Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-08-22
ARP ON MARRIAGE.
What Kind of Girl Should a yorag
Lead TO the Altar.
LOVE IS THE GIFT OF THE LORD
Evils of Marrying Cousins Prs
sor Connor, Of the Institution For
the Deaf, Gives Figures.

When a young man falls in love and
resolves to get married | reckon it is a
good thing that he is reckless Of the
consequences. | was, | know, for | never
thought of anything except the pretty
girl and how happy | would be to get
her. | had no thought of trouble or
poverty or grief or war Or death. The
time was far, far away when the Sill
yer cord would be lOoSed and the gOl-
den bowl be broken. AS for the girl,
she is more reckless than her lover,
even though her peril is far greater,
for hers is to be the pain and suffering,
the care and anxiety-the night watch
ing and sometimes the broken heart. 1t
is a mystery to me how the mother en-
dures it all and holds up her head and
keeps her strength. But love for her
offspring, maternal love, Sustains her
It IS the gift Of God. There was mar
riage in our town the other day, and
as the crowds gathered at the church
our neighbOr. Mrs. FELTON,, stopped in
the veranda to rest and see the battle
from afar. She was, as usual, merry
and say by turns-sometime the tears
were glistening in her eyes and soon
she laughed merrily and showed her
paarly teeth. When the bridal carriage
arrived she gave a material sigh and
whispered, Poor things, they little
know what is ahead OF them" Sudden
~ she branched off into a story about
her little pet mule colt that is now her
Caily comfort. 1T watches me al the
window she said, "and when | 60 out
it runs to me and lays its head on my
oJ, IN h0cNnl
Mary's lamb was not more loving. 1t
bites and kicks at everybody else, but
runs to me fawns upon me with perfect
alteration" She laughed again, but all
at once the corners Of her mouth
droGped to an angle Of As degrees and
her voice trembled as she said: But,
major, | have at last come down to
hard pan and misery in my old age. No
cook. no help of any sort, and though
yesterday was my sixty-fOurth birth
day | had to pull the buggy down to
the branch and wash 1t. Oh, my coun-
try!" She cried a little, and then
laughed a good deal more. Pearly tears
and pearly teeth are attractive features
in a woman. Nevertheless, between pet
ting mule colts and washing buggiea
she still finds time to plead for the ed
ucation Of the poor country girls OF
North Georgia.
But what kind of a girl should a
young man marry? Of course, she must
be horn of respectable parents, she
should be yirtuous, she should have a
good, loving disposition and fair edu-
cation. She should be healthy and have
no taint of her lovers ancestral blood
in her veins. All Of these qualiica-
tions have been discussed and treate1
over and over again, except the last.
am inspired to say OmJhlng ABOUT
that because it's Importance has long
been overlooked-neither poets EOr
philosophers nor scientists have writ
ten upon it nor given any warning. A
letter recently received from young
man in Mississ; Dpi asks if there is any
thing wrong IN man marrying MS
cousin. Yes; very, very wrong. L he an
sWer is found in the records of the asy-
lums for the deaf and dumb and blind.
Their chief patronage comes from the
of cousins. These instl-
tutions cost our state about $4,000 a
year, and half of the ex-
pense could be avoided il the
| have not the reports OF
the blind asylum before me, but know
Of three blind children Of one family |
who were sent there, and they were
the offspring Of parents who were
| know of five children Of one |
family who were sent to our deaf and |
lumb institute at Cave Springs. Their |
parents were double cousins. They had |
Dut one child who could hear and |
sneak. She was a goOdloOking coun- |
try girl. She married a clever young |
nan who hauled wood for me. Soon af- |
ter b = marriage he moved to Texas |
and hired to a cattle man, and was SO
,aithful in his service that i'll few
Tears he bought an interest in the
'anch and prospered. | met him at
Waco sixteen yeras after he left Geor-
yia. and he was said to be worth $780,,
100, and his two elder daughters were
L q boarding school at Waco, II miles
rom his home He had six children,
md, alas, one of them was a mute.
he taint had cropped out in the sec
md generation.
Professor Connor, the faithful and
ong tried principal of our deaf and
"A rentaee of his pupils for many years,
md reports that in 26 families pro1uc-
ng 4S mutes the parents were nrst
ousins. In II families producing ~
nutes the parents were second cous-
ms. In II families producing Is mutes
he parents were third cousins. Al
ogetber there were 81 mute children
# parents closely related.
Of 400 deaf mutes 1913 had deaf par
.nts, and many Of these deaf parents
re no doubt the offspring of the inter-
marriage of cousins.
Among these 400 pupils SO marrl-
ges have occurred and there have
,aen born to them 10 children, So OF
whom can hear and e are mutes. In ~
t the marriages there were no chll-
rem born. Now, after one, two or three
1utes have been born in succession 10
arents. it would seem sin, IL not
rime. for them to have more. Inc Id"
hould prohibit it. But if this cannot De
one after marriage, the remedy 1cT
he future is to prohibit the lntermar-
iage of couSins-yes. and second
ousins. To be born deaf or blind is a
in against the child. and to have il
Imported by the state is dra upon
he treasury that might be avoided.
But being deaf Or blind is not all the
vii that follows these incestuous mar
iagas. If the children are not deaf o.
lind they are generally under some
bvsical disability. They are consump-
YES or epileptics or idiotic, and pass
trough life and leave no sign. F2rtu-
atply mcst Of such marriages result /
0 progeny.
oh. we'll" some say, the Levit-c1
NV did not prohibit it." No, it did Il
nd I reckon that Cain married MS s:s
ar. We know that Abraham marie
is half sister. and no doubt that !.
nv no children were bo!n TO tfea
Scept one by grace in their old age
But it is said that the Roman laws
nd the laws of England permit such