Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-09
MARRYING SCIENTIFICALLY.
Choosing u Wife ON Anthropologieal
Principles.

-sSs"S ssssN VIZ ASss.
Principles.
From he London Spectator.
Sir George Campbelrs proposal at the British
association to super>ede love.maKing as a pre-
liminary to marriage, and to make marriage
instead great institution for improving the
physique and the morale Of the human race,
would have been somewhat more scientinc
| than IL was II tie had been able to suggest any
SPECIFIC, first, for getting rid of the deep-rooteo
tendency In young people 20 spoil these peaus'-
| lul plans by falling in love without paying the
least regard To them, and next for determining
what tue combinations of character should De
through whose union the nOblest offspring
might be expected. There is the double aim
Guilty In his propo>ais-frst, that any young 10
or woman vino would avoid falling IN love I'LL All
the requisite conditions OF appropriateness Ior
Slr George CampuelFs ends were fulfilled would
oe q pris whom no one OF any sense woulu eyer =; a.
oe disposed TO marry: and next, that even II IL
We're not so no man, however wise, could Judge
OF the moral suitability of one nature 10 an
otner at all better than IL is determined now oy
the comparative accident either Ut youthful
passion or OF the parental wishes. Just imagine
the elect on any young man or woman possess
ing any spirit and any healthy instincts. OF
being addressed by an archaeological papa or
mamma In language such as Sir George Camp
beii might perhaps approve-thus for example:
Il am bound TO warn you, my dear boy, that
your physique though excellent on the whole,
Is weak, If at all. in liability sluggish liver;
ana What, therefore, you must look out Tor In
the first place in u vie il girl whose family
doctor VIII assure you that there has never been
any weakness OF that kind in her nliy. Be-
sizes THIS, you must be aware that sweet teIn-
peieu as you are, You are little olSposeu W
leNitS ana too fond of amusement. III, there.
iofe, you would really improve your species, an
need not say that hope that this is Hour most
earnest desire, aud would give to the world
chlIoren who could justly boast that they are
DETER than their father you must look out for u
wife of earnest and serious disposition, who al
ways postpones amusement TO duty, and would
stay away from dance without murInur to
n SInKh r.,r 6auP i,ssU
these Things before you permit yourself to fail
III love. Be sure that you know what the con-
stitution OF the family is before you allow even
admiration To- stir your heart. And next to the
constitution, and especially the freedom from
bilious tendency, DC sure OF the sense Oh duty In
Your proposed wife. Ii, after securing these
great requisites, you like TO take sweetness, and
temper, aud beauty into account, there can be
no objection; but with your own great sweet
importance. You might afford 10 have vile
oi nasty temper; you could not afford 10 nave Il
vile with any element OF lriVoIity III her. with
que regard To your posterity.'
A young man who would not be driven By
such an address as that into u little Scorn for
his father, and a positive determination to
ignore all sucn nonsense in satisfy aug his own
nearts would De poor sort of creature. And the
reason is obvious. If yOung people are To enter
into the closest ties Of lie guided Dy such con-
slderatiOn> as these, they must first Ue In u
condition of mind in which it would be all Dut
certain tnat they would be utterly ihdispOsed
TO enter on these closest ties at all. II Is quite
true that there /, Always risk in forming sucn
ties. Few young people really know each
other, or eau know each other, before mar
riaec, sufficiently TO found close u
relation tnaL of husband and vile on
Mere knowledge. Nay, without strong aitrac.
lion PRIOR 10 Tue knowledge, tue knowledge
would never Really come Ill ali. In marriage It
Is love which brings knowledge AT least ten
times as often As knowledge brings love. Con-
celVe a man influenced by The Class oi conslh-
eratIUns TO which sir George Camp bel would
give prominence and you conceive al man VINO
would not tie ia love, aud vino therefore would
t1..f1l fiI.iEa farS
trying TO judge o. lie woman lie thought OF
makIng mis- vile, without love, than he wOuu
even nave III ade-and douutless ne might have
niaue nany-Dy failing. i'll love first and learn-
Ing the truth about her atterwaru- Luckily iOr
Us. even the mistakes Ui love are apt 10 be more
benrfIcienI Than Tie accurate Vision more
impartial criticism.
Probably, iuueed, in no country in which
mutual cnUice HAS been recognized US the nigh
est guarantee Tor tue happIi-e>s OF marriage,
could parental authority ever again Take Its
place, Dut still less could 1t take it> place IL the
PARENTAL "utEorlty chose 10 ground Itself avOw-
e,iIy ON aAlnropologicai pr.ncI pies, and 10 APP
ply such quack tests I'll Suitability aS we have
Inscribed. Ailtr ali, as tHe reUellIOus youth
wouIo say, even chemical aftiniLIes would
never nave been discovered by the CHEMISTS
Inspection ca the separa Ie Clements. No ell mist
could ever have u.scUN ercu i'll what prUpOr-
lions, or under wnat Conditions, hydrogen and
Oxygen would combine. by mereiy inspecting
them. III was by tiielr actual Coin ulnatIuu, anu
BY that alone, Luat the stdUIlIiy or instability
oil Inelr union became Ii lining that could be
tested. And what i, true of Chemical affinity
must be Infinitely tTuer OF the niucn deeper
and more subtle afflnIiles in human nature. IL
may easily Ltppcn tu;iL the atiIac, lions mich
INST snow themselves GO not tC be all
tiIait Was hoped, OF 40 turn out 10 be OI real
stability OR worth; buI at least they Clen the
way naturally and abIt IOr the de eiO,,-
ment Vi much closer ;,fiinlties, Willie the an
lnrUpO.OgiSj's notion thai tiie sentiment vi love
should be dispensed with, till the sanction O,
sOuer criticism has been obtained Tor it, would
Ue very apt to engenuer all initial nutuai re-
putSlOn, Instead Ga that great wave Of s,Llr.c-
ZION which sweeps away least first rell-
ccnSc> and reserves, ana makes mutual knoWi.
euge easy anu possible.
great Weaknes, of the many ambitious
sciences oi moueru days is that their uevotees
are 50 eager 10 substitute the feeble lignls tuey
eliclt ior chose great lnstlnc.S ii nature, wiIic.i
tnOusi. not Founded Oh Lucoretlc know ,edge at
All, are iuil OF that UNCONSCIOUS guidance vi
wnlch Dotii our bodily anu our mental lille Is in
ever learn walk, il he u-.d follow accurately
tue directiouS vi the teachers oil statistics
and dy IaInlcS before nc could learn TO balance
and prOpei hIIuseii? Would ne ever ial inio
the GI>ci iilnc vi civilized society ii he had TO
guide himself ny the philosophy of tuat suci-
ety-a PHILOSOPHY wnicu is 50 lar behind the
social art wnicn IL tries TO explain. Ii Is lust
tue same with these Empirical teachers Oi tue
true principles ~ which marriage may ue
Made To ouDSerVe the Improvement vi tue
SPECIES. They recommend priucipies wnicn are
SIMPLY Impossible, Decause II they could be
really followed, hardly one marriage in ten
WEI ioilowed ten mistakes would be maue Tor
eVciy one wuicn is made how, and probably
mistakes ten times AS serious as well as ten
times numerous.