Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-06
The Destrabi.itv Of Marriage.

Why We Men Do Not Marry" is the
! title OF very suggestive article IN the
October number of Temple Bar, the writer
OF which is masked under the pseudonym
Of One of Us" It is Of course contri-
button to the literature which has followed
the publication Of Mrs. Mona Cards dis
cUssion Of the problem, ais Marriage a
Failure p and, read 9etween the lines, is
powerful ironical sermon upon one Of the
most fatal aspects of modern salfshness
Even literally construed, tits founded upon
untrue premises, which any thoughtful
person viii detect in an instant
The writer gives certain threadbare ar
guments about the inevitable troubles in
cident to housekeeping, and dilates upon
matrimonial scandals, which are unhap-
PLY net unusual nowadays, but he estaD-
fishes his aversion to things connubial
upon the question OF ways and means.
With tolerable margin to my income"
so his words 90. "shall suend
it on a wife and children; on millinery
bills and boot bills; on doctors bills and
school-masters' bills? l prefer
to keep horse; | prefer a comfortable
animal trip on the continent or to Amer
lea; [ prefer pictures and china, shilling
cigars and frst-rate hocl5." These things
the author considers necessary for health
and enjoyment, but he would not like to
indulge in them at the expense of wife
and children. For the continuance Of
society" he adds with naive cynicism, "we
may always depend upon the Skye croft
ers"
If the writer is really in earnest, which
is very doubtful, he blunders outrag geously.
To extract the sum Of happiness from life
is the aTowed object of the epicurean phil
osopher, but such one never forgets that
there is q wastefuluess in economy as well
as in prodigality. Beer and skittles are
pleasant in their way, but a life devoted
to them is most wretched. 4 large bank
account is very useful possession, but if
gained by undue seIf-deuial the possessor
is spendthrift Of the best of human bless
ings. The man who does not marry be-
cause marriage would limit his supply of
luxuries is equally a fool with him who
prefers gold dollars to wife and children.
AS matter Of fact there is much truth
in the statement which majority OF mar
ried men make, "that it costs less to keep
two than one" The pleasures of single
life, necessitated by the desire for COM
panlonship, eat up good deal of money.
A married man, having this condition of
happiness, saves the money for the ex-
penses Of a home, and finds the difference
in his favor. The miserlY prodigal would,
of course. be a loser financially by the
transaction, but would gain by the aoqui-
sition of happiness much more valuable
than greenbacks
II is more likely than not that the frank
cynicism Of this article covers a sermon to
the men Of our day. BY painting selfish
ness in its most odious colors, the writer
seems to try to show Us something of its
folly. His apparent disregard Of the obi
CATION which nature imposes upon the
sexes, his expressed desire to secare 20 him
self what he says is most desirable in the
world, and his voluntary avoidance of the
petty disoomforts Of married life, are made
50 unpleasantly prominent that the design
Of teaching by irony may be suspected
Intended or not intended, it is to be found
in the few quotations above given.
The point is self-evident. Every prompt
ing OF nature is toward welded life. The
happiness Of that condition in life has
been attested by the countless millions
who have lived and died in the "holy
estate" Its expense is not beyond the
limits of earning capacity. Therefore he
Is fool, and worse, who deliberately
chooses single life when matrimonial hap
piness IS within his reach.-Ne0 York
Press