Arizona republican., 1899-04-15
ABOUT SECOND MARRIAGES.

You may bury a husband and keep
his memory alive, but when you marry
q second one you have to bury mem
DRY which may be very much alive and
in no need of interment. 1t is a great
pity that that is SO, or so nearly SO
Xas it is, since for many persons who
have lost their mates prematurely it is
far better to find a new one, if that IS
possible, than to go through life alone.
Successful marriages, though traul-
tionally made in heaven, are made for
use in this world, and when we are able
to consult the celestial records we shall
find that second marriages make d
handsome showing there. That a man
once domesticated and Injured to petit
coat influences should be left while still
young to drag out existence unpro-
tected and uncCnsoled, is a condition
of things that is abh0rrent to nature.
If he has young children and is mere
ordinary man, he needs help; if he has
no childI en-, there is still more reason
for him to make provision for his flu
ture. The case is not much better for
young widows, unless they have chill
dren enough to give them an object IN
life and income enough to maintain
them during its attainment. Not even
the immense labor Of assimilating a
new spouses relatives. appalling as it
is, should hinder second marriages
which are suitable and merely await
the coop Grafton of parties who are dis
posed to consent There is some pref
udice against step-mothers and step
fathers, but it is not very deep. wO-
man good enough to be good wife
commonly makes a good step-mother,
and a good nun commonly makes
good step-father. There IS nothing in
the relationship which need be too
great trial for ordinary human vir-
tue. One reads OF harsh step-parents
in story books and sometimes in the
newspapers, and it is undeniable thlt
they do exist but I never knew a step
mother who caught her step-children
young enough who did not mother
them well and love them truly and win
their affection.
What objections there are to second
marriages are almost exclusively senti-
mental, and turn on this I'4tural I'M
willingness to bury a memory. But of
course a sentimental objection is
mighty influential thing, and very hard
TO cope with when it is strong. It is
pity about this one, for sometimes 1t
makes mischief There is the case OF
the young widow Mead, so admirable
and charming a person, and yet so i'm
perfectly suited to fight the battle of
life without daily help. She was born
to he a wife, that woman. She would
be twice as useful in the world, and
many, many times happier, il she could
| bring herself to replace Henry Mead.
| But it is doubtful if she ever does. She
! loved him dearly, and 1 fear his shad-
ow will always be dearer to her than
| any other mans sunshine. l can't
| think he would wish it TO be SO. He
was a man of excellent sense, and l
only wish she could have his counsel
! in this matter. l am sure he would
not let her turn away a man whose
! love might brighten her life because a
man who had Frightened it was dead
| It would be far easier for her, and for
whatever good man nD5y happen to be
| counting her at this time, if there was
less Of this reprehensible feeling that
makes it seetn doubtful manners to
discourse with the remarked about
their previous mates. 1t is a limita-
ton that little strength Of character
may rise above. l shall never forget
that after Robert Wade had died, and
left his young and childless wife a pile
of money as high as hay-stack, and
after she in due time had married
again. how l met her one day in COM
pany. and she, remembering NE, but
not quite sure, asked Horace Brace,
whom l was with, if l was not "a
friend Of Robert 1t made me feel that
she hadn't buried any more of Robert
| than she could help, even though she
had given him successor, and l liked
it in her.-Harper' Bazaar.