The Washington herald., 1908-02-02

is that man still has his business. hi,
career beside which to the eminentll
successful man home life is side issue
The manifold causes leading ND to di
yOrce are too well known to need elabo
ration but the side seldom dwelt on is tht
road from the divorce court. In the cas-,
of the woman this road is uncertain, The
sign posts are few. the crossroads fre
quent, and the termination most doubtful
When Woman Is Injured Party.
Taking her case from its best side; sup
posing her to be the injured party. the
petitioner for the decree, and supposing
her grievances 10 have been we'll enough
known TO be the talk of two continents
In this case possessing wealth, beauty
the sympathy of the public and her Owl
self-esteem-Where does she stand? on
most equivocal ground.
She is called a divorced woman: il is
too complex 10 say a woman who has
obtained her divorce. Society opens It's
arms. and she either appears in every
drawing-ToOm without an escort or The
tongue Of the public and even the loud
voice Of the press take up the theme and
link her name with that of any escort
who appears az ali favored.
Let her bury her sorrows i'm sun-like Sc
clusion and nervous prosJration or more
acute mental trouble Is the result The
least among as has conscience. and too
much time for thought is not good f0I
the successful plaintiff in a divorce ac-
tlon. In the marriage service are other
VOWS than the one OF moral fidelity. vel
the others are almost always forgotten.
when Conscience WhIpS.
The injured woman after her little hour
of triumph may easily question her own
married conduct. no matter how virtuous
she may have been. Has she Joined hands
with the man of her choice. or followed
atar of, or taken an altogether different
rOade
One bitter side Of the marriage gues-
tion, and one productive of much trouble.
Is that man always marries a woman ON
a pedestal and a pedestal is not COM
Portable footing after time. When the
radiant creature tires OF the pedestal and
steps down she is only a woman. with no
training for the part.
No doubt She has been admirably in
sructed and drilled for the position of
daughter of the home. but why are moth
ers ever so willing To start maid on the
trackless waters of matrmony without
even the chart that their own journey
has prepared? Is Ii that they find man
an uusolyable problem and think the poor
little sweetheart may better manage her
lover than they have managed theirs?
Lost Paradise aud Fallen Angels.
Life as set forth by the conversation Of
an ordinary husband is apt 10 appear am
Inferno. or al least Purgatory. to the
e1r rIrr.
man married an angel and quickly finds
her unfit for heavenly realms. That he is
Of the earth earthly makes no difference.
That crows and doves do not mate i'm
birdland does not prevent a man black
with earths impurities from seeking the
cove-like purity OF maidenhoOd
Now, To the one wishing TO paint the
thing as he sees il for the God of things
as they are it appears that admitting
that the man is a ITIfe unnecessarily tar
nished does not prove him bad husband.
II we did not marry men marriage would
cease TO be possible.
Men are curi0usly lacking I'm hypocrisy.
and the best fellow I'm the world has made.
lots OF mistakes Before leaving matri-
mony ont of the question let us make lust
one little plea for truth between mother
and daughter and plain. unvarnished
truth between fances, and this dear old
world will brighten i'm a little while.
Memories that VIII Not Fade.
Supposing the divorced wife 10 be per-
fectly satisfied with her own conduct sim
plihes the matter for her. but the cloud
never lifts. Even the senlit valley of q
happy second marriage. the best future
she can hope for. viii leave her mind
turning now and then to the sweetheart
OF her youth, Just as we love our dear old
dolls for years after We discover the saw
dust filling
turning 20 a darker phase and Supp0s-
ms the man dyed in sin 10 have discover
ed his neglected, ofttimes barely civfHv
treated little wife 10 have accepted first
the sympathy. then the companionship
first innocent, afterward guilty. of a
man who is really kind TO her; a woman
with a half-starved heart. a fiat pocket
book, wornout trousscau, and a few
gray hairs viii do a lot for simple kind
ness. We viii not argue the ethics of the
case.
1t IS said the world owes us a living:
possibly she has reasoned that human
life requires a lot OF heart sunshine. Be
that as IL may. the evidence is satisfac-
tory 10 judge or jury, and although it
may be utterly false, a woman stands
alone after the verdict Old friends put
their heads together and argue long dis
sertajions, commencing DO you sup
pose?' and ending Perhaps il is so.
but She was a good girl"
Facing "a Cruel World.
With her husbands financial support
gone. her reputation tarnished. and the
door Of the courtroom closed behind her.
the woman possibly stl in the twenties
faces a new world. The girIh0od home
is hers no more; the little apartment
ornate with wedding presents and tokens
Of happy days is barred. She faces a
work-a-day world OF -position-or-
starve, and is soon glad OF a ballroom
and couch bed on which she can rest
her weary self at night.
All through the DAYS before the trial
she has wept her heart away Now. the
reality is so much worse than the posi-
hiiity seemed that she forgets how 10
weep.
Finally. when shoes have become sadly
worn and spirits woefully depressed. she
finds a position. Lack Of references ana
no specially have stood in The way until
finally the large sum OF so q week Is
hers
She pays $3.50 for a room; in summer
laundry costs 60 cents to dollar; IS cents
for breakfast and Il cents for lunch, with
a quarter for dinner each day. leaves her
enough for car fares and once In a while
a treat Of a ride across the ferry and
back In the cool Of the evening, and. by
saving carefully. rare pair OF shoes or a
shirt waist.
What Is, Not What Might Have Been.
Is It strange that the weak character
falls or that the faint heart falters? The
maddenlng loneliness Of days and nights
Ike this either deKelons the character