The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-07-23
DEFENDED BIZ A BACHELOR.
The Higher and Finer Aspects
of Marriage.

kansas City Star.
To The STAR have been deeply
interested in reading the article entl-
tied Town Airs and Graces," by
Shirley Dare, in your issue of yester-
day, and as / feel that some of the as
sertions therein made are vicious in
tendency and well calculated To poison
the minds of inexperienced young peo-
pie. 1 take issue with the writer, or
with her philosophic, though hand
some," friend.
None can doubt that pure friend
ships strongly impregnated (if the ex-
preston is permissable) with ardent
love may exist between cultured men
and women, without there being any
desire for marriage. Such a friend
ship, or affection, was that of Michael
Angelo Buonsrotte for Vittoria Col
onna, of which love the great archi'
tect, painter, sculptor-poet has left
many menentOes in his poems.
All the passages in the article re-
lating to- such friendships are pleasing
and to certain extent. true, but ac-
cordins to my belief. the general tenor
of the entire article is atrociously de-
moralizing in this sense, that it gives
perverted and vulgar and debaslDg
view of marriage and the marital re-
lation.
Take for instance these passages >
There will always be fools enough TO
carry on the race, and the increasing
proportion of men aud women not
DESTROYS of marriage is something to
be proud of and to encourage" ''The
lnore thoughtful and gifted feel no
leaning toward its bondage and obi
CATIONS" Marriage at its best is an
earthly necessity only, born of sense. I"
"Words cannot measure the WEAKNESS
of the daily close association it in
fiicts," and then this gem:
Marriage has served its purpose in
populating the earth J"
What base and degrading view to
take of the most sacred tie known to
humanity, except, possibly, that
equally sacred one that binds mother
to child
Is marriage tken nothing but a
breeding institution Is it nothing
more than a means of perpetrating
and increasing the human species? L
pity and despise any person that thinks
that. My idea of marriage is that its
lowest element is the one above indi-
Gated. Marriage in its higher aspect
means this /: A sympathetic union of
two hearts, bodies and souls. of oppo-
site sexes for the purpose of affording
intellectual and soulful aid and
strength to each otner union in
which each party gives of his or her
best to help AMI aid the other onward
r through this life and to become thus
fitted for the life to come a union of
sentiment, of work, of speech, of du.
ties by which the two are enabled to
live better lives together than ether
of them could live apart union in
seeking the good and in doing good,
In correcting each others errors and
mistakes and weaknesses, in showing
each other how to make the most and
the best of oneself.
Marriage is not lust, and any one
who can think so or believes SO is a
debased and wicked being.
| quote again from the article /:
''Men don't care about marriage Oh
mistresses because education and So
ciety open to them hundred other
sources of pleasure which do not pre-
sent such heavy charges to pay after.
ward In care and money" What a
selfish and vicious and brutal view of
life! Of course, such men as the
writer has in mind, such men, as the
woman who could assent to such views,
do not care; but why? Simply be-
cause they are all eaten up with the
moral gangrene of utter selfihness in
stead of quiet home with a loving
affectionate wife, dutiful children,
these men prefer the pleasures of
sooiety'-feetipg pleasures, soon ex-
hausted and leaving bitter taste in
the mouth; they prefer liasons with
vicious women, taking up now one,
then dropping her for another; they
prefer squandering their money on
gambling, betting at horse races, ball
matches and prize fights, or-if more
refined-upon their own selfish enjoy
ments in the line of travel or music,
or sightseeing. But all these have an
end, and the blase bachelor finds him.
self have seen and known many
such-at the age of 30, or younger
even, wearied old man, his near Kim
dred all dead, himself without home
eYcent ssthe Climb chilhIoss uifaloSs