Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-27
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
WEppINos or CONVENIENCE
 AMONG THE POOR.
In Union Of Wealthy Couples True Love 10 More Often the Motive Than People Think, Declares
 Margaret Sangstsr.
sY MARGARET E. sANosTER.

BY MARGARET E. sAN0sTER.
 Copyright, leSs. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
 The marriage of convenience so far as our country Is concerned. Is an ex- otic. Abroad, in those European coun- tries where parents arrange marriages for their children with financial con alterations influencing the contract, such marriages are by no means un- common. In the old lands of the east, ancient customs still prevail, and all though oriental parents raay not know the phrase, they have tho thing itself. English speaking people, as rule, care great deal for sentiment. Those who have had opportunities for ob- servation. insist that Englishmen are more romantic and make love with more passionate fervor than Ameri- cans, although there is greater pru- dence on the part of the English in arranging for the future in the matter of settlements than has ever been the fashion here.
 For example, an English mother takes for granted the fact that her young daughters will attract men who shall desire to marry them. With wise tact she does what she can to bar the path of detrimentals and to insure her girls against falling in love with men who may not be able to sup port them in comfort If, however. the love-making occurs in defiance of her precautions. she is not averse to an engagement, with marriage some distance in the future.
 Young people across the sea often wait patiently for years until the time comes when they may marry with the prospect of living and bringing up family in responsibility and independ- ence.
 
 With us, among very young people, there is often little discretion and It. tie notion of what expenses marriage may bring. As years multiply, people grow prudent. A man of 30 and wo- man of 28 are much more likely to con- slider ways and means than a girl of IS and youth of 21. To the latter. . twelvemonth appears big piece cut out of life, and they have no patience to wait until the man is earning enough to support wife and children. Perhaps this republic is the only spot on the civilized globe where people rush into marriage without the reflec- tion that marriage Is the founding of . family. and that children are sure, or almost sure to come, bringing with them their claims and the manifold expenses that will increase from in- fancy to adolescence.
 While marriage should never be for an instant thought of unless there Is true love to bind the parties in union that only death can break, still love by itself will not build fire or pay rent or provide meals. Love is enough for happiness, and happiness cannot exist without 1t, and yet there is always danger that love may wither like a flower parched and athirst, If the strain of poverty be too great.
 Speaking of the strain of poverty, 1t is less dreaded by the extremely poor, whose requirements are few. than by those whose standards are more ex- acting. Thousands of immigrants are contented with mere food and shelter.
 A writer on social topics described, . year or two ago, what she called . of convenience in the East Side of New York. The two young people were newsboy and an orphan girl. The latter had been turned adrift by an old woman who had brought her up. She had nowhere to go, and John. who was her lover. had nowhere to take her, but he managed to secure a tiny lodging in tenement and, with a cot and washstand. a secondhand stove. and an empty soap box for a chair. they started housekeeping, hay Ing gone to a magistrate and been This was marriage of con. venience on the lowest plane.
 
 In society of a different order and higher type, marriages of convenience are frankly spoken of by friends and relatives, although delicacy may draw a veil ever the revelations of families involved. There are es- tates that. in the view of provident parents, should be united. and when the heir to one marries the heiress of another an ideal consummation seems .o be reached. Wealth, with some sen timental exception. is attracted to and by wealth. The son of a rich man is very likely to pay his court to the laughter of another owner of millions, md thus great fortunes increase in bulk and great houses rise in magnifi- ,ence.
 These marriages are not necessarily influenced by what we call convent | snce. There is no apparent reason vhy two young people accustomed rom the cradle to ease and luxury and | he advantagqx in travel and od,,~.