The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-04
The Decline of Marriage.

 In England. it appears. no less than in this country. the growing tendency or men and women to defer marriage
 until late in life, and then, perhaps, keep voluntarily for all time beyond the clanking of matrimonial chains arouses vigorous interest. To the British mind two causes for the phenomenon stand out distinctly. The first is the growth of luxury and the second the "emancf- patton" of woman. The former deter rent. 1t Is pointed out, is a tremendous luxury has so strong a hold on most men that they are not disposed to sacrifce for the attainment of domestic bliss any of their pleasant bachelos comforts. A popular novelist of the empire states the thing as follows: 'sWhereas, a single man of 25 or so. with small income, can have considerable amount of solitude and amusement, a household with fSoo year (s2.5eo) has little of either. It is more or less at this point of income. I imagine. that the diffeience between single and mar ried life Is most marked and least sup portable. A bachelor with the amount named is a rich man. but marriage and children would mean poverty for him real. genuine poverty, upper boxes at a theatre, instead of stalls, etc. The man may give it all up quite cheerfully and marry; but as luxury and love of luxury Increase, he will be always less inclined to do anything of the sort" So much for the English view of mans share of responsibility in this grave matter. Now for the woman's part: We teach her that 1t Is more credit- able to produce a mediocre book or pie ture than to produce a fine baby, nobler | ta home; that 1t Is greater to write novel; cites than to tell fairy stories to her children; to sing in an artificial fashion
 in a public hall than to sing charming nursery ditties to her little ones at home." Now this, to our mind, puts the responsibility just where 1t belongs, so far as woman's refusal of marriage obligations goes. Of all the cant that Is canted in England and this country today, there Is none quite so cantish as
 that which demands of every woman a Icareer. Let girl have as much knowl- edge as she can carry, let her develop
 herself in special directions. even. when
 she feels the Imperative necessity of so
 doing, but let her keep 1t ever clearly
 and simply before her that all this h
 less than the best, inasumch as the
 highest sphere for woman is eternally the home and the noblest duties uh- questionably those which have to do
 with happy domestic life. Woman's
 real interest and happiness do not con-, | sist, and never have consisted, in the | number of lines that draw from the home to the outside world, but in the multitude of avenues by which she may bring the best from the world without to illuminate the home. And this. be- cause 1t is~ everlastingly true, cannot be repeated too often. The married
 woman who puts a higher value upon
 her friends book or picture than upon Hher own beautiful baby Is traitor to
 what should be the most sacred thing
 in her life. As we think, so we are.
 There is immense need that the world of women should hold the right thought about the home. Women have always
 set the standard for men in these mat ters, and it can scarcely be expected | that when the gentfer sex declares a column of newspaper praise of
 achievement finer than the sweetest
 privileges of>-home men should value
 domestic bliss above club luxury.