The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-04

v oman in all creation for the man fol
whom she had b-aved and endured al
/ things
If. as it is argued. our divorce law.
only breed coniusai discomfort. how i.
! II that this unhappy complaint is so pre-
valent in South Carolina. where Their,
I. are no divorces? South Carolina say:
| Cberstow. with swell of righteous pride
enjoys the unfading glory of being tbs
only state in the union that has not gran
ted divorce since the revolution" Il
| enjoys as well the unfading glory Of being
/ the only state in the union obliged tt
| make special property laws for the heir:
| OF concubinage.
| A cause Of this infelicity which ha.
led to so much domestic upheaval, regard
| ing which the pulpit has maintained eve,
the most singular silence, is the marriage
OF convenience. Woms,n is born AID ireJ
to the idea that her dIv:n. mission. llvi
natural end in life. is mirr...e Her ham<
training. her social training, history. fc-
ton and the drama nj ,ai-h her this
She is educated. '.bro: Chr out, prov..lc,l
with opportunities, that she may fulfill
the sacred function or which she was
created. To the woman withou. fcrtare
marriage offers itself AZ refuge from The
sordid battle for existence and powers; {
age. A kindly shield tom Ihe InourrfUl
fate OF the despised dependent.
To those seeking release from assccia-
ton which. If not positively uncomfortable
&c one or both. does not satisfy the
heart, the austere and inexorable decree
of church and state is Husband and wife
till death do you part. What God hath
Joined Together let no man put asunder.
What God had joined together. indeed
We are not at all sure that God had a
tand in any such sorry botch. To inter
FRET Gods conception of marriage as a
mere mercenary enterprise cold barter
of coronet for a dowIy-is to charge
God with standards passing mundane.
A faithful portrayal of the disappoint-
nent of the marriage of convenience is
made by DR.. Max Nordau in his little
drama The Right to Love"
Mother" says the young wife. in an
agony of despair. who discovers that
she has aheart as well as an ambition.
why did you marry me-
You were twenty replies the mother,
we had only my widows pension. 1
according to human Judgment. the condi-
tons for IT existed In your marriage
THE conditions for it never existed
where the heart does not speak" returns
Bertha. Marriage, then, is no joy?"
Marriage" says mama. lis not solely
joy. Marriage is as weIla duty, social
mission. You obtained kind. hand
some, prosperous husband. with whom
you seemed happy enough when you were
engaged"
How much, mamma, does foolish
inexperienced girl know about marriage? ?
People are always telling her she must
marry. She sees her mother grieving.
Then a young man comes. She hears
constantly A brilliant match, \ rich
husband Life. mamma. has not only
duties, but rights; the right of satisfying
the heart. But for your idea of marriage
social duty mission / should be free
tcday to love the right man, if he came
he who would love me and whom L
should love, not from duty, but with
rapture. A ma who would inspire me,
unfold my intellect and to whom l should
lcok up
No less mournful failures are the mar
risges of pure sympathy and the mar
riages OF unequal sentiment, in which
there is the miserable confounding Of
love for sympathy. its tender kin. In
the poetry Of the heart there is ralely
perfect accord. One loves more or less
than the other.
Women, not a few, deluded by the
Measurable emotion they experience in
being loved. which is half as sweet as
love itself. or too tenderly compassionate
to say No to one to whom they are en-
deared by the close ties of long associa-
aded by the persistent lover into marriage
only vaguely concious that they are en-
tering into the most exacting and the
most binding of all relationships upon no
more powerful. more sovereign, sentiment
than affection and tender sympathy.
Then follows the pain of disappoint-
rent, under the glazing revelation Of
realities-the ill-timed discovery OF the
mightier things than it has known. for
poetry who can say how passionate, for
passion who can say how poetic. that
Turk there like subtle undercurrents ard
rise. latent. like sorcerous shapes, to
tempt, enchant and, peradventure, over
power
The closeness and sameness of associa-
ton in our marriage relationships Is
another cause OF disappointment in mar
rage. A sentiment developed under con-
dtions so aesthetic, so seductive and so
ca ndIe-light. coquetry and constant love
making langushes under the lurid glare
of the matter-1of-course and common
place.
The frugal bride who puts away her
pretty nightgowns in sachets of orris and
from a savishing divinity in
a witchery of laces and ribbons into n
mere woman smeared with ointments and
herned with curled papers forgets that
the poetry of marriage sometimes turns
into prose. Rapturous walks in the my
site. tremulous moonlight. never half
lung enough. now drag wearily in dull.
bored silence or in tame discussion OF
Love. that theme of i'm
perishable charm of which lovers never
tire, is now Abandoned for topics no less
mundane than the overdone and the IN
derdone egg and the homely plumbing
bill. All the pretty finesse OF elusive
half weddings. the delicious pain Of IN
certainty and the sweet excitement or
ardor is settled down TO the calm.
comfortable assurance OF possession.
No curiosity is left u<ratlhed, no ex-
perience left untried Each shtring u
riayed. every delight Is drained. until.
outraged and the senslbili-
ties stated. all things fall 10 a monotone.
The romantic sentiment has changed 20
ar affection which more clearly resemb-
les that which one feels for near blood
relation than the love for a lover and
sweetheart While II has gained much.
/; has lost much II ia more tenderiy
more aobiy sacrificing ard.