The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-08-22
BILL A2P'S LETTER
Barlow Man Discusses the Pros
and Cons of Marriage.
MATING OF COUSINS A GRAVE MISTAKE
Deaf and Dumb Institute Figures Pre-
sented as Proof-Love Ia
God-Given "In-
stitution."

resolves to get married | reckon 1t 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 l would be
to get her. l had no thought OF trou-
BILE or poverty or grief or war or death.
The time was far, far away when the
silver cord would be loosed and the
golden 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 anXlety-the
night watching and sometimes the bro
ken heart. 1t Is a mystery to me how
the mother endures it all and holds up
her head and keeps her strength. But
love for her offspring, maternal love,
sustains ncr. 1t is the gift of God.
There was a marriage in our town the
other day, and as the crowds gathered
at the church, our neighbor, Mrs. Eel
ton, stopped in the veranda to rest
and see the battle from afar. She was,
as usual. merry and sad by turns
sometimes the tears were gllstenlng IN
her eyes and soon she laughed merrily
and showed her pearly teeth. When
the bridal carriage arrived she gave
maternal sigh and whispered, POOR
things they little know what is ahead
of them" Suddenly she hranched OIL
into a story about her little pet mule
colt that is now her daily comfort. 1T
watches me at the window she said,
and when l go out it runs to me and
laws its head on my arm and almost
nestles in my bosom. Mary's lamb
was not more loving. 1t bites and kicks
at everybody else, but runs to me and
iawns upon me with perfect adora-
tfon." She laughed again, but all ut
once the corners OF her mouth dropped
to an angle of As degrees ano her voice
trembled as she said: But, major,
| I have at last come down to hard pan
and misery in my old age. No COOK,
no help of any sort, and though yes
terday was my sixty-fourth birthday,
had to pull the buggy down to the
branch and wash 1t. Oh,my country"
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 buggies
she still finds time to plead for the
education Of the poor country girls OF
north Georgia.
But what kind OF girl should
Young man marry? OF course, she
must be born of respectable parents;
she should be virtuous; she should
have a good. loving disposition and a
fair education. She should be healthy
and have no taint of her lovers ances-
trail blood in her veins. All OF these
qualifications have been discussed and
treated over and over again, except
the last. l am inspired to say some
thing about that because it's impor-
tance has long been overlooked-nei-
ther poets nor philosophers nor scien-
fists have written upon it nor given
any warning. A letter recently receiv-
ed from a young man in Mississippi
asks if there is anything wrong in
man marrying his cousin. Yes; very,
very wrong. The answer is found N
the records Of the asylums for the
deaf and dumb and blind. Their chief
patronage comes from the intermar-
rage of cousins. These institutions
cost our state about $4,000 a year,
and half of the expense could be avoid
ed if the intermarriage of cousins was
! prohibited. have not the reports OF
the blind asylum before me, but l know
Of three blind children of one family
who were sent there, and they were
the offsprings Of parents who were
cousins. l know of five children Of
one family who were sent to our deaf
and dumb institute at Cave Sprins'
Their parents were double cousins.
They had but one child who could
hear and speak. She was good-look-
ing country girl. Sne married cleV-
or voung man VINO hauled wood for
me- Soon arcer his marriage he moved
to Texas and hired to cattle man,
md was so faithful in his service that
in few years he bought an interest
in the ranch and prospered. met him
! at Waco sixteen years after he left
Georgia, and he was said to be worth
100000, and his two elder daughters
were at a boarding school at Waco, y
miles from his home. He had six
children, and, alas; one of them was
a mute. The taint had cropped out in
the second generation.
Professor Connor, the faithful and
long tried principal of our deaf and
dumb institution, has tabulated the
paIcnrage OF mis- pupils Tor many
years, and reports that in 26 families
producing 4S mutes the parents were
| first cousins. In IL families produc-
ing 19 mutes the parents were second
cousins. In II families producing 10
mutes the parents were third cousins.
Altogether there were 81 mute chill
dren of parents closely related.
Of the 400 deaf mutes 1913 had deaf
parents, an. many Of these deaf pa
rents are no doubt the offspring Of the
intermarriage of cousins.
Among these 400 pupils SO mar
riages have occurred and there have
been born to them 40 children, SO OF
whom can hear and 21 are mutes. In
19 of the marriages there were no chill
dren born. Now, after one, two or
three mutes have been born in sue
cession to parents, it would seem
sin, if not crime, for them to have
more. The law should prohibit it. But
if this cannot be done after marriage,
the remedy for the future is to pro-
hibit the intermarriagc Of cousins