Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-22
VIEWS OF MARRIAGE.
The Subject Discussed by Another Bache-


VIEWS or MARRIAGE.
The Subject Discussed by Another Bache-
Tor.
To he Editor Of the Dispatch:
I have read with considerable interest
three of the articles on marriage that have
been published in your valuable paper.
would like TO have seen them all, but
suppose they were not published in the
weekly edition.
do not enter the lists because / think
b. stands IN need of any assistance, but
simply TO present one view Of the subject
that may not have occurred TO him. There
are bachelors and bachelors, many bache-
lors, many minds" and nOtwO Of them will
be likely 70 give exactly the same reasons
for the faith that is in him."
From my standpoint as a bachelor matri-
mony seems to destroy the grandest, most
sublime illusion that gives happiness to
mankind-namelv. building. No
doubt about illusions being a source Of
pleasure Look through and dissipate if
you choose the illusions of life and note
the result. Look back and we see moral
life in the Garden of Eden look up, there
are regions of eternal frost look down, re-
gions Of eternal fires; look forward, death
and the grave. When sharply, critically,
deeply analysed. from human standpoint
merely, life at best can but seem a mOckery
only. But hope, best boon to mortals
given. ." is ever urging US forward with the
promise that tomorrow will be brighter
than TODAY" and holding up for the spe-
cial benefit Of maid and bachelor the mi
rage Of matrimonial felicity. Many rush
forward TO grasp the delicious fruit, TO
drink the refreshing water, and lie on the
green grass in the shade of the trees, and
find nothing but rock and sand, sand and
rock.
Culebs has tho happy privilege of feast
ing his soul at will on the beauties of the
picture lust before him. Benedict has dis
PEELED the illusion, has walked from his
"iridescent DREAM and found his bubble
bursted. Within the bosom of Celebs's
brightly glow the fires Of anticipation, be-
fore which all other sources of happiness
pale into insignifeance. Every dog has
his day. and Benedict has had his. Pos
sibly he finds himself lll-mated and both
he and his better half bitterly sigh for the
days that are gone.
"God pity them both and pity US all
Who vainly the dreams Of youth recall"
IF not Minated he will be forced to say
at any rate
Tho tree Of knowledge has been plucAed- airs
known
And life yields nothing further 70 recall"
The greatest witchery of his life is be-
hind, and no wonder, like Lots wife, he Is
often looking back, for where his trea-
sure is there will his heart be also"
Better for us bachelors, then, not to dis
mel the illusions of childhood and youth
that have so OPPORTUNITY gathered around
MS and made life 90 pleasurable. Better
continue TO build and inhablt them than
to turn our attention 10 the huts of earth,
which are so lowly that they disgust US, so
permanent that they weary us. And their
occuDants-ah mel what tumble there
must be, and what trhTeS they DO become
"a boys will is the Winds Will,
Aud the thoughts Of youth are long, long
thoughts.
As often and as quickly as changes the
wind so we can change our castles OF air,
but our earthly dwellings we cannot. Ana
these long. long thoughts become so dear
that II ia no wonder they follow many an
old maid and old bachelor to the end OF
life. -.
BE honest now, p, and tell me. don't
Won often amid the hubbub and jars OF
married life long, yea sigh. for the dream
life of your bachelor days! Don't you
often wish you could exchange your earth
lv dwelling and its mistress for more lofty
and aerial onPs2 But for obvious reasons
Won will never confess that unless some
day YOU find yourself a widower.
The girls, at least many OF them, are
such sweet, pretty. dear creatures, and
they make such splendid orlRlhais, ouU Gl
which we manufacture the airy. larry Ill
whites that figure in our castles OF AR,
that il il no wonder that many OF us bach
elI0rs are unwilling to drag them 10 ana
sacrifice them on the matrimonial altar.
Yes they are charming, bewltchlng, but
ordinarily we meet, decked IN our pest
manners and best clothes, and our Inutual
impressions are highly exaggerated by the
Fact that we are both putting the best
fI.ot foremostn Happy for us would these
impressions, however hlghly-tlnteu' Ior-
When one of these pretty girls IS seen
Mainly but neatly attlred, O pretty-pat-
termed apron possibly being her greatest
ornament in the way OF dress, II makes an
old bachelor think, with the poet Vuat
beauty unadOrned IS adorned the most,
and makes him dream of love IN cottage
and has actually made one of them wIlte;
!. now domestic, Row cosy, how sweet looks she,
"Who dares In a neat ntting apron TO Do
Marriage means the shattering OF the
idoIs of both parties interested. How they
must d,cindle ia each others eyes Ihey
oct as II were. behind the scenes and
mutually find chat a glamour has been
before their eyes as they inevitably de-
penerate into the plain. humdrum' soOeTss
sided. worhng-day husband ana wlIe. ~
they are rich She more than likely becomes
Tho deyotee of fashion; if they are poor
sbe masses into a household drudge, ana
her face. once so bright with the joys OF
anticination. becomes "sicklied over with
The male cast of thought" and WEAKNESS.
And the thought that paies a9d Weatles
her the most is the one that tens her the
hest Of her life Is behind, and that ne, the
ahmed and chivalrOus knight OF her last
haa nj
v,iece earthly creature that she shudders
to attempt to locate him IN thought OF
And newell, he has seen the neat collar
disaDuear from the neck, once swan-hhe
lint now rather gOose-like, ana the apron
That once riyalled in purity the snow on
tbe summit of Gaunsanker has become
soiled, and the smile that USED alN"ys "
,,caet him has failed TO materialize as OF
Sore' And Just TO think that this quondam
onaen az his aforetime castle eats pork ana
leans hog and hominy, greens anu
on,opst M knocks all the romance. all the
sentiment, all the poetry out Of INN. =
Roth crawl out from under the doris OF
their smashed-up castles and nope thro o!ll
life crippled in the higher oraer Oh tnoi .
being, and readily admit WIN tne poet ','"'
atoye,, foWer that blooms 10 DO blighiod.
"a re star Of hope that rlseJ but 70 sei."
DELTA.
The Married Man and the Bachelor
No. z.
To Re Eli,or Of Ge Dispatch
7 have waited two weeks for reply 70
No. 8 from my Bachelor friend, ana am
sure his silence has disappointed otneIs as
much as myself Fearing, now9s Nm y ~
readers mey tire Of this subject ! WIZ lIo-
asaS ~ notice those honorable excep-
tiens - referred 70 in my second letter
RsebeloTs that may not marry are, hfsti
ti,ose anon whom has deyolyed the duty OF
,nLin,, care III widowed mothers and Ia
.hs,isss ehilaren. I have known, quite .
number OF this noble class, ana nay i've ~"
ways highly appreciated then ~. ss