Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-12
UNHAPPY MARRIAGES
Are Becoming Less Frequent Accord
ing to Bessie Bramble.
THE PROGRESS OF THE FAIR SEX
And the General Enlightenment Of the
Sterner Responsible.
-ano m mup unncr runJ n
THE FINANCES OF THE HOUSEHOLD
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPATcH.l

has been dlgnlneu as q sdciauehe'o"s "iNSi
the law it requires no ecclesiastical sanction
to make it valid. By this contract volun-
tarily made a man agrees ito love his wife,
to comfort her, honor her. to keep her in
sickness and in health, and forsaking all
others to keep only unto her as long as both
shall live"
However good a home she may have,
however much she may be loved and cher
ished in that home by father and mother, he
promises her more of happiness than she
could otherwise enjoy. By this contract ne
agrees to protect, support and love her al
ways as long as he lives.
How many men realize the gravity OF THIS
responsibility, the seriousness of this con-
tract. the duties which it entails? An non,
orabie man knows he must fulfill
his business contracts or lose ms
standing in the business world.
The law tokes hold of such cases and en-
| deavors to secure justice, but if the courts
were called upon to take cognlzance anu
action upon the failures to fulfill the mar
riage contract, the lawyers would gro" 10 a
vast multitude. and become mllllonalres
even in excess OF the coal barons ana iron
kings, while some of their number ana tnose
| who set upon woolsacks and are counteu
bigwigs, would be shorn of their dignity OF
! place and pow er and reduced to the docK Oh
the defendant.
A STREET CAR SCENE.
Now, honor bright brethren, think ABOUT
| it fair and square. Down deep from tne
bottom OF conscience answer. nave you
appreciated and do you keep the holy con-
tract of marriage as sacredly and honestly
as your business contracts? Last week
saw a scene in the cars that would perhaps
| have made even a tombstone smile, though
the realities behind it were sad enough. In
| the seat before was middle-aged man OF
portly mien and rather fine looking, despite
| his bald head. By his side was pretty
| young married woman to whom ne was DOING
| the agreeable to the full extent OF his powers
of fascination. He smiled at, and nattereo
her; his glanct' seemed to tell her tnat us
soul was full Of love and fond emotion. In
eloouence without words he indicated that
her charms we're too many for him. Ii he
had been a soft young bridegroom on MS
wedding tour, he could hardly have ap-
peared more dead gone" than this lawyer
seemed TO be.
She was pretty blonde in bewitching
hat. Like all OF the girls she carried a
slim pocketbook, which during the Hirta-
tion slipped to the floor. The funniest part
| of the scene was when the portly fraud
groveled gallantly upon the floor OF the car
| to pick 1t up. Red as rose was ne Wnen
he regained his position, and il he did not
feel like fool he certainly looked like one
THE SCENE AT HOME.
Now that man, all smiles and gallantry in
his manners upon the road, is said to be a
regular dragon at home, despotlc Gar,
man who has broken his marriage contract
| to spIinters as far as loving and honoring
his own wife above all other women is con-
cerned-or for that matter, OF even treating
her decently before folks. She would have
been vastly happier single, since he. by
breach of contract, has spread pail over
happiness, and her lite is one that can only
be relieved by funeral, or the scandal OF
divorce.
But men are not the only parties who do
not keep their marriage contracts. True
enough. as everybody knows. Women
there are who could hardly live peacefully
with a saint in glory-women SO silly and
ignorant, so foolish and frivolous that men
sometimes feel themselves justified in
breaking their contract-women so devoted
to millinery and fads of fashion as
to risk home happiness for their
possession. What joy they can find
in the shams of society as compared
with the comforts of a home and the COM
panionship of good, intelligent husband
when they can secure one-1s only to DC
accounted for a lack Of common sense. and
if men marry such women they have made q
bad bargain and have only themselves te
blame for it, just as they have when they
have when they speculate in oil and have te
sslay down." or take fly in the stock mar
ket and get badly "ieft" upon the rocks
WORST END OF THE BARGAIN.
But. while women are to blame in many
- W rri it 1nust be rennl
: lected that a woman's position under thu
, laws as to marriage is such as to make he
3 the greater sufferer and to give her the leas
chance of redress. Her husband is mad
[ her legal guardian. Her services belong t,
him. and he furnishes for her food, shelter
clothing at his own will. She cannot leav'
f him as readily as he can desert her, becaus
s she has the care OF the family and is de
pendent pauper. It Is this condition o
? beggary to which many wives are reduced
that makes very many marriages miserable
t This humiliating and impecunious condi
ton is not confined to the wives Of men o
/ | small means; there are husbands who hav
3 | large incomes but who are downright sting,
and mean to their families
"Johp." said a rich magnate, who did th
marketing for his family, ''send down
soup bone and a cabbage to-day" The bon
and the cabbage was for the dinner of hi
| family. while ne nlmSeu OlneQ SuuptuOuSl
at the club. Not long ago heard the wifi
of a well-to-do man ask her husband 70
e car fare, and he handed out dime just a
n he would to child. She looked sore owe
=, it, but said nothing.
d woRKINGMEN ARE BETTER
e Some workingmen are many times NOR
d trusting and liberal. Knowing that thei
!. wives are their best friends and that the
. can safely be counted upon for prudenc
4 and economy, they simply take out OF thei
= wages what they want for tobacco and small
. personal needs and hand the balance over I
s the house cashier to provide for the family
&c Women so trusted and held responsible
: seldom go into bankruptcy or abscond wit
y the funds. They are much more likely I
= Law up for the rainy day, or bank it for th
n purchase OF home.
~ In England and other European countrie
- the daughters of wealth are protected fror
such impecunious indignitv by marriag
settlements, which provide for an indt
:. pendent income for wives, and the sam
!. would not be bad idea here, as long as th
. law holds them in the poverty-stricken cor
~ dition of working for board and clothes. an
- even those at the option OF the husband.
~ An item in a recent paper gives the cas-
u of a man who deserted his wife and chile
!. His case was taken to court, where he wa
1 ss convicted and sentenced to pay S. wee
ts for their support, and to give bond to con
ply with the command. After the Cou
had made the order this husband who ha
% nromised to have and to take this wife +,
~ hattar or for worse deliberately stood n