St. Tammany farmer., 1906-12-29

"Mrs. Parsons recently suggested
marriages on probation" suggested
the reporter. "Is such a system pos
sible?"
when we come right down to 1t, !"
Mr. Mitchell replied, "do not some
marriages amount to precisely that?
"The real trouble and the blame" !"
continued Mr.. Mitchell, "lies deeper
than the foolish husbands and wives
I have sought to typify in Mr. and
Mrs. Karslake. The people l really
aim at are the fathers and mothers
of such husbands and wives. Why
do they not teach their children that
marriage is solemn thing, not to be
entered into lightly and carelessly
cast aside? These parents are the
guilty ones. Careless, Indifferent,
apathetic, or worse, they allow their
children to marry without telling them
what married life means, much less
teaching them that a husband and
wife must be steadfast and are not to
rush off to the divorce court at a
whim or after every quarrel. Is it
amazing to think that the girls OF, such
parents look on marriage mercy as
a matter of clothes, church, parson
and orange blossoms, and know moth
ing of the obligations that come after?
Blame the Parents.
THE parents Of such girls should
be punished. I read the other day
that state in the west had passed
law directing that girls under Il years
of age should not be allowed on the
streets at night. Does the law punish
the girl? No. It directs that the par.
ents pay a fine of five dollars every
time the girl Is found on the streets
after dark. We should have such
law here. 1t places the blame where
it be1ongs-on the parents"
In the third act of The New York
[dea,'" remarked the reporter, "the
criticises the American
girl and says that American girls who
have married foreigners of title are
in rather bad odor in Europe. Was
that comment prompted by recent |
events in England and France"
mo" Mr.. Mitchell replied. 1T was
suggested months ago, while was
writing the play. I read an article in |
he Fortnightly Review in which some |
'ne had prepared a table showing 100 |
marriages of American girls and 100 |
marriages OF young women from Aus.
ia-Hungary to Englishmen Of title. |
The American girls, according to the |
lrticle, were mothers of so children |
Ind the wives from Austria Hungary
II 300 children. That means an aver
lge of two American wives to one
;hild and three children for every
wife from Austria-Hungary."
The reporter mentioned the charac-
er of Rev. Mathew Phillamore in the
'lay and his remarks which seemed to
excuse divorce.
rhe lnsincere Minister.
II meant that to hit hard" replied
dr. Mitchell. II aimed the blow at
he insincere minister, the man who
wists his words to suit the likes and
islikes Of the people in his congrega-
ion."
"You mean the clergyman who com.
romises at every point?'
That's what I mean, precisely
he compromising clergyman. No one
as a more sincere admiration than
for the true clergyman-Phillips
rooks, for example, man l knew
ell; or Bishop Doane, who has Just
aid exactly what he thinks about
ivorce, no matter who Is hurt; or a
la1 like my old master at st. PauIs
cademy in Concord. N. H., DR.. Colt.
have known him to walk into a sa-
ION and up to the bar, take an ex- I
t. P27:Ygs boy by the arm and lead
[n AZ though he were a little 1
"a "'Yoa
much q