The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-13
BILL ARP'S LETTER
5artow Man Discusses the Pros
and Cons Of Marriage.
RATNd OF COUSINS A GRAVE MISTAKE
Deaf and Dumb Institute Figures Pre-
scented as Proof-LoVo 10
cod-GlVen "ln-
stltutlon."

When a young man falls in love and
resolves to get married l reckon It is
q good thing that he is reckless of the
consequences. was, / know, for I
never thought Of anything except the
pretty girl and how happy would be
TO get her. had no thought of trou-
bic 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
y girl she is more reckless than her
Hover, even though her peril is far
greater, for hers is to be the pain and
suffering, the care and anxiety-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 her. 1t is the gift of God
There was 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 glistening In
her eyes and soon she laughed merrily
and showed her pearly teeth. When
the bridal carriage arrived she gave a
maternal sigh and whispered, Poor
things, they little know what is ahead
OF them" Suddenly she branched off
fpto story about her little pet mule
At that is now her daily comfort. 1T
Atches me at the window" she said,
"and when l go out it runs to me and
lays 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
fawns upon me with perfect adora-
ton" She laughed again, but all at
once the corners OF her mouth dropped
To an angle of As degrees ana her voice
t4Sembled 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 yes
terday was my sixtyfourth birthday,
had to pull the buggy down to the
branch and wash it. Oh,my country"
She cried little and then laughed a
5, good deal more. Pearly tears and
| Bearly 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 a
! 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 faint 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 its impor'
lance has long been overlooked-nei-
Their poets nor philosophers nor scien-
lists have written upon it nor given
any warning. A letter recently recetv-
ed from young man in Mississippi
asks if there is anything wrong in
man marrying his cousin. Yes; very
VERY wrong. The answer is found IN
.lthe 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 IL the intermarriage Of cousins was
prohibited. 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
4 the offsprings OF parents who were
cousins l know of five children Of
one family who were sent to our deal
and dumb institute at Cave Spring
Their parents were double cousins
They had but one child who could
hear and speak. She was a cookbook
ing country girl She married a clev
yer young man who hauled wood FOL
gme. Soon after his marriage he moved
to Texas and hired to cattle man
and was so faithful in his service tina
in a few years he bought an interes
in the ranch and prospered. met hin