The herald., 1897-07-02
FRIDAY JULY \, 1887
THRILLING WITH MARRIAGE

The prevalence of domestic unhappi-
ness. elopements of one man with an
other mans wife, separations of hus-
bands and wives, and divorces on the
ground of incompatibility, and immor-
alities has become alarming. These oc-
currences are frequent in all sections of
the country, and IL the evil tendency Is
that our social condition will become as
debauched as was that in Rome in the
days of Claudius and Nero.
The marital relation was intended to
be sacred, and it was generally so re-
garded two generations ago. The mar
riage ceremony should be an avowal of
q unity of hearts for the purpose of mu-
tual helpfulness and the promotion of
the most important physical function of
the race-its perpetuation. This idea
of marriage is continually violated
more especially in what are denomina-
ted "high circles" and consequently
there is vast amount of unhappiness,
leading to conduct 80 disgraceful as to
shock the moral sensibilities of right
thinking people. Familiarity with the
misconduct of married persons causes
the public mind to treat it lightly, and
there is danger that it may become gen.
orally regarded as a weakness or folly
that should be overlooked, instead of a
crime deserving of severe reprobation
and punishment.
The cause of the Generalization which
large percentage of the American peo-
pie have become wild in the pursuit of
wealth, and the luxury and laxity which
1t assures. Those not governed by
the debauchery in which wealth enables
them to indulge. In the minds of many
men and women, intellectual inferiority
and moral deformity are obscured by
the wealth young man or woman pos
sesses, or Is expected to inherit Poor
young men seek wives who are heiresses
regardless of their personal qualities.
Adaptability to or affinity for each
other, which alone can make husband
and wife congenial and happy are apt
to be overlooked. The novelty and ex-
citement of marriage are soon over and
then personal qualities are forced into
. consideration and those sordid and am
bilious considerations which dominated,
Instead of genuine love, turn out to be
false and evanescent.
The cause is the same with American
girls who yearn for social distinction
and are willing to pay money for mar
riage with titled foreigners. They
think they will find happiness in such
relations! An ambitious girl who is
paesessed of wealth sometimes sells her
self to a wealthy man with the same
ba Sc, Interior motives, and as it Is the
nature of woman to love, if she fails to
regard her husband as she should, she
may be induced in after years to give
her affections to some other man, who
il more agreeable to her.
Z The remedy for these evils lies IN
teaching young men and women the SER
iollsness of the marital relation and of
the lives before them; that they are to
study the qualities of those whom they
contemplate espousing, and to find out
whether these qualities are such as viii
endure in youth and old age, and that
when the marital obligation is taken it
IL to be faithfully kept through life.
They should be taught that wealth and
position will not give happiness in the
absence of personal worth and an hon.
orable standard of fidelity.