Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-07-26

bered, too, that the scandal Of easy d..
vorces and swift remarriages Is not
wholly matter Of legislation. The
churches and the clergy are not free
from blame. Divorce for trivial causes
or through collision ought to carry
with II social and moral stigma. Par
ties to such divorces should be unable
to find a reputable clergyman to re.
marry them, yet often they have expe-
rienced little difficulty. In order to
produce the effect which Is desired
upon public opinion and upon legIsla.
ton. the churches must themselves
maintain high standard.
A recent novel represents a sweet
and gracious girl a. concealing tho ex.
istence Of will, IN order that she may
herself inherit an estate. and thus pro.
vide for sick and dependent mother.
The author expects us to agree that
the girl Is good girl, and that the gen.
crous impulse justiiics itself In spite Of
the crime. 1t II a testimony to the
healthy change Of public sentiment In
the last hundred years that reviewers
and readers refuse to accept the au.
thOr's dIctum In the matter. When u
man does that sort Of thing, we call
him scoundrel. Why not woman?
The defaulting hank cashier, who gave
the proceeds Of his first theft to the
support Of foreign missions, went, and
deserved to 30, to State prison, In spite
Of his religious impulse. Education Ii
doing notable work for women In In.
ducing them to assume certain burdens
which hitherto many OF them have not
deemed obligatory. That which men
cnll business honor Is one Of these bur.
dens. 1t Ii responsible possession. II
requires eternal vigilance. But It IL
worth having and keeping, for women
as for men.
Can anything excuse q thief? When a
man has education and good brain,
when he knows that there Ii always
reckoning for sin and that he who
sows trouble must reap shame, can
there be valid excuse that will set
him right with the public? There Ii
the case Of Charles 8. Shivler. and
there are tears In every paragraph Of
his life story. He loved woman, and
that woman became q confirmed In.
valid. There are men and men. Some
forget love when sickness comes. They
don't want to be chained to hospital.
And others love most when sickness
and adversely come. Shivler knew
that his wife could never be strong
and well again. When he realized
that the light Of bis llfe\ was destined
to fade away like a broken flower q
great tenderness took possession OF
him. He made up his mind that her
every wish should be gratiaed; that
her home should be bright; that he
would surround her with every com.
fort, no matter how great the cost. He
was a thief for her sake. He was
treasurer Of the American District
Telegraph company In Brooklyn. and
he looted the funds Of the concern for
years to buy things for the sick won.
an ut home. He did the awful thing
with his eyes open. He knew all
about the consequences. He knew
that "ThOI shalt not steal" 10 Gods
law and mans law. wherever human
beings exist. And he kept ON steal.
Ing, his only desire being to postpone
the crash aud prison till after he had
kissed the dead lips Of bis wife. The
crash came. but the funeral was over,
and Charles 3. Shivler said to the au.
thOrities: II am thief, and I'm ready
to take the consequences, gentlemen"
What mistake he made. How little
he knew about wOmen-ab0ut that
woman who was his wife. Couldn't
he realize that she would have been
happier hungry, with an honest man.
than surrounded with luxuries pur.
chased with stolen money? Why
didn't he know that the average wife
loves truth. and honesty and upright.
ness SO much that she will welcome
privation and pain SO long as shame
does not enter her life? He loved her
and he harmed her. and 1t Ia well that
she could creep into her grave before
she could learn that man made q
holy passion his excuse for crime. II
IL easy to be sorry for the man. 1t Ia
easy to shed tears over the story OF q
great mistake and great affection.
The world has an especial tenderness
for men who patiently devote their
lives to invalid wives. but the excuse
for Charles Shivler's crime does not
exist.
In Mahin's Magazine there are some
population statistics that are interest
Ing. The second largest German city In
the world isn't In Germany. 1t owes
nothing but good will to Emperor Will
lam. 1t Is New York, which has Ger
man populations nearly half as large al
| Berlin, or course everybody realizes