The age-herald., 1901-12-08

A HAT element in every commit u0 nity which arrogates to Itself
 the title of the best society,"
 S ; is. particularly in the great cities. more or less a pattern of modes, manners and morals, The individuals who compose 1t are so much written about and talked about that they de- ceive themselves greatly as to their im- portance and laboring under the deIusion that they are superior to their fellows. repeatedly perform acts that are scan- dalous with airs of extreme indifference to the good opinion of persons not within the narrow confines of their own circle.
 Nothing is more prevalent than their regard or disregard of the rite or mar riage. In New. York socie~ force fol- lows marriage with bewildering rapidity. Ones memory must be absolute, or tact invulnerable, to prevent speeches or re- marks being made which, to say the least. would prove embarrassing. Fin ally. relationships are much mixed and social lines crossed by the repeated mar riages, divorces and remarriages. Di- vorced wives whose identity has been cloaked beneath the name of a second husband are frequently introduced to their former husbands, meeting as stran- gers, and former husbands meet present husbands in clubs and ball rooms.
 recent aspirant for political prefer ment in addressing a select audience taunted them with their marriages and divorces, and pointed out to them the higher morality of the tenement house. Society laughed at the attack. It has I.,ta fIaa nf rryIa0 find justification for any act in prece- dents. Any woman in New York society who has determined to seek a release from her matrimonial bonds has prece- dents enough before her to dispel all her qialms of conscience So long as society will receive her she need have no fears as to the propriety of the act. In old times men and women regarded divorce with aversion. It was resort to be ap- preached with extreme caution, great reluctance and only under the greatest provication. A woman from whom a di- vorce was obtained was disgraced, and a man enveloped with scandal. Today both parties to this dissolution of the marriage contract hasten to contract new marriages and to forget their marital ex- periences with all speed.
 So prevalent have these divorces be- come that they menace good morals, and the Protestant Episcopal church, In It's last convention, endeavored to enact new church laws, which would more clearly define the position of the church as op- posed to second or re-marriages. The Bishops concurred in opposition, but the lower house opposed It's passage, hence the amendments failed.
 The latest case Is that of a brilliant and beautiful young fashionable woman who hastened to Dakota to oppose her husbands plea for divorce. She not only resisted, but succeeded in obtaining a di- vofce In her favor. Within thirty days she married young man, her junior by | few years, and hastened off on a second honeymoon. Socially this rapid transi- tion from Mrs. G. to Mrs. C. makes momentary talk, and that Is all. Yet it cannot help striking the average de- cent-minded man or woman as an adul- terous performance.
 It Is remarkable the concern these 'hurry-up" brides and bridegrooms have for religious conventionalities. Their de- sire to he married by clergymen ire spective of the denominations to which they belong must not be mistaken as an indication that they believe the tie sol emnized by minister of God carries any