The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-10-19

was a man of the most exceeding wis
dom and sobriety of moral life. There
is only one instance recorded of his
taking part in any festivity, that of a
marriage. What conclusion can we
draw? That marriage was COM
mendable institution. It would seem
to me that with an honest purpose to
carry out the contract entered into, and
loving forbearance of temporary fits
and spells, marriage is not d failure.
But there are marriages which are
makeshifts and such are always worth
less. J. B.
Marriage is fixed institution and is
an important factor in the worlds pro-
gress. Man is only half man until
he takes unto himself his "better half. -
Trace the records of those whose lives
have not been influenced by woman s
society and we will find that ninety
nine out of hundred possess not that
which constitutes true manhood. Most
men have risen from ObScurity to fame
because of the influence of their loving
companions. Man often meets with
difficulties and failures that would
the sweet and encouraging words that
fall from his wife'S lips. If one is care
full enough to use prudence in selecting
companion he will nearly always find
that marriage is not failure: but if it
was the result of mere fancy and at
fractions, it will surely terminate in
wretchedness. l do not believe in mar
riage without love; singleness is bless
edness compared to marriage without
affection The millions of happy homes
scattered over the world, all tell in
characters brilliant and grand. that
marriage is not failure. R. E. T.
Xxx
Sidney Smith in describing marriage
says: 1t is either a heaven or hell,
there is no purgatory about it. . [ am
inclined to take an optimistic view on
this subject. believe that the number
of people that have had foretaste of
heaven greatly out-number those who
have found marriage to be failure
and thereby had a taste of hell. When
l think of the hundreds and thousands
of homes that we never hear of l am
satisfied they are happy homes. For
one thing is certain, that is, when peO-
pie consider themselves unhappy or ILL
used, we are pretty sure to hear from
them. In the majority of cases where
people have found marriage failure,
they have but themselves to blame.
They do not or will not understand the
solemnity or the responsibility of mar
riage. They enter into marriage with
out thought of the moral or the con-
genial qualifications of each other.
And the result is, as we often find it, a
failure. What the people seem to need
in this respect is good sound moral in
structiOn; as long as this is lacking we
will have scandals, family skeletons
and divorces. YON.
Xxx
1t is easy to give an opinion but not
50 easy to carry out it's views. In my
sight, marriage is an abOminatiOn, eX-
cept both parties to it are of mature
years and of proven virtue. If there
was universal law to eXterminate
those who were ever proven guilty of
crime, then would the marriage state
soon become celestial. Where unbridled
licence is given to young people to
come together under the law and propa-
gate their species, then and forever will
the spawn of the devil be thrown on
the world. Over seventy per cent of the
marriages of the world are contracted
before the principals attain the age of
twenty-five. Can it be consistently ar
gued that at that age there is a sober
capacity to make wise provision for the
future of the family soon to arrive :?
When distress, loss of health, of fortune
and the innumerable ills that are sure to
come, do arrive, if there be a wicked,
criminal strain in either of the parents,
what misery for all will ensue. We all
know that weak strain will manifest
itself under stress. The game cock, dog,
race-horse and man will show the cur
in his nature under pressure. Exter-
inmate the criminals, one and all, then
will marriage be no failure. RUFUS.