Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-02

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I'M Charles Burton Thwing. WE'LL
known physician Of Philadelphia,
k99l esteemed scholarly woman and
49, a deep student contributes TO the
trial marriage" discussion provoked by
the ultra advanced views OF Mrs. Elsie
Clews Parsons Of New York Mrs Thwing
condemns trial marriages as imprac-
ticable, but urges that betrothss should
be a much more solemn arrangement than
at present and that they should be SUBJ
jeot to the ratification" OF the family
physician OF the agreeing parties. Mrs.
Thwing writes: Someone surely ought to
remind Mrs. Parsons and the bishops who
feel agtated about her book that we al
ready have the matter OF trial marriages
we'll provided for. but we call it betrothaL
Perhaps people are not quite careful
enough to make the betrothal 50 fully serv-
iccable as It should be in many ways. but
we usually announce It, encourage a ring
as a symbol OF a sort Of relation and make
all sorts Of preparation for the more bind
ing ceremony except perhaps, most Is
sential preparation-the solemn and care
ful inquiry, by both maid and man, into
their mutual fitness for marriage.
THE doctor Of medicine Is as fit and fully
as necessary to bless the betrothaI as the
doctor OF divinity Is suitable for the mar
rage proper. Both should be consulted.
Most Of us believe in our hearts what
the church teaches-that divorce, once
pegson is married, is impossible. 1t is felt
that these are no more twain, but one
flesh. Because this is true It must be
admitted that Mrs. Parsons has fulfilled
3 very needful line OF research. Let us
not try to hinder. but to help her
''All the older peoples have such a con-
vehton as has been suggested and usually
st means far more than ours is ordinarily
supposed to mean to the betrothed pair
'The Hebrews put up a tent and leave
the lovers alone in it. The Brahmin looks
over his new wife and II pleased makes
her a mother, but II he thinks her UNIT
she remains in his house as servant. He
certainly has room to exercise his intelli-
gence Under the Jewish law the woman
also made her choice before marriage.
II wish our girls and boys might all be-
come acquainted with themselves and with
the great, clean orderly world in which
we live, and the period of betrothal seems
the sweetest time for such learning In
life in savagery, in civilization, in divine
economy, the wedding ring is the unalter-
able Limit between the state Of single bles-
sedness and the state of matrimony.
TBut plighted troth is a fact If it has
taken place and not an announcement.
The beautiful woman who died of a broken
heart in New York recently because the
new law Of the state made her marriage
illegal failed to realize what George Eliot
stood for 80 stoutly--that law cannot le-
galze, but only declare the legality Of a
procedure. Similarly the church cannot
sanctlfy; it only acknowledges the sanctity
Of heart relation which must already
exist or seem to exist
"Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book takes
up this problem, among others, for the
whole book is a poetic study of the laws
back of civiization-where Mowgli and his
bride Of a night, sitting in the tree top,
discuss the new era OF their united life.
The trial marriage s over and both these
children realize that marriage from now
on is inevitable and permanent.
civilization goes one step further. 1t
places the question OF the maid in the
mouth of an authorized representative OF
society, a magistrate or a minister, and
that we may have greater security against
fraud and treachery we require first that
the man answer the question and execute
TO the prospective mother the deed OF all
his worldly goods.
1T seems to most of us that we are not
ready to let this safeguard slip by us. When
we are ready there will be no more opposi-
ton TO the permanency of marriage. 1t
will be a matter OF course, like the law
against murder"
woman Mountain Climbers Troubles.
In Harpers for December Miss Annie s.
Peck, the well known mountain-climber,
tells Of her attempt to ascend Mount Huas-
caran in Peru. Her account of her outnt
is interesting.
II had thought excellent my plan Of hay
ing a little tent all to myself, but it did
not so prove" says Miss Peck "At the
door it was barely five feet high, sloping to
the other end 1t was just wide enough for
my sleeping bag. To move about inside was
impossible. l had 10 sit down and arrange
my apparel as best / could. In the middle
OF the day It was very warm, but extremely
cold at night. already had on three suits
of wooden underwear, two pairs of stock
ings and vicuna fur socks but the latter
were damp. so l removed them for an ex-
ira pair OF stockings, To sit in cramped