New-York tribune., 1907-09-20
AMERICAN MARRIAGES.
Their Failure Due Mostly to Women,
Thinks Feminine Writer.


t1t t1io t5 T4orle go at this divorce problem
e. snasroodic intervals one woman "ds oteI- tS
heard 10 say latelg. like puppy al @ giu H .p
- 80 = worry it. growl over II Ok lhen
- . for something else then up Win II anu
Ci-a - another shake However, WIeh lhe as
e--ee5rr touches the matter thal hes uHue- III
-, rrarfeur failure OF marriage 10 give
1,a-,iress-it Is generally worth WINE. a NilleI
g. +sTbe Atlantic Monthly LOT Seplell-0e' -AIll-l
- r,..e-s contributes a few opinions and sugges-
- - the problem- Her article IS not likely TO
=. received with entire eQuanlnlty ny women 5
,rbr but any woman who wants TO make heT
s.ats,5 r,,rr will lnd il eficaclous as q GOOD
5i-rer ,.TVay American Marriages. ran IS me
rather sweeping tile OF me -artlcle- - - -.,,a
r--av fell saws the writer, because OF woman =
,.1--~e 70 realize that marriage is her work in the
,rorJ5 Marriage is net mans work, only his de-
iusion Door dear II Is no more, general-y, thah
~ cream Of prolonging through years a hunanly
f----ohsrle condition" Because men are not only
- T--~75-s workers breadwinners. home build
- lighters. supporters Of al civic duues-they
n-e also the worlds 3dealists." mans marriage
bsf-rA II takes place. is his beautiful dream from
,rbich he parts g-udgingly." but il is never ms
work. never even necessary TO him IN the &C
ro-rulishrnent Of those things which are his WoTh
But the woman who foolishly permits herseI1 10
treat marriage. either N theory OF lIdCL-ee, q -
beautiful dream, is forgetting how little that Is
earnest or real, how little work. IN Inc IS leit
woman who repudiaJes the duty Of wedock paced
80 her shoulders" Because. up 10 the present
tf-ns women have done nothing worth mentioning
ai-bsr in religion. science. philosophy or law; not
80 go mon The supposedly more feminine lines.
literature music painting, have they mace more
,ban 2 very few marks that are likely 10 endufe
<
r----o-+ they do not lead 70 any big end OUTSIDE
n herself Her purposes are merely personal :
they are for the moment merely -,..-
Having dealt these body blows, the writer
r,7ores Havelock Elliss summary q what recent
scientific research has acconp-ished Ar. Inns
has cruelty robbed woman O. her oearesI posses
Ef0,-7-l9r she has always called her greater SEN
shilirv L is really who have the senslpllltE'
he saws. what women fondly CONSIDER 1helT sehsl-
ffi-r Is only irri1abilsty really After few more
remarks and quotations. as that chefs and plano
forte tuners are mostly men. and that women are
-zfTa nd
word gourmet does not possess feminine fornl
The bearing Of which statements upon the ol-
1orce question is really Just bit oosclTe-tne
writer passes on 70 criticism q the looIaFE ~
which the besotted American nation IS suTk-the
6eifcation o1 woman. That seems Fer1loUsIy llke
criticism of man, for surely L woman Is delheo
nan nss done it Il is that putting woman on a
-ae5esrsI saws the writer. that makes our young
1.ives selfish and intolerant-UhiCh wifely quail
- F,.f5 -erroSfh1 for the sscandalOus slack
er.ing Of marriage ties in the United States
F7varzy foreigner VINO comes 10 this country. the
writer says. is astonlshed and gTieved at the
6o-ration Of the female etc. etc. the subordi-
ratjoa 10 her Of the ''self-efacing male. etc etc
Then the author gives vivid picture OF the
eLr--frs districts in our American cities-streets
end shops 3 congested mass Of women, rTltaple
women, pale, fre1ful women. women dressed many
II them, out OF ali proportion 10 theH huspaLGs
incomes and their surroundings; women killing
time il al idle stroll from counter 10 another
from the nlancurisI's 10 the hair dresSeTs whlie
their husbands are Shaving in some dlngy cfhce 10
get th4 money these women are wasting All
the writer cares TO claim she ends-ano, reaHy,
gre spelled. extremely idle and curiousy unde-
serving Of the maudlin worship that they demand
from men
alence q divorce Is that the modern women are
-o- dener5erI enough The way women have now
adays cf getting of streetcaTs without the help OF
mans hand is gradually undermining the marriage
bonc Gymnastics and breathing exercises the
writer says, have produced q curious hybrld-a
GROSS between q magnificent, rather unrnannerly
boy and a spoiled, exacting deTni-Tnondaine, VINO
sincerely loves-herFelf." Before marriage she re-
pulses courtesy after marriage she cries or scoldS
II she finds that she has killed II n the man she has
married
Surely. Judging By this picture. the lot Of the
American man Is hard one-f, as the writer as
sers nine times out Of ten n this country man
-nar-5es for love" One cannot help thinking IT
extraordinary that should be so weak as 10
love such unlova bic women. but IN the next sen
.e-ce TIE writer explains OF course he-the man
-Idealizes her Men not held entirely blame
less IN This rather caustic article. TWO or three
times they are almost called selfish Under al
mans selfish shunting OF the responsibility OF nome
hardness on 10 the wouans shoulders les q deep
5ustifying truth-it Is her business
The mans motives. II selfish. are generally as
rllre as are consistent with faulty humanity He
married because he wanted 10 be happy, ana WLeh
re rifr comes IN the lutte ne is bewlldered, help
less Net entirely helpless. however, for, as the
v--i+e- saw the man can always put on his hat
srd seek ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. But for the WON
an what is left cor her, in this world wnere men
do everything well that there IS no use WhateNef
in trying to compete with them
Are the ani-ladveTslons upon women N why
American Marriages Fail2' quite true? II then,
poor American man, But poor woman, also! Tor
what does the writer say Of her work-the only
work she can do2 Marriage is her difh-
cpl- oftea Intensely disa greeabIe and dangerous
life task And her salary Of love Viii sometimes
Re orlv partly paid sometimes begrudgingy, some
times not al all-very rarely oTerpala-py eilHeI
her husband her children