St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-02-06


possibilities are that she may be rescued,
The modern novel is responsible for
many of these abscondings. Do you think
that young women would sit up half
night reading novels in which the hero or
heroine get acquainted in the usual way
and carry on their increased friendship
until, with the consent of parents, the day
of marriage is appointed and amid the
surrounding group Of kindred the vows
are taken? Oh no. There must be flight
and pursuit, and narrow escape, and
drawn dagger, all ending in sunshine and
parental forgiveness and bliss unalloyed
and gorgeous. In many of the cases of es-
capade the idea was implanted in the hot
brain of the woman by cheap novel, ten
cents worth of unauthorized perdition.
Fugitive marriage is to be deplored be-
cause it almost always implies woman's
descent from a higher social plane to
lower. If the man was not of a higher
plane, or the marriage on an equality,
there would be no objections, and hence no
inducement to clandestinity. In almost
all cases it means the lowering OF woman
hood. Observe this law: A man marrying
woman beneath him in society, may
raise her to any eminence he himself may
reach; but if a woman marry man be-
meath her in society, she always goes
down to his level. That is law inexora-
BILE, and there are no exceptions. Is any
woman so high up that she can afford to
plot for her own debasement? There is
not a State in the American union that has
not for the last twenty years furnished an
instance of the sudden departure of some
intelligent woman from an aff1uent home
to spend her life with some one who can
make three dollars a day, provided he
keeps very busy. Well, many man has
lived on three dollars a day and been
happy, but he undertakes big contract
when with three dollars day he attempts
to support some one who has lived in a
home that cost twenty thousand dollars
per annum. This has been about the
history of most of such conjunc-
lions of simplicity and extravaganza,
the marriage Of OK and eagle; The
first year they got on tolerably we'll, for it
is odd and romantic. and assisted by ap-
plause of people who admire outlawry.
The second year the couple settle into COM
plete dislike of each other The third year
they separate and seek for divorce, or, as
is more probable, the man becomes a
drunkard and the woman a blackened
waif of the street.
Stolen waters arc sweet, and bread eaten
in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not
that the dead are there.
These truant marriages are also to be de-
plored, because in most instances they are
executed in defiance of parental wisdom
and kindness. Most parents are anxious
for the best welfare of a child. If they
make vehement and determined opposition
1t is largely because it is match unfit to
be made, and they can see for their daugh
ter nothing but wretchedness in that di.
rection. They have keener and wiser ap-
probation, for instance, of the certain do
nestle demolition that comes from alcohol
ism in young man. They realize what
an idiot woman is who marries a man
who has not brains or industry enough to
earn a livelihood for family. No bureau
of statistics can tell US the number of
women who, after marriage, have to sup
port themselves and their husbands. If
the husband becomes invalid, it is beau
tiful thing to see wife uncomplainingly,
by needle, or pen, or yard stick or washing
machine, support the home. But these
great, lazy masculine louis that stand
around with hands in their pockets, al
lowing the wife with her weak arm to
fight the battle of bread, need to be re-
gurgitated from society. There are in
Vulnerable instances in these cities where
he ry;fo xLo Nd oil no
family expenses, and furnishes the tobacco
and the beer for the lord of the household.
No wonder parents put on all the brakes to
stop such train of disaster. They have
too often seen the gold ring put on the fin
ger at the altar turning out to be the iron
link Of chain of domestic servitude.
What farce it is far man who can not
support himself and not worth a cent in
the world to take ring which he pur-
chased by money stolen from his grand
mothers cupboard and put it on the finger
Of the bride, saying:
With this ring Iithee wed and with all my
worldly goods thee endow.
1t is amazing to see how some women
will marry men knowing nothing about
them. No merchant or merchantess would
sell hundred dollars worth of
goods en- credit without knowing
whether the customer was worthy
of being trusted. No man or woman would
buy house with membranes of mort
cages and liens, and judgments against 1t
uncanceled; and yet there is not an hour
of the day or night for the last ten Iyears
there have not been women, by hasty mar
riage, intrusting their earthly happiness to
men about whose honesty they knew moth
ing, or who are incumbered with liens and
judgments, and first mortgages, and Sec
end mortgages, and third mortgages of
evil habits. No wonder that in such cir.