Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-26
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW

Many wise and oracular saying have
been uttered concerning birth, MARI :
! age ana death. What follows is no at
tempt at imitation in this line, with
these three subjects at texts, but TO no.
tice the growing tendency to make
these three events in the life of man
Kind, so expensive, as to make them al
most prohibitive in nature, always ex-
cepting the visit of the Reaper With the
scythe. But it goes without saying no
one can afford to die these days.
There was time. say when Cain and
Abel put in an appearance, thar the
expense of adding to the population of
the garden was slight. Doctors visits
at so much per. were unknown. No drug
store visits previous to the arrival of
little Cain, We're thought necessary.
Mr.. and Mrs. Adam were not able to
have lot of things charged at the
drug store. And if there was a doctor
in Edenville at that time no mention is
made of it. Neither was there trained
nurse in all creation in those days. And
when one thinks of it, there was not
on the principal street of the garden a
chased. And come to think of it again
tire was no grandmother to knit i'm
possible baby caps. One can imagine
Ewes disgust and Adams delight, that
the spring style of baby carriages had
not arrived. AT a low estimate Adam
was 5000 in pocket, because Eve had no
chance to have all OF the modern ne
cessities and accessories of adding one
TO the population.
Now we strike subject, marriage,
where there is no limit to expense. Any
number of our citizens spend half a
years income in marrying off one
daughter This referring to an ordi
nary everyday kind of wedding. And
here we can so back to more primitive
time for contrast. Only few years
ago. when young man, citizen of Asia,
wanted a wife, he simply took a club,
went out and knocked down some
beautiful forest maiden. took her home
and they lived happily atrerward. And
doubtless this arcadian simplicity of
marriages had much to do in establish
ing the institution of polygahy. It's
cheapness recommended it. And where
as now the modern man supports his
wife, say 1900 B. c. mans wife sup
ported him. We are not told just where
Cain and Abel secured wives, but I'M
doubtedly the club method was used,
and hundred dollar wedding dress
saved. Abel must have been glad that
he had no $50 gold piece to give TO the
minister. By the way the name and res
idence Of this gentlman is omitted
with other interesting details of the life
and times of Cain and Abel Adam. AT
any rate Adam and Eve did not have to
live on bread and water, for a year af-
ter the marriage of their first daugh-
ter. All this supposing they had
daughter.
And the final event of life. It's no joke
one can not afford to die, this if the de-
parted has or had any feelings of SYM
pathy for the friends and relatives left
behind. There's a coffin trust, and an
combine. There's grave
digger's union, and in some countries a
octopus. Mutes in these
countries have advanced the prices of
real tears, one hundred per cent. Only
the other day. the livery men Of an
eastern city notified the public that
double prices would be charged for car
riages for funerals on Sunday. One
thing is sure, conscientious citizens will
now arrange their departure early in
the week. Again a comparatively new
feature in funeral ceremonies is now to
pay the attending clergyman, and this
seems reasonable thing to 60. But
the present last rites and eX-
ercises at the funeral of Hon. John
Jones, with Chief Lo of the poor Indian
tribe say 100 years ago. Brother Lo
felt the appearance of bigger chief
death. 10 knew he must act or his
relatives would act for him. SO, Lo
took his blanket, crawled into an empty
laid down and died. Then he
was buried in the lap of Mother Earth
very much in the condition as he came
into the world And his eldest son and
squaw figured out that they
nad saved $3.50 in the absence of all the
modern accessories of modern funer-
a. They even avoided buying a $500
ot in Greenwood cemetery. They saved |
heir friends flower bills.
ana mere SOule ledtlSI re-
marks, suppose it does cost $3.50, to be |
porn. $1,000 to get married and $3.50 to
lie what's money for? Are you advo- I
,ating a return to heather rites and |
ceremonies? Hardly. But in all earn
,stness this writer does suggest that
What now seems a necessary expense in
hese three events in the life of man
lind, has become a matter of great
burden, to those individuals of moder-
tie income. Such expenditures are q
ecessity today because of custom. Sup
ose we educate ourselves to change the
ustom. And any one of us can con-
stently advocate such a change be-
ause we are not the ones to feel the
Expense. The reader, if a male citizen,
n all or any of these three events was
My out the minister's fee of the
marriage ceremony. However, add
o this the ring, and previous ice cream
rafting. If some gentle maiden has
ollowed these ramblings so far, let the
writer remind her, it cost her nothing
G be born, it will cost her nothing to be
married., and it will cost her nothing for
fashionable funeral.
HxLo-z