Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-29
lBy Dorothy Dix.l

out to solve the conundrum of how t
be happy though welded. In this haz
ardous undertaking they are cheereC
on by the good will of the community
Matrimony is like signs that read
Teeth extracted here without pain. -
We encourage our friends to enter and
try it, and sympathize with them after
they have uone it.
1t is safe to say that almost every
American marriage is a love match,
and. this being true, it is a curious and
cynical commentary on it that we lead
the world in our number of divorces.
AS people we are the most sentimen.
tai creatures on earth. and when we
marry it is because we are convinced
temporarily. at least-that we can
not exist without the adored one. We
seldom take money into consideration
in the matter; social position more
rarely still, and suitability never, If
we love Tom Jones or Susan Smith
that settles it, and we hasten gaiiy
away to the parsun, AS matrimo-
nial theory It Is unassailable, but the
practical results are too much separa-
tion and alimony,
Yet, as a matter OF eact, connubial
bliss is no chinese, and it would be
the rule. and not the exception, if peo-
pie would only use the same Judgment
and prudence about the most import
ant event of their lives that they show
about trivial affairs.
A silly girl who would not be trusted
to pick out silk frock for herself is
permitted to choose a husband. A cal
low youth who has a guardian ap-
pointed to look after his money is al
lowed to bankrupt his happiness for
life by marrying designing adven-
turess, and nobody has authority to
stop him.
No woman would buy house with
out hiring lawyer to see that it's title
was clear and sound, but she will mar
ry man without investigating his
past record, or knowing how much it
is encumbered. A man is careful of
the pedigree of his horse or dog, but he
doesn't think it worth while to find out
what strains of dishonesty, or insan-
ty, or disease may taint the blood OF
he woman who is to be the mother
1f his children.
Having entered into the holy estate |
If matrimony, however, the principal
largo that any young couple should |
ship for the voyage across the years is
an unlimited supply of good, hard, |
common sense. This will do more to
insure domestic felicity than tons of |
sentiment and a square mile of illumi-
ited notices of God Bless Our |
Home" Common sense means the |
happy philosophy that accepts life as it
s, ami people as they are. and makes
he best Of the bargain.
tt is inevitable that the beginning OF |
Marie life should be period of shat- |
cred ideals and smashing dreams. 1t |
S seeing each other at close range, in
;tead of through the big end of the |
,pera glass, and if marriage licenses
we're sold with a return coupon ticket
attached, and there were stop-over
station anywhere in the early stages
il The journey, few would make the
through trip.
1t is always shock to woman to
ind, for the first time, that the hero
If her romantic dreams eats onions
md can get into a towering rage if
Inner is late, while a man gets the
ar of his life when he makes the dis
overy that the angel creature he has
,spoused is merely a woman with
emper and nerves like other women.
Yet, after all. if they only had sense
nough to perceive it, there's nothing
% satisfactory in the long run as the
of a cheerful sinner,
Who is no better than we are. and so
lot entitled to throw stones.
The trouble with most people is that
ust as soon as they are married they
xpect to start out as miracle workers.
Every man INDUCES in the pipe dream
# molding his wifes' character to suit
lis ideals, Every woman marries
With the fixed determination of re-
orming her husbands politics and re-
.gion and taste in neckties. 1t is d
rocess of benevolent assimilation
hat never assimilates, but millions Of
eople are harried to death by it,
The one unquenchabie passion of the
uman heart is for personal liberty,
nd the fact that freedom plank is
enerally left out of the matrimonial
latform accounts for nine-tenths of
he domestic discord. Few of us mar
y to get guardian, and when we find
nat instead of a sympathetic compan-
IN we have acquired tyrant who po-
ces cur every thought and word, the
larrIage tie begins to be not only the
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