The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-13

-EORGE Meredith's suggestion re-
@( garding temporary m arr!nEe y,
o to say the least, orlGinal,j and
will not be readily understood
f{ unless one remembers what 4
-. $1,000 plague tho unmarried " oman 10
in England. Not only are there more klris
than boys born In the United Kinsdo ~
but the mortality among the male chill
drcn ia greater, To this comes that So 4
cal conditions aggravate the evll, as q
great number OF young men emigrate a1|-4
nual!y to the colonies OF the vast en-
pire Many OF these marry aoroao
while others return to their native coun-,
try too late TO think OF marriage, and tho
result is that, Great Britain is infested
with old maids. 81
some az these become reconciled to their
fate. submit patiently to the inevitable,
silence tho long!ngs Of their hearts, and
make themselves fairly comfortable, The
majority, however, protest. and y 70 m am
~; for the benefit OF these that the
author OF "Richard Feverel" and An
Amazing Marriage made tho sugges-
lion. which has aroused the iro and IN
digna tlonl OF his countrymen.
| c; Gorge Meredith reasons that In q coun-
try where thore are too many women. ~
Is not Just that one woman shoutp Assp
husband for herself her whole llte wh ,,r
oil around tHerc he ulNSA 'o''''-'' i -
have no husbands at all.
Furthermore he has observer that IT -
far from all legitimate! union which are
happy and his psychologlc experience hhn
|Sproyed TO him that after ten Years mar
! RED life ceases to he delicious, and why
should then d condition pc continued
which bring. no happ!nesstlto elthef OF
..-e parties? g55 ts :,
TO be sure, there Is always the d.
vorce George Meredith adds hut divorce
is alwayslA most brutal proceed'nE &, whlch
supplies columns of sensational and scan
I, dalous news for the papers, and no ad-
ylses that marriages pc concludeo as ale
con tracts OF commercial pnl'tnerst'P'
When you rent an npartnle nt, no maj
| ter how enthusiastic YOU may feel apput
IT. you would never think of renting lt,for
/ life. but you st!pulnte in your lease tnat
after the expiration Of a. certain lenRln
OF time you shall sbe ataliberty 70 siVeh :
4 UP and leave IT.. Why, therefore, should
no, the same clause be inserted N, that
most important Of all contracts, the one
IN which q person Is most apt toieomm|t
an error OF Judgment. which only dasly
intercourse can reveal to the contracting
! parties. Instead Of marrying as YOU 90
4 now, until death does vs. part ana
then maybe three years later rack .youF
gain your liberty. why should you n.y.
4 from the start sign a contract tor tRree
years, subject to renewal Il agFee'
able to both partcs?l3
& George Meredith does not propose three
i but ten years He thinks that ~ per,
h son Is able to Judge how his feelings VII
be for a period Of that length. He aso.
i undoubtedly. thinks that the first CLOUDS
/ need not be considered alarming, that
4 time and daily intercourse smooths oyer
i many discords, and that two marF!eu
derstandings during tho Arst years. often
i end BY agreeing very we'll, But if tho
discords remain after ten years the fa-
nous author considers them incurah!e,
husband and wife should then both he
free with5ill feeling and without sesnr
AL because their con tract, had expired,
..but the husband must provide for the