Sharp County record., 1891-08-20
DUCATS AND DAUGHTERS,


market. 1t is in the countries where a
man may have as many wives as he
pleases that he is forced to pay a round
price for every separate object of his
affection; and is it in those lands where
homogeneous marriage fails to keep
down the supply of eligible young
women that the youth expects compen-
sation for taking his fair burden off the
hands of her unappreciative relatives
A symposium in the North American
Review discusses the practicability of
giving the young women of this country
suitable dowries. Happily the weight
of opinion is in favor of laying no
such prize upon the matrimonial altar.
We may have reached the state of
civilization marked by superfuous
women; but if this is so let them be dis
posed of by the comparatively decent
method of drowning in infancy, and
not in make-shift prize-package
fashion, which is as dangerous to a
young woman's self-respect as it is
menacing to her future happiness.
There is particularly little use for en-
couraging the dowry system in coun-
try where the laws of inheritance in
sure girl fair share in her fathers
estate. To be sure, this does not fall
to her, in the course of nature, in her
early married life; but is more likely to
come at middle age, when her children
are growing up and the expenses of their
education make a financial crisis far
more serious than any earlier one, One
very grave objection to the proposed
plan is found, too, in the nature of most
American fortunes. They do not con-
sist of land or permanent securities, but
are invested in business. Totake away
from the fund in use number of re-
spectacle sums for the endowment of
family of daughters would embarrass
many man at the very time of life
when he has right-if he has been
diligent and thrifty-to look for re-
leXation from the severer cares of trade.
A marriage which affords young
man distinct financial advantages does
not always increase his comforts, as
most people have had opportunity to
observe. Feminine nature is human
nature, and many anotherwise loving
woman never loses chance to remind
her lord and master that his prosperity
is founded upon the money she brought
him at her marriage. There is an old
but pleasing story of an humble couple
who took vigorous measures to avoid
this insidious danger.
"Maria," asked John, as they left the
parsonage, "have you got any money!"
"Only this answered his better half,
holding up silver quarter.
"Then come right down to the canal
and throw it in. don't want to hear
for the rest of my life of the money you
brought me. You're a good woman,
Maria, but there are some temptations
I wouldn't set before you"
Who shall say that John did not get
his quarters worth of domestic happi-
ness out of the coin thrown into the
canal?
When a young and vigorous man of q
marriageable age-which is, properly,
from five to ten years after
entering upon businessman not earn
enough to keep two people in decent
comfort there is something wrong,
of bnr with +ba ,po, ~, +bo u+ota of ca
ciety under which he lives. If the pa
rents of child reared in luxury wish
to give him-or her--a start in tho
world, this is justifable and permissi-
bic, but it is by no means necessary.
Many fathers continue their daughters
after their marriage, and
this is far better plan than that Of the
dowry, though it may be bad training
for young husbands, 1t is always for
tunate for young woman to go at once
to house of her own instead of being
exposed to the discomforts of dwell
ing "built to rent or to the horrors
of a boarding-house, and a modest home
may very suitably be her marriage por-
ton. These are all different matters
from the formal dowry, in that they are
gifts, and can not easily be made condi-
tions of the marriage itself,
For the crowning sin of the dowry
system is not its failure to fit our social
and economic conditions, but its una
voidable tendency to make marriages Of
affection the exception
rather than the rule. With the best Of
under such a custom, senti-
and financial motives will be-
come sorely mixed, Not only will young
men prefer those alliances which af-
ford them the most substantial assist
ance in the world, but, curiously enough,
many n father who would not hesitate
to give his daughter TO the man Of her
choice, however poor, would not be
willing to hand over the dowry to
suitor who could not show correspond
ing sum.
Now, the marriage Of affection has q
value apart from its promotion of indi-
vidual happiness. 1t makes stable So
ciety, and II improves the race, Delib-
erately TO introduce in America an in
stitution which would tend TO diminish
such marriages would be foolish enough.
There should be better reason for the
step than that the plan has been found
useful under entirely different and, ON
the whole rather worse social condi-