The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-05
LOVE AND MARRIAGE.
Topics That Are Inadequately Treated
in Current Literature.
Westminster Review.

Westminster Review.
Love ana marriage are seldom treated In
English literature with the seriousness they
deserve. Love is regarded as the fitting
theme for any amount of k-and-water
sentiment, and marriage is looked upon as
the appropriate subject for an inexhausti-
BILE number of sorry jests If treated with
a little kindness, marriage is considered in
the light Of the wedding ceremony. Hence
forth the sometime lovers fall into the COM
monplace ranks of married people, from
whom all illusions have fed.
1t is open to us to believe that this per-
sistent trifing with these subjects is only
an example of the habit of Englishmen to
hide their most serious feelings. 1t is a
sign of weakness TO wear ones heart upon
ones sleeve and to confess to any deep feel
ing either in love, religion or grief Death
alone is treated with seriousness. and for
that reason out of all due proportion; mar
riage is a more serious business than death,
for death is but the terminate of one Iife
while marriage may be the beginning of
many lives. We lament the death of
friend as though it were avoidable. we sub
NIT TO the consequences of mar
riage as though they were newt
able. We look upon human life as
1t without conjunction. If, as evolutionist
ethics instruct US. the end of life is we'll
being the well-being of individuals and the
well-being of the species there are no ex-
perienceS which more directly or profoundly
affect this well-being than love and mar
rage, and there are none that deserve
more serious consideration. Whether we
regard them from the personal and indi-
viduai point OF view, or from the point Of
view OF the future welfare of humanity,
there are no circumstances which so deep
ly concern the Psychologist. the psychologist
regarded. In Mr. Spencer's principles of
Ethics, the very latest epitome of the
latest philosophy, out of one thousand
pages only about twenty are devoted TO
marriage and the marriage relations. From
Mr.. spencer we learn that the ethical sane
ton OF marriage consists in the fact that
without marriage we should not have been
born, and therefore we ought to marry
that others may enjoy the same existence:
THE truth which 1t chiefly concerns us
10 note is that assuming the preservation
OF the race to be desideratum there re-
suits certain kind Of obligation TO pay
this tax and submit 10 this sacrifice More
over. something like natural equity re-
Quires that each individual is Indebted
10 past individuals for the cost OF produce
ton and rearing him, he shall be at some
equivalent cost for the benefit of future
1t is very doubtful if persons about to
marry are ever influenced by such a cold
marry for love are carried away by I'M
reasoning impulse, and ethical considera-
uons nave little 10 do with marriages or con-
yelience. Love and marriage, whatever
else they may be, are natures means of
securing what appears at present TO be
her chief care, the perpetuation OF the
species, and man. including woman, has
very little liberty in the matter. IL is a
strange thing then that this which is
primarily important To the human race,
should be treated as trihe, a minor in
cident in life, a subject for sentiment
satire; while any reference To the real
underlying fact is regarded as immoral or
indecent.
Love is state OF the SOUL but Il differs
from all other states in it's intensity and
duration III we experience curiosity. anger,
WEAKNESS, grief, We can divert ourselves
and change our mental state but nothing
or the kind can be said about love Not
only does IL completely absorb the man, his
senses and his thoughts, but Ii remains
constantly with him, and IL IL is not sa It's
fed. II Is transformed into an eternal suf-
fering which absorbs all other states of the
soul. II has another effect upon him
Ibis spirit expands TO the beyond ard would