Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1889-01-25
What IL a Failure?

The marriage question in the taking
query, els marriage failure has
got the ear of the world. Nothing
like it has been seen for thepast TWEEN
ty years. Doubt of the marriage rela-
tion has back ground Of reason, and,
coming in an age when the humoris.s
and the wits have spread themselves
on the mother-in-law, paregoric and
Chicago divorces, all tending to dis
parage the marriage relation in fun
and pave the way for discussion in
earnest, the discussion happens in
bad time. 1t will not destroy marriage
but it will discourage it and increase
celibacy. The evil effect of decline
of marriage Is not matter of theory,
it is matter Of statistical fact, and of
lamentable fact. Waving the general
result the young man who feels him
self inclined to swim with the tide and
to seriously contemplates life of &C.
libacy will do we'll to put his brakes
hard down. A single life is the most
demoralizing thing which can happen
to a man. Single blessedness is the
worst misnomer in the dictionary Of
phrases. If it were changed to single
cussedness it would hit facts ninety
nine times out of hundred A man
may, by life of celibacy, shirk the
plaques Of matrimouy, care, anxiety,
hard work, mothers-in-law, paregoric,
seolding and fretfulness. He may be
able to live better, wear better clothes,
smoke better cigars, drink champagne
instead of beer, and have what is call
ed good time But though he hug him.
self for his selfish wisdom he is never
theless one of the most deluded Of
wretches. The pursuit of selfish pleas
ure, never yet failed to lose happiness,
or turn the dearly bought joy into ap-
pies Of Sodom. Happiness can't be
got by seeking for it. The world amt
built that way. The young man who
adopts a single life for its supposed
pleasure is holding the big to catch
snipes and nature laughs at him
Happiness comes only as sequence
of duty. 1t follows self sacrifice.
The men down town to-day, who are
sleepy with vigils kept last night at
the bedside Of a sick wife or sick
child are broader mon, better men and
happier men, than those unfortunate
celibates, who made night of it and
are Dragging about what high old time
they had. A man may beat his fel.
low creatures, but he cannot beat ma.
ture. The young man hesitating on
this subject may take profitable les
son from this fact. Among the lions,
tigers, elephants and other great and
ferocious animals which the African
hunter encounters the only amin al he
really breads is the "Bachelor Ele.
plant" This animal excluded from the
legitimate society of his female kind
and wandering alone is the most mo-
rose, melancholy and dangerous of all
African animals. .Celibacy among the
human kind has equal vicious effects.
The mind narrows and dwarfs and the
natural affections turn in on themselves
and corrode and canker all the
best qualities of mind and heart
The celibate has given nature and so,
ciety dirt and nature gets even with
him in her own way. Man is by nature
brute and it needs oil the softening
influences of duty and love to make
him human. No man ever wrote such
graphic or comprehensive lines as
Sallust when in his introduction to the
Jugarthine war, he says: "Omnis 10
mines qus sese student preastare ceter;.
bus aminaliJus etc :" The marriage
relation and home are the nursery oil
all that is good in life The kiss of ones
own acknowledged baby and its dim
pied twiuing arms about ones neck is q
more potent social factor than all the
laws ever made. A vigil by sick bee
stiffens every good quality in mar
and tiny grave in the cemetery hu
manizes more than Latin or Greek
But the young man who is not succept
ible to what he may think transcen
dental argument may profitably reAec
that life Of celibacv IS an insult to hi
father and mother, to his grand fathe
and grandmother, to his great grand
father and great grand mother and t.
every one of his ancestors back to tn
days OF Adam. 1t is virtually sayin,
that they have produced such sneci