The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-09
BREAKERS OF HOMES
SOCIETY HAS 1T IN IT'S POWER
TO PUT AN END TO
DIVORCE
SAYS REV. DR.. HAMILTON
Ella Wheeler Wilcox Writes an En-
tertaining Article ON the cOudi-
ton of Things-says When a Man
Gets Sorry for Woman the Par
son or the Judge Is Likely Soon
to Hear of 1t.


A week ago the Rev. Dr.. Hamilton
preached to a fashionable Newport con-
gregation that If society refuses to re-
ceive men or women who break up homes
1t will put an end to divorce He begged
society to do this as a kindness to the
church, as people care more for social
recognition than for preachers sermons.
When reading the earnest plea which
the reverend gentleman addressed to his
audience at Newport recently (audience
seems a more appropriate word to use
than congregation in speaking Of New
porD I am forcibly reminded of the
prophecy which was made by Mile. Cou-
seldom, of Paris last January. Among
other things she said:
The dominion of the United States will
reach from pole to pole. But the evil OF
divorce will at last become unbearable.
THE rich will change their wives SO
often that they will be worse than Turks.
"At last women will revolt for their
own protection.
They will put an end to divorce alto
gether.
IAN American woman will lead the cru
sade.
She will go down to posterity as the
Jeanne d Arc Of the Western World"
When it becomes necessary for a cler-
gyman in our most Understandable So
ciety to make the plea which DR.. Hamil-
ton made to his Newport audience 1t
would seem that the evil which the
French clairvoyant foresaw for our coun-
try was we'll upon It's way.
But what will become of that society If
such measures are adopted as those pro-
posed by DR.. Hamilton?
Who will cast the first stone, since
nearly every prominent family in the
Newport circle lives in a glass house or
is closely related to those who do?
II divorced men or divorced women are
to be debarred from the charmed inner
house of society, who will dare begin
the delicate task of culling his or her
relatives from the visiting list? At
present the structure of Newport society
rests upon the shoulders & of families
g pe6BId seq 4uspuodseI-oo eQ4 uI9IeqM
leading role.
Dr. Hamilton is especially severe upon
the man and woman correspondent. He
would have them banished from all re-
spectacle homes. Queen Victoria has
made an effort in this direction by BAN
ishing all women who have figured I'M
pleasantly in divorce scandals from heI
court. l fear the well-neaning dame
has not carried her moral measures so
far with the male offenders, else would
Albert Edward be denied admission to
his own mothers drawing rooms. and
many tilted man would share his exile.
Before DIR. Hamilton's plea to, society
can be acted upon human nature must
undergo some further stages Of evolu-
ton.
1t is a curious fact that the majority
of women are attracted by a man who
wears danger signal reputation.
When man is supposed to be a de-
stroyer of feminine peace of mind he is
pretty sure Of having the entree to the
most exclusive circles wherever he goes.
The bold women, of course, are willing
to meet him. The good women are anx-
iOus to see what he is like, and to show
him how utterly powerless he is to dis
turb them. The very good women want
to convert him.
The Indifferent are pleased to exhibit
their Indifference, and this can only be
done by an encounter.
There are women who close their eyes
and ears and turn their heads away
when murderer, a forger or a thief
passes by, but every woman takes q
look at the correspondent in her neigh
boris divorce suit. Nor is this curiousity
strictly feminine
The masculine columns supporting the
structure of society are not easily af-
frighted by tales of other structures
which have been destroyed by clinging
vines, but instead too frequently permit
the tendrils of these vines, ruthlessly
flung upon the ground, to Irvine about
them for new support
Men are so sorry for beautiful and
fascinating women who are frowned
upon by society. When man Is sorry
for woman he wants to look out for
himself.
The parson or the Judge soon hears
of 1t.
Bad as divorce is, the continuance of a
loVeless marriage is far worse Better
tnan legislation against divorce, or the
social boycotting of divorced parties
would be an effort to educate people
into making marriage a high art rather
II so frequently proves to be.
And In order to perfect the art of happy
by marriages, young men and young
women must be taught something be-
sizes the fashionable accomplishments
and sports of the day.
Ihey must be taught seIf-control and
uhSelhshness. Trite old words. vet they
are the basis of all worthy qualities
cultivate unselfishness. in a young girls
character and teach hers the meaning of
those two great words, snoblesse oblige. u
ana II would be absolutely impossible for
her to deceive her husband or to inter
tere with another woman domestic hap
piness.
1t is the selfish and .gelf-centered girl
or youth who develops into the core
Fpondent
Inc young woman who has been allow
ed to have every whim gratified, and wh1
mas ruled her home and her parents. as
80 many American girls do, with an i'm
porous will, is very likely to make a
mess of her married life, and it depends
good deal upon her social environment
"hether or not she makes mess Of 9TH
er peoples lives as we'll.
Inc girl who has lived only to please
herself is not likely to develop into a wife
VINO tries to please her husband. Nor is
~ sun VI du aQOrlnS nOIner (WhO has
played the humble slave to her offspring)
likely to become a considerate and de-
voted husband
before we undertake to shut unhappy
husbands and wives out of society be-
cause they have broken unbearabIe
chains, let lis formulate methods of pre-
venting such unhappiness if it is posi-
BILE.
There are scores of American girls to-
DAY being educated for misery and scan
Gal. They are hearing marriage spoken
OF as business into which the ambitions
enter rather than the heart She hears