Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-14
a BOLD, BAD BACHELOR.
He Has Some Clever Things to say In De-
fence Of HIS Brothers.

] ~ me f.AttoF ~ ttf hfolNtt'Ws
A series Of articles has recently APP |
peared in your valued journal in which |
the relative merits of the married man |
and the bachelor have been brought into |
very violent contrast much 10 the dis
paragement OF the latter. Being among !
tho number Of those harmless individuals |
whom taste or fate have caused to travel /
the road Of life in single harness. It has
not been pleasant for me to read the
auimadversions cast upon us, AM ! must
/ ask in justce TO a class who are not prone
TO controversy and with whom SiteHcc Is
regarded as a blessing, that you will per
NIT me to act az an humble mouthpioce
and to refute some of the inyidIous COM
parsons instituted by your correspond
emit
In the number have at this writing
under my eye Benedict says: "Another
advantage the married man has over the
bachelor is that he can live his boyish
DAYS over again in his children aud
he instances the fond delight the Indian
warrior takes in beholding "his young
barbarians at play" with tomahawk and
scalping-knife, and he pictures how the
old lions in the geological gardens veg
their tails aud wink their eyes with JOY
Mt the gambols of their cubs. With but
few exceptions | do not believe 1t would
he a source Of happiness for a Christian
father TO see his children roflecting IN
their pastimes the little cruelhes that
that have for ages so largely dlstln-
guished the sport of the ordinary small
bov. and as the infant grows into the
youth, it il with constant watchfuncss
that the father seeks TO repress in his son
the traits of wanton sovagery and VI
ciousness which in himself went
so far to make up the joys OF boy
hoods sunny hours" Blended per
chance with some bright and innocent
memories, those days OF nascent evil are
darkened with many n foul and impure
blot, and the average man with prayer
ful heart trusts that his experience may
not be repeated in the tender youth OF
his offspring. Along with pride and
pleasure of paternity, responsibility,
anxiety. and dread attend tho married
man. He cannot know. and he can but
in little measure determine, whether the
child that is TO parpetuate his blood IS to
become q curse or q blessing TO his race
and humanity. "Some grow to honor,
some to shame" The teaching OF viz
tuous parents oft proves useless
against the iron law OF heredity.
and the hapless father is doomed to see
photographed in bis children the vice OF
which he is the negative. If he is him.
self an old Indian whom rheumatism has
driven from the warpath into the on
. forced peace OF a reservation, or an
ancient hon with clipped claws grown
placid on vegetable diet, what right
has he 10 hope that his progeny when
their thews and fangs wax strong and
sharp will eschow the evil ways their
forbears delighted in? Certainly the
! bachelor is relieved OF much RESPONSE
bility. lie has no cause to fear that fn-
ture generations viii rise up and call him
cursed. so much, then, for the selfish
advantage that is claimed for tho mar
ried man.
But selfishness is averred TO be the
, gpecial vice Of tho bachelor. l admit
that there are so many incidental bless
ings connected with the single life that
such charge made by n married man
isa very natural outcome ofttimes OF
his own experience. But it is not true,
either as cause Of celibscy or as TO-
suit Of it. a great philosopher has de-
fined bachelor to be Zone who has
foregone his privilege of making some
+ woman miserable" Very few, indeed,
, are the instances where men marry from
any higher motive than self g,ati1ca-
, ton, unless 1t Is 10 be assumed
that marriage is martyrdom. They are
| perfectly willing 10 take tho risk OF
bringing unhappiness to others by their
, matrimonial venture, and ! can't see how
q man can claim any particular credit
for doing what he wants to do-regard-
less. The man who marrles from &
sense of duty Is an extremely rdra avis,
, the man who stays married from such
| a motive is possibly not so rare, and
when option comes 10, as frequently II
doesn't,l the man who refrains from
marriage exhibits the cardinal virtue of
sef-abnegation, conceding that welded
life offers strong attractions to the
egoist.
II the bachelor is selfish his selfish
ness is single, he only prefers one per-
/ person satiated, the bachelor can hearken
TO the cry OF his neighbors But with
, the married man his seltishness Is apt 70
be largely developed, and becomes du-
| plieated or quadrupled, as the case may
be. That marriage increases patriotism
/ or broadens ones humanity is very much
: to be questioned. 1t wonld rather seem
| that, untrammelled by no other ties, the
: bachelor would idealize his country and
/ give il stronger, more personal love.
} And full devotion 10 humanity is only
possible where lesser loves are absent
, The men who have given their lives for
the world have been men who
; Have never felt the kiss of love.
Nor madeu's hand within their own -
Or else have cast away the love Of that
Other intsHsg SET
Tho their hearts were at the root"
/ 1t is really no cause for grief that
i, celibacy was in greater disrepute in the
, DAYS OF King David than in our own
) time, as my married friend seems to i'm
DIV. At that era the chief occupation OF
: the nations was war, and the
: state needed soldiers. Marriage is
: undeniably On excellent school
8 in which TO develop a fierce and comba.
tive disposition hence in the old days
: matrimony was greatly encouraged. But
we live under a new dispensation whose
motto is peace. We need no standing
/, army and the trend Of the age Ia toward
judicial arbitration. St. Paul has some
:. very decided opinions on this subject,
which make bold 10 say are not at all
antagonistic to bachelorhood.
. do not wish to DO understood as op
posing marriage. l think many men by
y nature are peculiarly adapted to it Fol
8 the dependent and helpless who neet
q care and attention. and who can't sew OF
q button. and whose digestion is bad, i
I is, indeed, an excellent institution.
. wish only to protest against any tsnden
Il \ A. go 81 al A.