The Washington herald., 1908-07-05
nr RUDOLPH DE zAPP.

by RUDOLPH DE ZAPP.
Divorce, according to an official bulle-
Tin OF the United States Census Bureau.
IS steadily increasing.
The all-lmportant question of marriage
and divorce has in recent years received
the attention Of the pulpit and the press,
and has received additional interest by
reason Of q number Of opinions and sug
gestions regarding the subject, advanced
by wen-knOwn men in public life and
writers
Reasons why young and impecunious
army officers should not contract mar
riage. una thereby save themselves and
the governmelt possible trouble and an
noyance. and at the same time render
more efficient service. formed an impor-
tant chapter in the ANNUAL report few
years ago OF the head Of the American
army 70 the Secretary OF War A we'll
known English writer few years ago
favored q marriage contract covering n
limited number OF years only as a solu-
tlon for the "alarmlngly growing divorce
mania" and Bishop Potter and other
prominent pembers Of the clergy OF vari-
ous denominations are exerting their in
nuence TO bring about a change for the
better.
Wedding Bells lHC GenIusf
Naturally the question - who should
and who should not mary mas agitated
the public mind almost ever since the
institution OF marriage. Disraeu the
English statesman and novelist. says that
mG'rimOny has often been considered a
condition not well suited TO the domestic
llfe OF genius; 'it is accompanied by too
many erubarrassments for the head and
the heart" Fuessl the Swiss artist /
contended that the married state was in
compatible with a high cultivation Of the
fine arts Peiresc, the great French coll /
lector. refused marriage convinced that
the cares OF a family are too absorbing
for the freedom necessary 10 literary pur-
suits. and a sacrifice Of fortune incom- |
patble witu his great designs Boyle |
who would not suffer his studies 20 be in /
terrupted by household affairs" lived /
as a boarder with his sister. Lady Rane- /
lagh Bayle Hobbies. Hume Gibb0n and /
Adam Smith decided for ccibacy.
Regarding the literary genius Disraeli 4
SAYS. IF the literary man unites him /
self 90 a woman whose taste and whose
temper are adverse 10 his pursuits. he .
must courageously prepare for a martyr /
dom And thus the wife Of Bishop .
Cooper. while her husband was employ /
ed On his Lexicon, one day consigned the .
volume of many years labor 20 the .
flames and obliged that scholar % begin
second seige OF Troy in q second Lex
icon. The wife Of WhitoloCke often de- /
siroyed his manuscripts and the marks /
Of ucr nails have come down to postcrity |
IN the numerous laCcratiOns still gaping /
IN his Memorials
Milton UnIucI<y as Benedict.
The learned Sir Henry SaviIle. who de-
voted more than half Of his life and near
y ten thousand pounds. to his magnif-,
cent edition Of Saint Chrysostom. led a
very uneasy life between that Saint and
Lady Saville Milton carried nothing Of
the greatness OF his mind IN the choice
Of his wives his first wife was the OBJ
Ject cf sudden fancy. He left the me-
tropolis and unexpectedly returned a
married man. united 10 "a woman Of such
uncongcnill disposition that the romp
vs,s frightened at the literary habits OF
the great poet. found his house solitary.
beat his nephew, and ran away after a
single months residence. To this Circum- |
stance The world owes his famous treat
isc on divorce. and a party who were
sitlatcd Ike Milton calling themselves
Alntonists
Thomas Hollis. who. solely devoted 10
literature and republicauism. was occu-
pied in furnishing Europe and America
with editions Of his favOrite authors. 4
would not marry. lest marriage should
interrupt the labors OF his platonic poll
tics. Moliere married a girl from his
own troop who made him experience all II
those bitter Gisgusts and ridiculous en-
barrassments which he himself played
ut the theato-. Addison. Steele. and
Rousseau were similarly married TO un-
consenial partners who were the sources
Of much unhoppiness 10 them.
biblical Cases I'm Point.
AS 20 the marriage contract itself. his
tory records that in the earliest times OF
purchase, n woman was bartered for use
ful goods or Tor services rendered 10 her
father. IN the latter way Jacob pur- 4
chased Rachel and her sister. Leah. This
was n beena marriage, where a man. as
in Genesis. lenves his father and his
mother and cleavcs unto his wife. and
they become one kin. the woman's.
When Augustine converted the Anglo {
Saxons 20 Christianity marriage by cap =
tur- WAS dying out and purchase had Z
become general. Nevertheless. capture !
was not cxtIngushed IN England until :
centuries later. Tor Ethclbert. while en- ,
forcing the new law. also ratified the old ,
ono, Sd that they ran ConcuTrentlv He !
recognized the right os a captor to carry ,
off a woman by force II he aftervard paid T,
fifty shllings 90 her owner as a fine.
and then bought her from him at a
reasonable price II she were a maid, the
Inc went 20 hc~ father. If a wife. then G
70 the husband. but the captor had TO G
buy the defrauded husband another wife. c
and In each case he retained by law the y
woman whom he had stolen. n
Paid Cattle for Princesses. '
The transition from capture to purchase
in England was very gradual. and both
methods existed for = time together. Even
the prncesscs were bought by kings with +,
cattle and costly articles, Just as those +
less fortunately situated were obtained Z
by humber purchase. History records T
that tho covetous Anglo Saxon fathers z
drove cxtortionatc bargains. and cheated q
simple buyers like some modern horse q
dealers M fair Ethelbcrt provided
against this by eaacting: IF there be
any deceit let him bring her home again. o
and lej the man give him back his %
money"
This privilege in its turn became obso-
leto when morning gifts were general.
These were presents made 20 the bride i
by hcr husband on the morning after r.
tho marriage night. 10 show his satisfac- e
tion with his bargain, and she who re- a
ceivod morning gift could not be after n
ward returned. IN process of time. when "
the brutality OF selling ones own Off y
sprinG cawned upon the coarse minds OF V
our ancestors. a euphomism was invented 7
70 conceal its baseness and satisfy prb- "