriages and happy homes
and happy families, writes :; contribu-
tor to the Boston Globe, the reply would
be given without the slightest hesita-
ton, and it would be-fiirtations.
The modern girl (and the boys are
nearly as precocious) before they have
left off wearing bibs, begin to have
their small love affairs, and these are
continued, with more or less despera-
ton, till circumstances, or a sentiment
which seems for the moment deeper
than any ever before experienced, bring
about climax in the shape of we'd
ding. 1t is well enough, perhaps. if
this climax put an end to the flames;
but, alas, the habit of Irritation is one
not easily overcome, and married CO.
quettes and beaux are sadly common,
insuring unhappiness and homes that
belle the name. Ii people OF this de-
scription could only be paired off to-
gether there would be some poetic JUS
tice in their tormenting each other
and melting out mutual and well-de-
served punishment. But likes seldom
attract each other, and more often we
see woman giving in return for the
great, strong,
WHOLE-SOULED LOVE
of some man, only small fraction of
what she is pleased to call a heart.
She gives all she has to give, perhaps,
but she should have had more. The
trouble is that she has frittered away
her affection, giving little to this one,
a bit to that. and portion 10 another,
till she really has no heart left, and
loses, in consequence, what should
have been her LIES happiness. Some
times she has enough sense and nobil-
ity OF mind left to appreciate what is
given her and her own poverty of re-
Spouse. and then she must quote sad
ly to herself:
All the kisses that have given
/ grudge from my soul to-day,
And OF all | have ever taken
l would wipe the thought away.
How I wish my lips had been hermits,
Held apart from kith and kin.
That fresh from Gods holy service
To Loves they might enter in.
Or, maybe it is the husband who re-
pays a wife's devotion with half love;
who keeps close-bolted from her gaze
many a chamber of his heart, where
some other fancy, living or dead, still
holds sway. For in these days, the
saying of "whom first we love we sell
dom wed" might well have its ordinal
number changed to sixth or seventh.
When the millennium comes all this
will be changed. Boys and girls will
then be brought up together in a sensi-
BILE fashion, so wisely taught and guild
ed by their elders that they will look
upon each other as playmates, COM
rades, friends, until the proper time for
serious love-making arrives, while
Irritation" will have become an I'M
known custom of the dark ages, the
very word marked with the dagger,
which marks obsolete words in the die
tionary of the times. This will be, we
fear, like the jubilee of the darkies'
'tlong, long, long on de way" but
WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING
to help its coming For it is the elders
who are often to blame for much of the
nonsense and sin of the children. So
much that is injudicious or absolutely
wrong is said to them or before them,
putting ideas into their heads that
should not be there for a dozen years,
perhaps. A little incident, mere
trifie, recently observed, will illustrate
this point. A bright little 5-year-old
boy was playing on hotel piazza not
long since with winsome wee lassie
a little younger than himself. 1t was
pretty sight, for they were as mis-
chievious and innocently unconscious
as two young kittens. But presently
one who had been watching them call
ed out:
elsie is your little sweetheart, isn't
she, Charlie?"
The poor little fellow looked first
mystitied, then shy and embarrassed,
as others near by laughed at his per-
plexity.
Tell the lady that Elsie is your dear
little playmate" said a wise woman
who had heard it all, and shuddered as
she heard it.
"Elsle's my dear little playmate"
lisped Charlie, and ran off to play
again, while the first speaker had the
grace TO look slightly ashamed of her.
self; for the reply which was put into
Charles mouth was given with an
emphasis that left no doubt of its mean
ing.
Another oman met at a certain
large clearinghouse last season, used
to ask her son, young man of Is or
10, at the public dinner-table about his
''mashes. " Such an expression of an
ger and disgust would come into his
eyes sometimes that looker-on could
not but tremble to see.
This last was perhaps an exceptional
case, but the first is not, and we be-
lieve the Filtration" evil might speed
lily be reduced to minimum if young
people were but carefully and judi
ciously trained on this point.