Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-12-22

marriage is a 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 merely as
a matter of clothes, church, parson
and orange blossoms, and know moth
ing of the obligations that come after?
Blame the Parents.
1.-The parents of such girls should
be punished. / read the other day
that state in the west had passed
law directing that girls under IA years
of age should not be allowed on the
streets at night. Does the law punish
the girl? No. 1t 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 belongs-on the parents
In the third act of The New York
1dea," remarked the reporter, "the
Englishman 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?"
NO" Mr.. Mitchell replied. 1T was
suggested months ago, while 1 was
writing the play. 1 read an article in
~, d
one had prepared a table showing 100
marriages of American girls and 100
marriages of Young women from Aus
tria-Hungary to Englishmen of title.
The American girls, according to the
| article, were mothers of so children
i and the wives from Austria-Hungary
| of 800 children. That means an aver
age of two American wives to one
child and three children for every
wife from Austrfa-Hungary."
| The reporter mentioned the charac-
| ter of Rev. Mathew Phillamore in the
play and his remarks which seemed to
excuse divorce.
The Insincere Minister.
81 meant that to hit hard" replied
Mr. Mitchell. Il aimed the blow at
the insincere minister, the man who
twists his words to suit the likes. and
dislikes of the people in his congrega-
ton
You mean the clergyman who COM
promises at every point?'
That's what / mean, precisely
the compromising clergyman. No one
has a more sincere admiration than
I for the true clergyman-Phillips
Brooks, for example, man 1 knew
| well; or Bishop Doane, who has just
said exactly what he thinks about
| divorce. no matter who is hurt; or a
man like my old master at St. Pauls
Academy in Concord. n. H, DR.. Colt.
/ have known him to walk into a sa-
4 loon and up to the bar, take an ex-
St Pauls boy by the arm and lead
him away as though he were a little
child.
I don't mean such men, but the
preachers who twist ald turn their
words to suit the occasion 1 believe
that many of the people who. see The
New York Idea will recognize the
type and will agree with me. 1 want
to hit such preachers hard"
Before the chat ended a passing
reference was made to the address on
/ the English and American drama, de
livered at Harvard by Henry Arthur
Jones, the English playwright.
4 think Mr. Jones is wrong in some
ways" remarked Mr. Mitchell 1.-The
i American drama is in a better con
dition than the English stage. There
| the people are very conservative; here
they are openminded- We reall5
recognized Bernard Shaw first, and
; his success ON the English stage i.
largely a reflection of his vogue in
America The drama is a minor in
; terest TO an Englishman. and wher
: anything happens to him he stay.
) away from the theater. When any
| thing happens to the American he
= goes to the theater more than ever
] | Americans love the theater-r
Bishop Greer's Opinion
II Rt. Rev David H. Greer. bishop