The Red Cloud chief., 1896-03-27

NJ. Naquct, in urging the passage OF
the divorce law in France. optimisiical-
Is predicted that it would prevent many
rupturos and that married couples !
would remain more firmly united frOm
the fact that their tie would not be
compulsory. Unfortunately exactly the
contrary was the result. The first year
after the law VAS passed showed | 200
divorces: last year there were Oven
5000. When separations alone were
permitted they only reached 5000.
While in 1889 The proportion was only
| To 1000, today II is - in 600.
From the history Of divorce It ap-
pears that the proportion Of unhappy
marriages increases from the day iii.
vorcc Is legaliIcd in a country. II
appears among people OF She highest
civilization At the period Of ,hcir dc
cadence; from that time can be da,cI
Il ~retrogradc movement in morals. The
Bible says that if a man. after marry
inG a oma and living with hc!, con
rcives a disgust Of her from some
shameful fault he shall draw ont u
decree Of divorce. and. putting II into
the woman's hands. shall send her ont
of the house. This was not always
easily accomplished. because the major
ity of people did not know how ~
write. and the Ievitc ~ priest whom
they consulted could refuse tn grant
their application If he saw lit.
In Egypt the law authorized no di-
| ,.nrrp nv.nnt ia gnttuin ilG4g lntllpl-
ity was punished severely the man re-
ccived 1000 stripes and the woman's
nose was cut. In Babylon a public
auction of all the girls OF "A marriage
able age was held nCc "A year. h
untying of these knots vas even more
simple.
Confucius. writing on Chinese laws.
established seven causes Of %rcpndia-
ton. among which 1t appears that the
wife could be put aside for excessive
gossip or for not getting along with
her father or mother in Law. But there
was this proviso: THE husband Is adj
yised to retain her If she VIII wcal
mourning for her mother in law for
three years" As a matter of fact. the
'aulItSt ItSUIl W lWt uiNpi'N ''ul 's
very little and they hold "A widow mar
rying a second time in the utmOst con
tempt. This custom Is somewhat SINH
lar to that of the Hindoos in former
years. when the widows flung them
selves on the burning wOodpiles upon
which their husbands bodies were be-
ing consumed,
India recognizes certain causes fol
divorce. Up to the commencement OF
this century a childless Hindoo was
permitted to lend his wife to Il brother
or other male relative in order to have
children. In Burmah the women when
marrying do not take their husbands
names, but retain their own. with thu
%addendum of wife of So-and-So." This
makes IL convenient for them 10 assume
their previous status in public knowl'
edge when they come to be divorced
as they are very likely to be, for dl'
vorce Is easy In that country.
II a Burmese wife and husband quar-
rel and determine TO separate the wife
who always does all the marketing
goes out and buys two little candles o'
equal length, which are made especial,
for this use. She brings them home
She and her husband sit down on tn
floor, place the candles between then
and light them simultaneously. Ont
candle stands for him and the other fol
her. The one whose candle burns oil
first rises and goes out of the house
forever, with nothing but what he OI
she may have on. The other takes al
the property.
This looks fair enough on the face
of It, but 1t often happens that tn
wife on her way home with the candles
takes a tiny scraping from the bottom
of one of them. A very little will b.
enough. II the husband and the hous'
are empty Of pretty much everything
, but children she takes the shortened
$ candle and walks ont free and con
I tent. But II the house Is well furnishe,
= and the husbands possessions are con
siderable he gets the short candle an
does the walking,
In Greece the main idea In marry
, ing vas to bring children into tn
world-males especially-for the goo
= OF the country; hence the great facilit
) offered for the breaking CT the marriag
'. tie in case of sterility. The legisla
tors recognized their right OF divorce
At Athens divorce could be obtainc
by demand of one of the parties or b
mutual consent, The case was argue
= before . tribunal. The parties on be
ing freed were expressly forbidden I
n marry with a person younger tina
I themsel, es. Grecian wives convicte
o Of breaking the seventh commandment
l. were put to death, after having thei
hair cut off and their heads covere
With hot ashes.
This barbarous custom was ais
adopted In Rome after the conquest {
Carthage and COrinth. The Roman
being masters Of the world, onl
thought Of reveling in their riches, an
cut themselves adrift from the austeI