The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-28

Peter, Peter, punkin-eater,
Had wife and cOuldn't keen her

Had a wife and couldn't keep her.
In these days of many divorces and ru-
mors of divorce, days when the cautious
citizen fears to ask his friend how his wife
is, lest overnight she has departed by way
of the courthouse and he no longer has any
wife-it is now that the ancient ditty above
quoted comes to mind and the lucky man or
woman without domestic complications and
no matrimonial dynamite in the family Gel
lar-so far as he or she knows-begins to
wonder and mediate concerning social con-
ditions.
These conditions of course, are not pleas
ing. Apart from the moral view of the sit
uation, and from the attitude toward the
world of the divorced persons themselves
extremely annoying and inconvenient to the
general public. This side of the matter is
seldom presented, but it is time mention
should be made of it. After the people of a
community have come to know Mr.. and
Mrs. John Smith and have them safely al
justed in the proper mental niche, it is un-
pleasant to be called on suddenly to re-
adjust them: to be required to remem-
Der that Mrs. John Smith is now Mrs.
Mary Smith. or possibly. with her maiden
name restored, Miss Mary Jones; and to be
perpetually on guard lest, in absent-minded
moments, they forget the marital cataclysm
and inquire solicitously of John about the
health of Mrs. John, or vice versa, or invite
tbay,, both RI dinner II inyolvec StiJI orao for
intellectual strain when a second Mrs. John
appears upon the scene and Mrs. John
number one re-enters as Mrs. Brown. When
the case of the Smiths is multiplied. and an
acquaintance on every block has shaken of
matrimonial shackles, then such a burden
is imposed upon the memory of the people
Of the community as TO constitute a real
and serious grievance. Almost it is enough
to make them declare a divorced couple a
nuisance not longer worth considering.
Feeling that they are wronged, naturally
they have a right to discuss and suggest
possible remedies. 1t is, of course. not worth
while to recommend the plan adopted by
Peter, the famous punkin-eater. who, as a
last resort, it will be remembered, put his
wife in a punkin shell. and there he kept
her very WE'LL. Peter could not do 1t in
these advanced days. She would not stay
in the shell; he could not keep her there
Times have changed since his day, as a
Pennsylvania preacher. who has been all
over the country in vain search Of wife
will testify. 81 want a woman" he mod
estly says. whose only pleasure Is her
home and God"-and he cannot find her
No; other times. other customs. Woman has
formed habit of breaking out of the home
shell when IL pleases her. and, harmful be
the habit or not, she can never be perpetu-
ally Gagged there again; so the shutting VI
remedy will not suffice.
Nor will moral exhortation serve. Has not
the pulpit been laundering against divorce
from time out of mind? And to what good
Men and women solemnly promise to cleavt
together "for better or for worse" and al
the first hint of worse they fly apart
causing. as said before. much vexation Of
spirit to their innocent friends and &C,
quaintances.
Something more practical than mere mora
suasion or consideration for the public
must be devised for the breaking up of tn,
divorce habit. AS possible solution tn