Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-05
HUSBAND AND WIFE
The Reason why Marriage is ofrsx
a FAILURE.

Many letters we have read with sad
ness lately, prove that the majority OF
unhappy homes have resulted from too
slight acquaintance previous to mar
rage. A handsome face pretty fig
ure. the step that suits in waltz, the
chatter that amuses for an hour. are
in too many cases all it is deemed nee
essary for lifelong companionship-
Others have failed because each have
started with the idea that marriage
means getting. not giving; the man In
tent only on the comfort he can obtain
from an unpaid housekeeper. the
woman on the attention and adulation
of an eVer-present lover. No altera-
tions in marriage laws or civil con-
tracts can make such unions happy or
successful
Let men learn to be patient and
sympathetic, TO pause sometimes in
their fuller, more varied lives to
brighten with little thought and love
the duller, more monotonous ones OF
their women-folk; and let women
realize that the lives Of true men and
citizens cannot always be cramped in
their narrower home circle, and
strive to take an nnselfsh pleasure in
and to show ready sympathy with
those wider outside interests
and ambitions. Just imagine
the kind Of thing which
Frenchman who in theory held the
legality of marriage to be unimportant
to morals, would have written, and
contrast it with letter. and its note
OF intense though conventional domes-
tic piety. There are scores Of letters
br eathing that spirit though usually
expressed with much more clumsiness.
and, to use the word which best ex-
presses the fact, ''humdruminess." 10
| is that quality which is to us the salts
factory feature of the letters.
The humdrums are in England the
immense majority, and to judge from
these letters, they have no more intens
ton of attacking the marriage laws az
far as their main principle is concern
ed. than they have of agitating against
the principle of cayeat emptor. or the
rule that a jury should consist Of
twelve. They have, in fact never
considered marriage as an institution
like any other, but as human condi-
tion, the very healthiest state of mind
community could enjoy. II is only
when community feels that marriage
needs TO be sustained by argument
that it begins to be in danger. Even
the few who would abolish marriage
have never really considered their pro-
posal, for they neither suggest SUBJ
slitute, nor apparently, have thought
for an instant what the social conse-
quences would be, to what utter slavs
cry it would reduce women-to whom
after forty, a threat of divorce would
be like a sentence of slow dsath-or
what the ruin it would work ON
the next generation. They propose
the change to get rid of discomfort.
Just as they propose federation to be
rid of the Irish difficulty or socialism
to be rid of occasional cases of suffer-
ing from want Their lightness OF
thought is bad; but, like the density Of
their opponents. thought it proves that
there is no real question in the public
mind
1t is. perhaps, only another instance
i of the general absence of any serious
consideration given by the writers to
the subject but we have been little
, surprised at the general consensus that
: divorce ought 10 be granted for adul'
terry on either side. That is perfectly
sound from the moralist's point Of
, view. though many Christians will
| pause to reflect that divorce is only
permitted by Christ and that permits
! sion to divorce the husband was mo-
included in his deliverance on the mat
ter; but no statesman in the existing
state OF opinion would propose any
3 such law. 1t would be simply q per
mission to all profiigate men to divorces
3 themselves at will Opinion at present
sentences the adulteress to life o
intolerable humiliation. and even sui
a fering; but it does not sentence TN
: adulterer, and till it has been improv.
Q ed. to grant divorce for mans adultery
$ would be simply to give privilege q
n the bad. Any corrupt man tired Q
7 his wife would force her to diyorc!
t him. The woman would speedily b
: forced by the opinion Of her sex t
v demand her right and the number Q
{ divorces, which are nothing but IN
Q avoidable evils Of grave kind. woul'
Q be- multiplied hundredfold- TIT
s writer's seem to think the change o
. law would act as check on men; bu
s they either have given no thought q
Is the matter; or they do not know thu
world. London Times.
d Keeping It Up.