The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-13
A LIMITED DIVORCE SCHEME.

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A LIMITED DIVORCE SCHEME.
The case of the Indiana woman who asks
for a limited divorce, with alimony, pre-
sents some novel features. She has been
married for fifteen years to the man from
whom she seeks release, but is tired of him,
because, as she AYERS, he is cruel to her.
If the court will require him to pay her $50
a week for ten years, however, she ex-
presses her willingness to return and re-
marry him at the end of that time. Whether
she thinks the erring man will be suffi-
GENTLY punished by ten years separation
from her or whether she believes that in a
decade she will be so strengthened, physic-
ally and mentally. that she will again be
able to cope with him or to endure his
evil temper are matters not made clear.
In either case it is evident that she has no
doubt of his readiness to return to her when
the time limit has expired, else she would
stipulate that the alimony continue indef-
nitely. This shows a sweet and touching
faith in the affection of a cruel husband
that not every wife wishing to loosen her
matrimonial bonds may feel. Nevertheless.
the situation suggests interesting possibili-
ties.
1t is quite conceivable that the wives are
not few who would welcome a period of
freedom provided they could be sure of a
sufficient weekly stipend to supply their
needs; and it is just possible that husbands
exist who would not oppose a separation for
a period of greater or less duration and
who would even willingly contribute the
funds necessary for the carrying out of the
plan. 1t is quite probable that most wives
making this arrangement for limited divorce
would desire the court to forbid the mar
riage of the husband inside of the specified
time; a few might even be willing to bind
themselves in a similar way, but the ma
jority would wish to nave liberty at least
to look round" Naturally it would not
be well to grant inconstant man this lib
erty. since at the end of the stipulated one,
or five, or ten years he might be unwilling
to renew the alimony.
These and other little difficulties in the
working out of the system will naturally
adjust. themselves when the plan of interna-
tional marriage becomes accepted by So
ciety, as no doubt it will when its advant-
ages over the present system of sdivorce are
understood. When a husband and wife get
to the point where they rasp each others
nerves to the limit of endurance twenty
times a day; when the wife gets tired Of
housekeeping and wants to board and the
husband wishes to remain In his home;
when the wife wants TO go to the seashore
in summer, TO New York in the fall and
South in the winter; when the husband has
business downtown every night of his life;
when he finds his wife tiresome and she
finds him "cruel'-their Official limited
separation will serve them well. Then, be-
fore they get TO the point of being ready
to drop poison into each others coffee is
the time for a temporary divorce-with ALI
mony. In the stipulated period of freedom
they will have time to restore their nerves
to a normal condition, and by taking the
remedy before it is too late will be able, by
means of the proper perspective. to discover
anew each others virtues so that when the
NAAhO NONA@o ~ N0A-C AN h2O0 y
will stand in the way. This temporary
separation can, OF course. be arranged, ac-
cording to the social custom now prevailing,
by mutual agreement and without the in
PREVENTION of the courts, but an official de-
cree simplifes matters. So much lying is
not necessary, for one thing. With the
order of court in all the papers-and in
these days the divorce list is really a part
Of the society record, which everybody
reads--the separated persons are freed from
the necessity of making explanations, OF
lamely explaining why one continues his
stay in Europe so long. of telling why the
others business keeps him so continually
on his travels, of putting up the plea of
poor health and the need of a change OF
climate, and so on through the list of con-
ventional hctions that deceive no one. When
society accepts the innovation it will simply
be understood that the two are simply
aking a harmless vacation from each other
with nothing remaining to be said. The
Indiana woman, should her plea be granted
will enjoy the distinction of having set 2
new fashion. but if she realizes her respon-
sibility in the matter she will urge upon
her sisters who think of following her ex-
ample the absolute necessity Of making sure
of the alimony. Without alimony the plar
will not work.