The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-20

to accomplish his own is low fellow, no
matter whether his station in life is hum
bic or high. An honest man who wants
woman can afford 10 wait for her reason
able time. and an honest woman viii not
secretly marry any man against her par
ents' will without first waiting reason
able time TO overcome their opposition by
more intimate acquaintance with her
lover, and to test by experience whether
her passion is only fitful blaze of fancy
or an immoyable. indelible love
Marriage is the subject of endless discus
sion in popular literature, either direct or
indirect. 1t is the grand passion OF the
novel. the drama, and is the butt for the
arrows Of all wits, great and small In
Europe when the wheat crop fails lovers
are backward in coming forward 10 the
marriage altar, but in America the ma
jority Of marriages are between persons
who are believers in the poetic theory that
marriages are born Of moonlight saunter-
ings and romantic affections that leap the
light wall Of circumstance and join hands
for life as carelessly as though about 20
tread quadrille or a contra-dance.
The poet and novelist always describes
a true marriage rs born only amid the
gorgeous light OF the love which laughs at
locksmiths, refuses TO be sent anywhere
against its will, and is always ready to
scale a cliff 70 save scoundrel if he has
won her heart. Ont of this theory Of mar
rage, populariZed by fiction and poetry, is
born host of miserable unions that result
from want of prudence, deliberation.
caution and judgment. In all other prac-
teal relations of life people who take
counsel Of passion and sentimentalism
rather than reason, caution and prudence,
come to grief and there need be no occa-
sion for surprise that marriage negotiated
in reckless disregard Of reason and redec-
ton should meet with retribution, for
however rich in rainbow fbres love-mak-
ing may be, marriage is very practical
business.
Society knows little and cares less about
a mans ioyemaking. but when his love-
making passes from the irresponsible
word Of love 10 the responsible deed and
social relation of marriage, society is COM
PEELED 10 be interested in the fate of his
marriage, whether for veal or woe, since
on society must rest the burden and
the trouble if his marriage proves fail
ure. Societyls deeply concerned whether
his marriage means children that become
good citizens, or destructive criminals,
turbulent drunkards, parasitic paupers, or
diseased and non-productive persons. So
ciety is concerned whether marriage means
thrift, harmony, moral health and happi-
ness, or whether it means poverty. deser-
ton, depravity and divorce. In France
marriages are negotiated entirely by the
heads of respective families, and the law
is framed accordingly, so that while sons
twenty-five years of age and daughters
over twenty-one can marry without the
consent of their parents, it can be done
only after making three petitions in
formal respectful language addressed to
the parents soliciting their consent, and
with an interval of month between the
petitions. This may seem a very deliber-
ate, cautious, prudent marriage, but in the
obstacles it erects against hasty runaway
matches il is worthy of imitation in Amer
lea, where the ideal marriage is to have
the match made by the young people
rather than by the parents and the love
making precede marriage rather than
follow it.