The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
FOR FEMININE READERS
POOR HEALTH SHOULD BE HELD AN
OBSTACLE TO MARRIAGE.
The Girl Who Is to Go to College Now
Making PlaHs-Colors for the
Blonde-Comfng Fashions.

Some women. says Marion Harland In
Philadelphia North American, are born
sickly. Some achieve sickness by gross
disobedience to natural laws. Some have
sickness thrust upon them by circum-
stances they could not avoid, such as ex-
IRENE illness. the blunders Of nurses and
doctors. by accidental injuries for
which nobody is to blame
Whatever may be the cause of confirmed
III health, no woman who is az chronic in
valid ought to marry.
The most modest of US does not scruple
now to affirm that heredity has more to do
with character and conduct and constitu-
ton than any other known cause There
fore. We shake disappearing heads over
this and that alliance, and deprecate the
idea of passing on vices. insanity, scrofula
and consumption. From afar, we censure
despotic government that permits the mar
riage of lepers, marveling at the shortness
OF sight that fails TO see the feasibility of
stamping out the horrible disease inside of
a century by wise prohibitory laws.
We have still much to learn upon what is
literally vital subject, that mothers allow
daughters to marry who are organicalIy
diseased The young man who should curb
fancy that, If left to itself, might become
love, giving as reason the delicate health
Oh the possible Dulcinea, would incur the
scorn of the community. We no longer re-
GARD robustness as coarse, or speak of
rude health" But the unhealthy girl has
as fair chance of marrying as the sister
who never had an ache or weakness in her
life
N loo 30
proved to me that delicate health" is
looked upon among the working classes as
touch of refinement which commends the
pale-faced, slim factory girl as ladylike 10
HODGE or Tom. That he does not scrupIe.
after the knot is tied. to expect of her all
that stalwart Blowsabella could perform
Is another story.
Inc superior or Tom or Hodge I'm educa-
ton and breeding does not rise above him
III appreciation Of what he owes TO the gem
Grafton following. 1t is an established fact
tnal the athlete, fully alive to the dignity
OF perfect sanity in himself more FREQUENT
~ than not falls in love with a fragile lit
VA sit ua f that, as one disguised father
SAID OF such choice on the part of his SON
"a handsome Hercules-'is no better than
white miller-moth that can be rubbed TO
GUST between fellows thumb and finger"
leaving out OF sight. If my Lady Prude
demands 1t. Tupper's suggested possibili
ues-l urge for the sake of the life that
now ls-the happiness and usefulness of the
nus nusoand VINO should do a mans work in
the World-that ii is a wicked ,lnkindneSs
10 burden him with sickly wife. AS T set
GOWN the words, a pitiful procession winds
peIore my mental vision of men who have
porne IN youth and middle age sometimes.
put, thank Heaven! not often-down 10
noar hairs) the yoke of vicarious invalid
ISM L recall likewise, the wan. WistfuI
faces or those who know themselves to he
CLOGS when they had hoped to be helpers
IN, the weary waiting for the slow footed De-
liverer, that, as heard one woman moan
may at last give John a chance in life -
Ohe OF the saddeSt mistakes of this class
nave ever known was that of a young
Uie.h III ory goods store, who married a
pretty girl as poor as himself.
And L am afraid, very delicate" said a
plaln-spoken friend to him. The bridge
groom laughed carelessly:
10 wen. m pretty good nurse A
Urine ike that wouldn't scare me!'
within a year after the wedding dav M c.
sive invalidness became active as prudent
acquaintances had foreseen Fortunately
since this was inevitable. the sickly baby
born to them died when a few DAYS old
For twelve years the wife never left her
room. AT last she was bed-ridden. Doc
tors bills and extra hire of servants to do
Inc wires work had kept them poor. The
WHO'S Mnoie q9ty OF nursing fell upon the hus-
oahd. lie was kept awake at night: he
never mad an evening to spare for recrea-
tion; ne grew gray and wrinkled while in
his prime. -e AZ
His wife had been dead three years before
In his store few days after / had seen the
notice of his marriage in the papers. I CON
graduated him. He fingered his yard-sticx
nervously:
,. Ives, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am! 1
believe she is perfectly healthfuI,'
The naive speech diverted me- Sober re-
f1ection told me he had come to his senses
instead Of losing them.