West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-02-26

The marriage institution Is the
bond of social order, and, If treated
with due respect, care and discrs-
tor, greatly enhances individual
happiness. and, consequently, gen.
eral good. The Spatan law pur.
ished those who did not marry,
who married too late, and those who
married improperly. A large por-
ton of the evils that have defaced
the original organization of the
patriarchal age have resulted from
the Increase of celibacy, often caused
by the imaginary re finements of
the upper ten thousand. There are
other causes that have stripped the
marriage institution of its ancient
simplicity and rendered Its pure
stream turbid In places. Among
the patriarchs, before there were
any rakes, parents never interfered,
the young pair made the match.
and the girl always married the
man of her choice, an indispen-
sable prerequisite to happy union.
Latterly, especially among the rich
and great, the parents make the
matches and marry portions of
money, or noble blood, together,
instead of their children -in0tu-
al esteem, the pure foun-
dalton of happiness Is a
secondary concern. Fashionable
circles, gay life, levees among
the great, watering places and
wealth, or an appearance of wealth
often cheat the young into matri-
mony, without any love In the pot,
and without the aid of parental au
thority, the very circumstance that
should induce it, fora society now
1T Is often proper that the exper-
fence of parents should prompt
them to interpose to prevent, but
never to enforce marriage. We
have many polished knaves III mod
ern times who make 1t pr0tes-
sion to betray Innocence and sacri-
fee virtue-demons that have been
vomited out of hell, to serve the
devil. Marriage, not based on mu-
tual esteem, often produce connu-
bal infdeiity, always unhappiness.
A few discreet men seek for wives,
some seek for nurses, more seek
for beauties, and a larger portion
seek for money IN hand, or in ex-
pectancy. Fashion and habits
have also thrown much mud in the
stream of matrimony since the time
our hardy and happy pioneers
settled this country. Then
the boys and girls were permitted
to eat and grow fat-now
they are often moulded after the
wasp, body and mind. Then they
took THAR lessons In the kitchen
and field; lin the drawing room
and anti.work societies. Formerly
they made and wore homespun;
now our country Is drained of
species 10 supply more costly and
less comfortable and durable wear
ing apparel. Then the girls were
educated for wives, and the boys
for men of industry-now, the for.
mer are educated to make a show,
the latter to make dash. Then
the spinning wheel was sweet mu-
sic-now 1t Is vulgar. Domestic
felicity, old-fashioned economy and
industry have been strangled to
gether by fashion and habit-hence
we have fewer happy marriages and
more divorces than In times of yore.
All are not angels that angels seem.
But love on both sides and ali
things equal In outward circum-
stances are not all the requisites of
domestic felicity. Human nature
Is frail and multiform In its pas
sions. The honeymoon gets dash
of vinegar now and then when
least expected. Young people sell
dom court In their every day
clothes, bat they must put them on
after marriage. AS In other bar
gains, but few expose defects. They
are apt to marry faultless-love Is
blind-but faults are ere,and will
come out. The fastidious attentions
of wooing are like spring flowers,
they make pretty nosegays but
poor green's. Miss Darling becomes
the plain housewife, and Mr.. ALL
attention the informal husband, not
from a want of esteem, but from
the constitution and nature of man.
If all these changes, and more than
would answer In wooing time, are
anticipated, as they are by some
analy zing minds, their happiness
will not be embittered by them