The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-01-25
C0URTSHIp.
Entertaining Review of This Inter,
esting Subject.
Woman ueld la higher Esteem Now Thau
iormeriy-A Free CommingIing of the
sexe. Ueueflcial-- AncIcnt Ko-
man Marriage Customs.

How strange il must have been for
man 10 get acquainted with his wife
after he was married instead OF before,
We are 50 accustomed ourselves To
freedom of association between young
men and maidens that We can hardly
realize how rare such freedom is I'm
the world. The English-spcaking ma
tions alone enjoy it. and it is only in
portions OF the United States that there
are no restraints upon it, except such
as are imposed by natural propriety
and mutual respect. 1t is here aud
only here, that youths and maidens
play together, 90 TO school together.
take walks together, and share on equal
and rational terms all the social pleas
urcs proper To their age.
We can not pretend that this free.
dom is not sometimes abused, as free
dom is apt to be in other things, such
as politics, for example. All good
things are abused, even the best.
Speaking generally, however this free
dom from artificial restraints seems tC
be founded in reason, and will probab-
ly be justified by its results.
The most civilized OF the ancient
races, the Greeks, in the greatest age
OF Greece, knew nothing like this free
and natural intcrcommunion OF the
sexes. One Of the most interesting
passages in the noble literature OF
Greece is the one in Xenophon, which
represents Socrates calling upon Is
chomachus, a noted wise man and good
manager, in order 20 learn from his
own lips the secret OF his domestic
happiness and prosperity.
Il wish To learn said Socrates,
"what it is that you do 20 gain the
character from all people Of good
and honest mau; the excellent color OF
your face seems TO show that you do
not always stay al home
"You'aro right replied Ischomach-
Us, "in what you say OF my not being
much at home for my wife is capable
of ordering such things as belongs TO
the house.
Socrates then wished TO know how
his wife acquired this knowledge,
whether from himself or from her
parents.
my wife" ne answered, "was but
fifteen years old when | married her.
and till then she had been 50 negligent
ly brought up thG: she hardly knew
any thing OF worldly affairs
"Aud did you teach her, asked Soc
rates, "the things that relate 20 the
management Of "a house,
IL did, " was the reply; "but not be-
fore had implorcd the assistance Of
the gods TO show Me what insttuc-
tions were necessary for her. aud that
she might have n heart TO learn and
practice those instructions 90 the adj
vantage aud profit Of u- both
Upon hearing this, the curiosity o!
Socrates was greatly excited. and he
listened most intcntly 10 what fol-
lowed.
"To begin, then, good Socrates
When rc Ucre wcH cHough acquointcd,
and were 50 familiar that we began e.
converse freely with one another, ]
asked her for what reason she thought
! had taken her to be- my wife"
He then proceeded % give his young
spouse "a long discourse upon the dutics
and privileges Of marriage. the mair
object Of which was the rearing Oi
virtuous and competent children for
the comfort Of their own lives, The go
lace OF their old age. aud the service of
the state. This discourse j. 80 good
and 20 wise that IL would serve ~ well
now a. 10 did when it was written
twenty-five centuries ago: but The re-
markable circumstance j. that this
husband and wife were ignorant of one
another until after their marriage: and
this T. still the case with large ma
jority Of the newiy iy-married couples
throughout the world
Among the Romans. although matrons
enjoyed more freedom and dignity than
among the Greeks, there was no such
thing known a. court-hip. Roman
law and Roman usage gave the father
almost absolute power over his daugh-
ter. and he disposed Of her hand os II IL
had been bis personal property.
The law went farther even than this
lie could dissolve o marriage which he
had himself arranged. and take his
daughter away from her husband and
children.
Those who think that American free
dom does not conduce % virtuous and
orderly behavior. and who desire q
-, 80. a-rt,-sts.-- - rs-,ff,, o..