The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-24

Grace Greenwood answers the gu StlOn
as marriage a failure!" in these words:
The present burning question started
over the sea, but repeated by our journals
right and lett, fired at US by imperative i'll
reviewers and going the rounds of tdous-
and parties-even | am called upon to
answer it. is marriage failure? Well,
yes; upon the whole think it is-that is in
vast and ever increasing majority of
cases. AS 1T exists all about US, it is wofully
out of harmony with the spirit of our age
1t is an unelastic, nnprogressive, tough old
institution. stupidity conservative and
grossly material-not to say animal. The
most solemn binding and permanent of hu-
man CONTRACTS, it is commonly entered into
more lightly and recklessly than any tenn
porary business association. Blu 'hing
boys and giggling girls take on their lips
vows of almost superhuman fealty and de-
votion-to be in few short years sulienly
rebelled against. or openly violated. A
minor is not allowed vote even in the
choice of pound keeper, yet be can choose
a wife and perhaps impound himself for
life. A man of weak intellect is not per-
United to transact business less he squander
his parimony-but any fool can marry
and perpetuate his folly. Deformity and
Vice leading Beauty and Virtue by golden
chains come every day before some man of
God to be united in the holy bonds of mat
IllnOug, duu bl6 iliu VI oDi IN ilWdN >
ready to do the unholy coupling, hoping,
doubtless, for the best, without pious optim-
ism, which comes out strong for such occa-
SionS.
ga jealousy guarded institution in the
religious world is marriage. Touch not
the holy thing The spirit OF moral or in
tellectual freedom must not reoel against
its ancient exections and disabilities. Sci
ence must not whisper to it a word OF in
toti or Into nt i,,4t1 60
BILE for life till deato-it must be preserved
or endured though lives wither, hearts
break and souls perish under its memorable
absolutiSm. | am reminded thato our Puri-
tan fathers and mothers did not regard
marriage as failure, or rebel against its
restriction or violate its obligations. But
those grand old husbands and wives were
more patient people than we are, more
homely and humdrum. They bore their
crosses, both political and domestic, more
sturdily; yet some of the reyered institu-
tions and ideas of their time have assumed
to us the aspect of failures-such for instance
as Indian and African slavery, taxation
without representation, the divine right of
kings. Pray, make no mistake. | believe
in marriage, in the ideal which is the only
real union of two hearts. two minds, two
souls, and so. two lives-the man and wom-
an equally honest, honorable, tender and
constant; but such a marriage is almost
impossible without special divine sustain
ment, and will ever be while among en-
ligtened christian people one law of moral
ity, easy and elastic, is lightly imposed upon
the husband, and another more heavy and
tense binds the wife! Unfaithfulness in
marriage is more and more regarded in a
man as an admirable, natural weakness
scarce grave enough to be called sin rot
uniting him for high political positions,
much less for the government of a family
We know it is considered good wife's duty
to condone and cover up her husbands little
faults of this kind and still to teach her
children to respect their father while it is a
husbands right to bring wife to open
shame. for a single sin-to deprive her of
her children and whistle her down the
wind to prey at fortune Wives have al
ways been the chief sufferers from the
tyrannous usages and abuses of the mar
riage relation; yet, but for the goodness,
purity and patience of many wives, their
noble self-respect and steadfast trust in
God, there would be fewer to ask the ques-
ton, is marriage a failureP and many
more to answer it."