Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-23

- Of unhappy marriages
49, which one notices and
quietly studies. although their record
may not get into the newspapers or be
generally understood in society.
The story OF tho boy and the fox is
very trite. but like most trite things it
has been so often repeated because IL il
80 very true. and nobody has discovered
better way or clothing a truth which
everybody sooner or later feels the need
OF expressing. But / think everybody
VIII concede that hiding the fox rather
increases than lessons the sharpness Of
bis gnawing. and that the smiles with
which the sufferer folds the rich robe
above the hidden enemy are more the
grimacs OF anguish than tho expression
OF nirth and ease.
And | suppose there Is no cnawing
sorrow and modification which women
are more prone To try to keep concealed
and 20 cover with lying smiles and pre-
lenses than an unhappy marriage. There
Il something so humilating 20 woman
n the confession that she has given all
and received nothing; that she has com
placently delivered herself over. bound
hand and foot. 70 Il master iacapable OF
approaching the value of his slave; that
she has bartsred her womanhcod for a
handful Of fairy gold, changing with the
first calm ray OF daylight TO dried leaves
and crumbling twigs. There are various
kinds of these unfortunate and humili-
ating marriages, but none perhaps
harder to endure for highly organized
aud self respecting women than the
marriage OF tho china vase and the
brazen pot, which, as you will remem-
Der, EsOp tells Us undertook TO float
down the stream in company.
Again | must confess the fable is so
well known that you may call IL trite,
aud yet so very. very true TO life that we
cannot afford 10 forget IL. Do we not
constantly see 10 illustrated all about US?
Have we perchance had some experience
that indorses IL? For this companion
ship in limited degree is possible in
other relations Of life than marriage. but
with this difference-that in almost any
other relation escape is possible; friend
ships and intimacies may be quietly
dropped. the daughter or sister who
cannot live with her father or brother
NAV find another home and no one ask
WHY. bat the wife or the husband is
bound BY self chosen ties not to BE- rent
without public scandal and severe humil-
iation.
You may say. II the companionship is
self chosen, only self is 20 blame for its
G-.-f. . a. sl.. N.s
vase consent 10 the proposed VOYAGE
Way did IL not foresee the disastrous
termination OF such an undertaking?
ANY fool might know that at the first
CONJUNCTION the brass vessel must shatter
the china one. and fools must suffer for
their folly without expecting sympathy
50 saws the world and shrugs its shout
ders. well satisfied with its own shrewd
common sense. as IL calls Il. But then
the world IL itself the brazen vase. and
It's dictim Is exactly what might be ex-
peeted
OF course there Il some truth in what
it saws. notice that disagreeable things
generally do have some truth about
them. Tho china vase ought certainly
% have been wiser. bat there are ex-
cuses 20 be made FOR ber. In the first
place. everybody il prone 70 estimate
the world from the point Of their own
identity IL is not possible for a china
vase 10 evolve the idea OF a bronze pot
from its own inner consciousness: it
must learn u from experiences bitter
experience.
And another very valid excuse for tho
poor bat " china IA that brass does not
slways show ifs hard and cruel nature.
l. NAV be a. the brass Of Benares. Gu
riously wrought and ornamented; Il may
be inlaid with ali sorts Of precious metals
and stones; it may be hammered and
hlaSraed AMI nodded into most attract
i've shapes and decorations. NJ may be
polished so completely that one IN Look
ing upon it only sees the reflection Of
ones own face and form and exclsms
ooh. here have found nay very counter
part Now am sure Of sympathy and
eompreheusiou Yes. brass - a very
deceptive metal. not Being indeed a true
metal ar al. but only n Fictitious com
pouud' Il copper and zinc. and no Won
der pcor. simple china vases are de-
ceivsd self deceived. Il yon viii. but
nevertheless innocently misled into a
great mistake.
suppose there IL something 70 be said
on fha side 20 the brszeu POT also. r.
80 i1dEes from ia own standpoint.
and csnaet perhaps really know or ever
learn the genuine fragiity and habhiry
O. destruction Of So CANA companion
IL IL acknowledged that = man, 50 pa
worthy specimen q hrs sex, must hsVe
rnod deal II tine feminine nature "a
tart berearh his stronger attributes. ard
some men fail in this requisite alto
xefhar White some others have The
wong zfnd - feminine qualities, vhich
are worse than ugue ard only ulake the
has more i,razsn. These ulen adj to the
hsr1n.-ss ssl1 abtuseness and r1'1ghress
~ he masculine nat1ra ere vanity and
love ~ ease snd sxsrtingness which
fa~uish the s'nl "a many a woman. yvs'le
thav show rot \ trace If Those sympa-
theec and self denying attributes which
make other women tae hight and Joy 90
a worthy man existence.
CSod PITY she wife = such = nlen--ssli
she need lock FOR no ether pity. for The