Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-15
LOVING ONES COUSIN.
ADVICE on THE SUSPECT OF THE
MARRIAGE OF RELATIVES.
Ths Philosophy Of Love and AssstiSn.
Hsrs BrOtheriy or sisteriy Feeling should
Net He csufouBdsd With the sabtis and
Inspiring Ezaotloa-


1Isrs BrOthsriy or si,tsrIy Feeling should
Net He csufouBdsd With the sabtis and
Inspiring EHaotloa.
Here is a question which hAs been often
answered; but, a. our correspondents says,
is alscussisn Is always interesting and is
Of sssp ss1e@rn 10 many ysung people;
i love nv cousin, and she loves me, but
nv mother Is opposed because she does not
believe 70 rl1inc blood. etc. Now, this IS
= question which interests q great number
and more than you can ever imagine Your
answer 70 il would be OF service TO me"
IL Is easily erplAinable why 50 many
yunn- fslloFs fall in lcve vita their pretty
eolsirA The relationship promotes the in
timzte Essoci4tion which breeds the tender
passioz- They start oat with the affection
u kiEship, End thus come together on
terms provocative q the love that leads TO
tie dssiTe for marriage In childhood they
may have been TO one another almost As
brother aud sister, but when they have
reached manhood and womAnhood they
find thai there has grown up in them nat
ural sentiment radically different from fra
ts-n1l attachment. 1t Is possible for them
to uarry, and the consciousness Of this
generates tbs desire TO marry.
When u uRn permits himself TO entertain
such thoughts regarding a woman, more
especially in me romantic period of his life,
they soon gSt the mastery over him. In his
eyes sbs alone among women hes irresisti-
bic attraction. His fidelity TO her is ALSO
lutte, because Tor the time no other feminine
inhusnee il powerful enough TO divert the
general lsys OF man for woman which he
has concentrated on & particular woman.
He may have been devoted son, yet new
even his mot er will lose his confidence un-
less she act IDS with his will. He may have
been = reasonable 10y, but now he is driven
By the foTce Of impulsiye sentiment only.
A fixed idea has gained possession Of him.
and opposition serves only 70 intensity his
passion His fate seems 70 him 10 be deter
mined beyond the power Of human infu.
ence TO alter Is. In all the world, he thinks,
there Is only one woman whom he can
marry without outraeing the sAnctity Of
wcdlock OF booming himself to lifelong
ulisery.
II parents wiih TO control the direction
which this passionate and unreasonable
feeling taGo-, they must take precautions
in advance Of the appearance OF the frat
symptoms Of the sweet disease. They must
torrsee its inevitable coming and make
ready the course which they would have
the tumultueGs current follow. or they
must stand by pGwerless TO divert ita tend
ency from a channel Of its own choosing
shat IL, they pust look out that the iuti-
macy Of young people which Is stimulEiiye
Of love SHALL be confined to those whom
they think proper for mating, proceeding
on the sound assumption tAat love may bs
exclusive whsn once it has found psrtlcu
lar proVoeAtlon, but that in Essence it is I
general gautimsnt whose concentration de
Lends OIL iortgitSus circumstances, Rssocia
5 tiSna aud opportunities, 1t ia hisAly in
lsmmGbls material. quick to b!a1S NJ
when TIE spark rSaches is. This spark may
need ~ IL special fascination, but IL Is q
fascination which may be exercised by any
one Of rnAuy under fRyoring conditions, II
ID not peculiar 10 An individual, as the en-
smorcd imagine, though it may beloaL
ouly TO class Of tsmperGments.
! The very Jet that young man and {
! young girl are ''madly in love- with eact
other suggests the need OF caution as Il
their marriage They should get in theii
right senses before yeutGring to take q steI
50 momentous In botn its practical and
sentimental eonsequsDcss Ii is better fcl
the passion to cool off before marriage thar
after. 1t Is better for them to get shell
eyes open before rather than afterwarll
The test Of the feeling, whether it is per
instructive and evanescent excitement Of
real and enduring affection, should be mad,
before they so to the altar, since at ont
/ time or the other it IL bound 20 be made.
All this seems to be far away from tn,
question Of our correspondent, but in truti
1t Is pertinent to it. simply because hi
loves his cousin and she loves him in re
turn is no sufficient reason why thel
should get married. They can love eaci
other without being married, and the bes
way they can express and prove theil
mutual love may be in not getting married
II tbs objections OF our correspondent
mother to their union be we'll founded
each should look on their marriage as
selfish qualification at the expense Of thu
other
Cousinship Is not necessarily bar I,
marriage for fear Of injury TO the offsprin.
OF the union. but the collateral consanguin
ity dictates special caution about enterin,
into wedlock. Where there IL common
inheritance Of tendencies to physical o
mental defeet or weakness, ii Is dangerous
for the hereditary disposition may be inten
siilel by the breeding in, but So too, thes
tendencies may be common to pair no
thus related.
taAAAf VI sAN NAAASlN an-AAA
want u board Of physiological and anthro
biological experts legally empowered u
regulate marriages in strict accordance
with scientific theories OF breeding, bu
under sueh system the whole institution
Of marriage would be destroyed. Matin,
would take the place Of marrying, and til
sentiment which gives life its creates
beauty would be extinguished. Societ,
would be turned into human stock farm
aud men'and women would be DEGRADED q
tAe level Of hrutes Moreover. under suel
physiological restraints there would be liz
tie mating. Nc. one marriage a = huudre,
would stand such n test Of It's fitness, 81
general Is the inAeritsnce which might b
described ~ defective. 30 mixed up Is Tia
blood Of the human race. Nor can Il
qualities most dssira Die for preservation /,
men be pc. situated by the methods use,
In breeding horses and cattle.
Hence We can lay down no absolute al
for ths guidance u our enamurcd frienda
Many cousins have married without ovi
consequences 70 their offspring Ia man.
other cases the results have been deplor
able. Zach ease must b. decided by ltsel
in view 81 pcsaible chances aud probahl
iruis. A VIM physician acquainted viii
the family history would be the best I'D
siser for oar anxious correspondent, sinc
the only objections urged against thO mar
. L. *