The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-22
What Kind of Girl Should Young
Lead TO the Altar.
LOVE IS The GIFT OF THE LORD
Evils of Marrying Couslns-Profes
sor Connor, of the Institution For
the Deaf, Gives Figures.

consequences. I was, l know fer l never
thought of anything except the pretty
girl and how happy | would be to get
her. had no thought Of trouble or
poverty or grief or war or death. Inc
time was far, far away when the Sill
yer cord would be loosed and the gol-
den 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 anxiety-the night watch
ing and sometimes the broken heart. IL
Is a mystery to me how the mother en-
dures it all and hplds UP her head and
keers her strength. But love for her
offspring, maternal love, sustalns her.
II is the gift of God. There was a mar
rage in our town the other day, and
as the crowds gathered at the church
our neighbor, Mrs. FELTON,, stopped IN
the Yeranda TO rest and see the DatlIe
from afar. She was, as usual, merry
and say by turns-sometimes the tears
were elistening in her eyes and soon
she laughed merrily and showed ner
pearly teeth. When the bridal carriage
arrived she gave material sigh and
whispered, Poor things, they little
know what is ahead Of them SUDDEN
" she branched eff into story ABOUT
her little pet mule colt that is now her
daily comfort. 1T watches me at the
window" she said. "and when | go out
II runs to me and lays its head on my
arm and almost neastles in my bosom.
Nary's lamb was not more loving. II
bites and kicks at everybody else, out
runs to me fawns upon me with perfect
alteration" She laughed again, but all
at once the corners Of her mouth
drooped to an angle Of As degrees and
ber voice trembled as she said: But,
major. | have at last come down 10
hard pan and misery in my old age. No
cook, no help of any sort. and though
yesterday was my sixty-fouron plrth-
day I had to pull the buggy down TO
the branch and wash it. Oh. my coun-
try," She cried a little, and then
laughed a good deal more. Pearly tears
and pearly teeth are attractive FEATURES
in a woman. Nevertheless, between pct
ting mule colts and washing buggies
she still finds time to plead for the cd
.ucation of the poor country girls OF
North Georgia.
But what kind OF a girl should
Young man marry? OF course. she must
be born of respectable parentse1 sne
should be virtuous. she should have
GOOD. loving disposition and fair edu-
cation. She should be healthy=and haEs
no taint of her lovers ancestral Dlooa
in her veins. All Of these qualinc-
tIons have been discussed and treate1
over and over again. except the last
am inspired to say something acout
that because its Importance has long
been ove-looNed-neither poets nor
philosophers nor scientists have writ
ten upon it nor given any warning. A
letter recently received from young
man in Mississippi asks il there IS any
thing wrong in man marrSng, MS
cousin. Yes; very. very WrcHSrhf'sfan-'
swer is found in the records OF the asy-
lums for the deaf and dumb and ollno'
Their chief patronage comes from the
intermarriage Of cousins. These INST
tutions cost our state about $7s'og0
year, and half OF the .iie4I,
pense could be avoided II tne
intermarTiage Of cousins was
nrobibited. | have not the reports OF
the blind asylum before me, but know
OF three blind children OF one FAMILY
who were sent there, and they were
the offspring of parents who WGe
cousins. ! know OF FIVE children OF one
family who were sent to our de& ana
dumb institute at Cave Springs. lhe!r
ra-ents were double cousins. Ihey had
hut one child who could hea: ana
speak. She was a good-looHing >coun-
.ry girl. Sre married a clever SS1g
man who haGed wood for me. S9sn Pf-
ter his marriage he moved to Texas
and hired 10 cattle man. and vase
faithful in his service that III few
years he bought an interest in the
ranch and prcspered. met him at
Waco sixteen yeras after he left q eor-
gia. and he was said to be worth S&o.,
600. and his ,tgo older dax$asS HetA
alta boarding School at Sesse2aAi@
from his ho@e,, He had. siT sfsAS.tasrssn'
and, alas, one OF them was mute.
The taint had cropped out il the Sec
ond generation.
Professo: Connor., the faithful and
long tried principay Of our deaf and
dumb institution, has tabulated the
parentage Of his phpils for many years
and reports that p 26 families produc-
ing 4S mutes the parents were n:st
cousins. In 12 IA miles producing ls
mutes the parents were second cous-
ins. In IL familles producing Is mutes
the parents were third cousins. AL
together there We're 81 mute children
of parents closely related.