The herald., 1896-04-05

the field officers. The new Field Book
recently issued, lays down laws to gov
ern the affections of the officers of tn,
army as confidently as IL the hearts o
the individuals we're machines to b,
worked by levers, crsnks and cog
wheels.
The question of how the parents o.
the contracting parties feel about the
matter is never considered, and indeed
very little consideration is given tc
the feelings Of the lovers themselves
where the discipline of the army is
concerned The rules do not interfere
with the courtship or marriage of the
rank and file Of the army. 1t is only
the officers who are affected.
If male officer desires to become
engaged to female officer be must f1ll
out printed application blank, on
which he states all he knows about tie
young woman. This is sent to the di-
vision officer. and thence to the ma
tional headquarters. If the two inter-
ested parties live in the same city. the
higher officers either refuse to sanction
the engagement or make one of the
young people go to another city. This
is done to prevent ''courting' among
the officers. All engagements must
last for one year before the commander
will give his sanction to the marriage.
Where an officer, male or female,
wishes to become engaged 10 an ordin-
ary member OF the army, the same rule
of separation is observed, but the or
dinary soldier must become an officer
before the marriage will be sanctioned.
An officer who persists in marrying
outside of the army must cease to be
an officer. One of the precautions
against what is termed "courting" in
the laws is placing the man and wife,
or two men or two women in command
of every corps.
In the matter of engagements the
officer must take the initiative. IT q
female officer and male soldier wish
to marry, the woman must make the
application to headquarters, fill out
the various blanks, aud do whatever
she can toward making her future hus.
band an officer.
"Any breaking of an engagement"
the Field Book states, must be at
once reported to the division officer,
and any officer found guilty of shame
less and heart-breaking jilting will be
reduced to the ranks. Courting means,
more or less, division of feeling, and
must il some measure interfere with
the discharge of duty, and is therefore
deprecated. Officers must not be al
lowed to carry on any courtship in tbs
town in which they are stationed"
Every officer of the army agrees,
any courting with any soldier III the
and not to become engaged without
Arof Cofifuino hooAnnorfaro
THAT these agreements" the rules
state, "are not only wise, but neces-
sary, must be evident to every person
who knows anything of the tendency
of young people, of the customs of or
dinary society and of the character of
the work of the army. For the agree
ment not to marry out of the army,
herein made by the field officer, suf-
ficient reason is found in the convic-
tion expressed by the officer in the
same document, wherein he declares
that he believes the army to be Gods
method of promoting the salvation
of souls, and that be Is called
to labor in it for the rest of
life. If these professions be true, it
must be indispensable that he shall
select q wife having the same convic-
tions, for how can two walk together
except they be agreed, especially in a
path requiring 30 much self-sacriflce
and toll? What woman, except she be
equally devoted to God and equally
enlightened as to the best modes of
warfare, would or could give her hus-
band up willingly to his work, or lay
herself out to help him, as she must if
he is to be happy and to succeed?"
From the national officers of the
army in this city it was learned yester-
day that out of total of 2,100 officers
there are 1859 married couples. The
rules laid down in the Field Book, it
was said, we're generally rigidly OBJ.
served by the officers contemplating
marrisge.-Buffalo Times.