The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-18

int JONCA young Oh marital
felicity is seldom realized. But this is a
secret which although suspected by many
is known absolutely only by worldly wise
so tell it not in Gath, neither hint it
where the 400 can hear it. 1 mean the
400 school teachers VINO sailed for Manila,
to live teach and if necessary, marry
for the glory of their country.
While the law frowns upon social regu-
lations in restraint of marriage as being
against public policy, it also disapproves
OF the various schemes to make of mat
rimony thing of commerce. Matri-
monlal agencies are not in favor with
the courts. Notwithstanding this If
would seem that the government has
formed partnership with Cupid and is
now doing land office business. in hearts
and destinies
Four hundred teachers, male and
female departed from Sam Francisco for
the Philippines under contract to teach
the little brown boys and girls the
secrets of American civilization. -Four
hundred intelligent women and men. all
sound of limb and fancy free, capable.
willing, and old enough to marry. were
placed in transport with no chaperone
but the captain, and launched upon the
Pacific. What could be expected but a
matrimonial epidemic? And yet so care
less had been the authorities that in the
ships medicine chest there was not found
a drug, herb, or concoction to relieve
the sufferers. When the vessel reached
Honolulu, Is per cent had succumbed and
were taken ashore by their friends to
obtain the only possible rel. ETA marriage
ceremony. Reports from Honolulu indi-
cate that beside the sixty fatal cases. a
large portion of the remaining $40 were
effected with symptoms of matromania.
and that it is more than likely before the
ship drops anchor in Manila bay. none
but the immunes will be left to tell of
the agony of the trip.
Speaking of immunes, it is a singular
fact that. those who have been afflicted
with matromaRia are the most suscept-
ible to renewed attack. The disease Is
nest fatal among school ma ans be
tween the ages Of twenty-five and thirty
five years, while it is likely to take off
the male school teacher at amy period of
life The symptoms when developed on
ship board, so far as the effect on the
other passengers is concerned, are very
similar to thse of seasickness.
The problem now is, if 60 out of 400
teachers marry on shipboard in nine
days, how long viii the voyage have to
be to dispose of the whole number? The
actuaries who are working on this prob
lem are handicapped by the absence of
an important factor. 1t is not known
whether the 400 is equally divided as to
sex. This renders the solution of the
problem uncertain
Reverting to marriages in general, and
applying my remarks to these teachers
as Well as to others, 1 will observe that
such marriages are seldom successful.
l do not know what considerations
actuated these people to enter into the
marital relations in such seeming haste
and upon such short acquaintance
hope that all will be well. but 1 fear ne
divorce courts in the Philippines will have
to decide the case of Smith VS.. Smith and
Brown VS.. Brown before many moons.
The question, rs marriage a failure"
was debated with much skill in the news
papers and the magazines a few years
ago. with the usual result Of such word
contests-a draw. The verdict of the
world, both good and bad, is that wheth-
er marriage is a failure or not depends
upon the individual case under discus
sion; just as whether eggs are bad or
not depends upon the individual egg.
Some marriages are a great success and
others are awful failures.
There are certain common sense rules
which if observed will reduce the element
of failure to it's lowest denominatOr. The
idea of possession is repugnant to modern
viz
and Ny husband, with the emphasis on
the My, causes more trouble than the
washerwoman. When the element of per-
sonal bondage is eliminated from the
marital relations then will jealousy dis
appear and in its place will come re-
spect and goodfellowship. When man re
members that woman has the same right
to personal freedom of choice and asso-
citation as he himself enjoys; when self
ishness finds other objects than members
Of the family on which to exercise itself,
then will divorces become less frequent
because the general stock of human hap
piness will be increased a hundredfold.
When friend OF mine Cby the way, a
young woman) remarked that mental in
fidelity was infinitely worse than physi-
cal infidelity she announced a truth
that the married world would do well to
comprehend and alse observe in it's daily
life. Icu have reaC Kipling Van
pire?" With the exception Of The Re
cessional," it is the greatest Of Kipiing's
efforts. Why? Because it sets forth
the cause of nine-tenths of the infidelity
both mental and physical, in the one i'm
portant relation of life.
Oh, the toll we lost and the spoil we lost
And the excellent things we planned,
Belong to the woman who didn't know
why,
And now we know that she never knew
Why,
And did not understand"
If marriages are made in heaven, that
department of heavenly economy needs a
more competent general manager. For
In no section Of that bureau which Is sup
posed to have charge of human affairs
are there SO many mistakes made 1t is
through this agency that the human YAM
pires secure their victims. Do they die,
these victims? Some Of them live. but
most of them die, "even as you and T.
Some awaken and shake themselves free,
If there be sufficient strength left for
the struggle. But with the iife-blood is
likely to ebb both ambition and energy.
Two varieties of these vampires infest
the body social; the one squanders the
substance, the other saps the soul. The
first is not dangerous, but the second
clings like a disease and seems to taEe
fiendish delight IN the desolation of Its
work. The more pronounced the aInbi-