The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-16
ALL DEPENDS ON THE EXCUSE,
Affection Generally Destroyed by the HUI
initiation Thus Caused.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
What should woman do under the
unusual circumstances Of an unfulfilled
marriage engagement?
If a man faiied 10 appear at the i'm
portant moment Of u wedding cere-
mony, should the waiting bride for
give the humiliation and condone the
cffense, when. after an anxious inter-
val of several days, the missing hus-
band-elect returned to his sense and
his home?
Should she accept his explanations
and marry him on the spot or force the
delinquet groom to undergo the purga-
tory of waiting until the accomplish
ment of a specified period of trial?
Should she relinqGish the offender al
together and gather pride to her aid
in conquering an obstinate affection?
Or would the temporary devotion bill
not only the flower but even the roots
of woman's devotion and outraged
love sound the death-knell of former
faith?
Such were the questions that agitat-
ed an afternoon assembly of ladies
gathered during the past week at
fashionable South side mansion for
sewing, coffee and conversation.
Tongues moved as quickly as fingers
and much more tirelessly; for, While
the needle sometimes stopped its con-
tinuous pricking and lay quietly at
fatigable tongue clattered on and on
like the poets brook, or that seetning
mass of noisy waters that dropped
down at Lodore.
IF the man had a good excuse I
think ! should take him back" said the
girl in the scarlet gown emphatically.
You would?" demanded the remain
der of the assembly eXcitedly. You
would take him back when he had de-
llberately forgotten YOU and stayed
away from his own wedding?"
Il didn't say anything about deliber-
ately forgetting me-" said the former
speaker Indignantly. ION the contrary,
l expressly stated If he had good ex
cuse,' and forgetting a bride would
scarcely come under that name"
We'll, what do you call a good eX-
cuse, them" petitioned the rest of the
interested occupants OF the room.
SOME SUFFICIENT REASONS.
why, l call Il sudden death in the
family a good excuse. | call an attack
by highway robbers a good excuse. i
call sudden Illness a good excuse. l
call an unexpected loss a good excuse,
and / even consider temporary insanity
n good excuse for it might very easily
be caused by the excitement of the
prospective happiness Of married life.
There" added the girl in the scarlet
gown, with a final toss of her haueniy
dark head, Il call any one of those
reasons a sufficiently good excuse for
taking back an erring groom and mar
rying him after due explanation and
repentance on his part / Know 40
body agrees with me-" she continued,
slowly, reading the disapprobation eX-
pressed on every countenance, forming
the irregular female circle, but that is
what l should do, nevertheless, if such
an occasion ever came into my life. OF
course, | shouldn't have the large we'd
dino reTpnIi inn n rain hiTt fine
riage should not only take place, but 1
should go through it without the
slightest fear Of future consequences.
Affection strengthens and develops with
daily Intercourse and knowledge, and
/ am firmly convinced that the husband
l should choose would never lose inter-
est in his Wife. At any rate | should
be perfectly willing TO try the expert
ment" and the girl nodded her dark
head in convincing emphasis.
II am sorry TO say / do not agree with
you at ALL. replied the quiet woman in
brown. Il not only should not marry
the man who deserted me at the time
specified for my marriage to him. but |
should never care to look upon his face
again. And it would not be either be-
cause of wounded affection or any show
of false pride, which would hurt me as
we'll as the man, but simply and solely
because every shred of affection for
him would be torn effectively from my
heart He would be less to me than
dead stranger. for at least death brings
with ii an instintiye reverence for those
whom it carries away. Faith comes
first, affection afterWard. Destroy one
and you destroy the other. There is
no alternative. At least that is 50 in
my case and the quiet woman inter-
rupted her own eloquence deprecating-
ly. II could not continue to care for
a man If he had once proved himself
false to my trust And such certainly
in what / should consider broken
wedding compact
Il must confess" returned the lady
in scarlet. that / fail to see what false
hood has to do with any of the reasons
/ have just given you. As ] said,
think any fault should be pardoned on
a good excuse"
A DISSENTING OPINION.
I'm sorry to disagree with you, an
swered the quiet voice Of the lady in
brown. but | cannot accent as good
reasons for the nonfulfilment OF
wedding ceremony any of the excuses
you offered, unless possibly the sand
bagging. and that, YOU must grant, Is
highly improbable Certainly a pro-
spective groom could easily find some
one to carry a note of excuse to his
waiting bride in case of a sudden death
i'm his family or a sudden collapslng Of
his own nervous system AS Tor the
unexpected misfortune or the tempor-
airy insanity. | shouldn't even consider
them. However" and the speaker re-
garded her interested listeners smiling
ly, Il am merely stating my own feel
ings on the subject. After any such
imaginary occurrence a marriage would
he absolutely out Of the question |
would never care for a man in whom
had lost all faith"
Il think ! could" supplemented an
unexpected voice quietly. Il think l
could reallv care for man even after
he had deserted me at the altar steps.
1t is rather humilidting to confess such
a fact, ! know. but ! cannot help it.
/ Truth will cut sometimes as well as
murder. And what is sim more hui
initiating tc acknowledge. / should con-
tinue To care for him even though |
| knew his excuses were worthless and
that he had ceased "a have even the
slightest feeling ef regard for me. Now.
! isn't that degrading confession Il
''aFe3' and the enbarrasse spea ker
! looked up from her work appeaiingtN.
But don't thing for a minute | would
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