The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-05-11

ing the recent terrible blizzard in New
York, several residents in suburban Sec
lions, where the sidewalks were not
broken out for eight days afterward,
sent complaints to the post office that
1.-THE postmen were late in delivering the
mail on the day after the stOrm!"
Such people are capable of address,
ing written expostulations to Provi-
dence upon it's conduct of affairs, and
there are many who are quite as un-
reasonable and as little worth serious
attention. But when reverend clergy
men. and leading doctors of literature,
begin to show tendency to think that
the idea of marriage is not sound, 1T
seems as though there were really a
basis for a genuine discussion and, as
though everybody ought to take an in
terest" and contribute his point of
view.
. Well. suppose good many marriages
prove to be failures. Is there any sort
of business in which there is not a
large proportion of failures?
We are told that SO per cent. Of the
men who set up in business for them
selves, fail one or more times, which
is one of those misleading statistics of
which we hear so much; for the same
man gets counted every time he sets
up" and fails. Therefore one man who
has a constitutional aptitude for failure
may contribute frightful proportion of
that sc per cent.
Granted, that in commercial life fail
ure is the rule, and success the excep-
ton. In professional life, no doubt the
proportion of sufferers is quite as great.
Ministers, doctors, lawyers, musicians,
artists, actors, writers-how many, COM
pared with the whole immense number,
can be said to achieve success?
Then as to our political institutions.
How many cities have we, the finances
and Offices of which are administered
honestly, which would be the same in
this sense as "successfully?" Mr.. Stef-
fens would probably reply that there are
none at all. Even the departments of
the federal government are full of scan
dals, and their history has been far more
that of failures than or successes, while
who shall dare to speak of the unwrit-
ten disclosures one or more of which
have come to the ears of us all?
The trouble seems to be with human
nature. It does not seem to be able to
do anything perfectly. The average hui
man being seems to be an untidy, selfish,
hypocritical, lazy, untrustworthy crea-
ture-a sort of cross between a sheep,
an oyster, bear and a treacherous
leopard or tiger. When you really stop
to think of it, the WONDER is, not that so
many married couples are divorced, or
live on, jangling, profoundly tired of
each other, or merely in dumb, patient,
accomplishing misery; but that the
proportion of truly happy couples is as
high as it is.
A young woman RECENTLY confided to a
friend that she ardently loved O. certain
young man, but that she would never
marry him until he should entirely re-
form his course.
I have told him this" she said, sadly.
Gle knows perfectly we'll that he can
have me if he will behave himself. 1
never expect to like anybody else SO
we'll as I like him. But have sense
enough to know that man who does
not keep his word, who contracts debts
which he does not propose to pay, who
drinks too much wine once in awhile,
will never make me good husband. If
we should have children, what sort of a
father would he maker"
"But your influence might reform
him."
IF had not seen that tried in the
case of Rosa f" naming we'll
known society girl, who had married a
gay society fellow, with large fortune
and choice assortment Of bad habits,
and who had had IN c0mo h0no tn h or