The Washington herald., 1908-03-29
By THE ARBITER.


Once upon a time an ambitious man set
out to improve himself by travel. His
plan was comprehensive one, and with
him he carried a number of voluminOus
note books which he purposed filling with
account of the wonders he saw and the
impressions he received. Just over the
frontier OF the first country he entered
the first person he met was lame man.
who walked with the aid of crutches Out
came one of his note books. and on its
nice, clean page he wrote this observa-
ton: "All of the people of this country
are lame and walk on crutches."
The marriages between American wom-
en- and foreigners are criticised by their
insular countrymen with much the same
intelligence. Because some silly mother
has married her equally silly daughter 10
some siiler duke. and they make a mess
of their lives, why. the superficial locker
on announces from the housetops that all
foreign marriages are unhappy He does
not stop TO think that his silly little coun-
trywoman would probably have made
just as great a mess of her life If she
had married an American.
The happiness of a marriage does not
depend upon the nationality of the con-
tracing parties, but on their fundamental
characters. their moral training, their
standard of living A story recently pub
lished serves as a telling commentary on
the fashionable women Of the day A
woman photographer it seems, who had
made a great success in photographing
children in her own town. sought a wider
field in New York. She sent out circu-
lars TO all the fashionables. influential
friends spread her fame abroad but no
patrons sought her out. Weeks came and
went, her savings diminished. but not a
baby was brought to her to immortaliZe.
Finally she sat down quietly TO think the
whole matter out and reluctantly came
TO the conclusion that since no fashion
able women with their children sought
her. there were no fashionable babies in
New York, but. she said 20 herself. there
must be substitute for babies in this
frivolous town; even an ultra-fashionable
woman must have something on which TO
lavish her affection. Suddenly all was
made clear TO her; dogs and cats and
monkeys had evidently taken the place OF
human babies, and as special photogra-
pher for dogs and eats and monkeys she
would advertise herself and she did. with
the result that fame and fortune have
now come 20 her
This story is not irrelevant, for it is
cited as the basis for a question which
has a bearing on international marriages;
what can be expected from the women OF
community where babies have gone out
Of style and their natural place usurped
by little beasts, charming enough and
pleasing in their way. hut no adequate
substitute for human children? A French
writer names forty-eight wealthy and
well-known families who live in Fifth
avenue. and in the whole forty-eight
households there are only twelve children.
But, says the Frenchman, il is too much
10 expect of women who are in q con-
tinual whirl Of gayety. who recognize no
duties. and whose sole pleasure consists in
the breakfasts. luncheons. teas. dinners.
balls. theaters, and suppers that are
crowded into their feversh days. that
they should be mothers; then. too. ma
ternity spOils the figure. Unhappy the
child that IS born in such an atmosphere,
most unhappy II that child IS a girl In
baoyhood she is kissed, caressed, fondled,
and spoiled when her gay and frivolous
mother has time for such indulgence. in
childhood she is left TO the care Of nurses
whose worldly point OF view. whose silly
gabble and base standards have a most
unhappy effect upon an impressionable
child's character. When she is a little
older she is put into the hands OF
half baked governesses, parasites, and
sycOphants, who hope to curry favor with
their little charge by allowing her 10
have\ her own sweet will. Later on she
IS placed at fashionable boarding school,
whence she comes when finished a
cd ri
forward TO coming OUT so that she can
begin 10 have ceaseless good time" Ike
mamma. But she has already lost her
illusions, her appetite is jaded. and moth
ing measures up to her idea In her pas
sion for excitement. eternal excitement
and change, she goes mamma one better.
and, blase after a season in New York.
she seeks new worlds to conquer on the
other side Of the pond"
But she soon comes to realize. this lit
lie American heiress, that one does not
amount 70 very much socially in London.
Berlin, Rome, or Vienna unless one has
title, so she seeks out some commercial
and stupid prince or earl or count or
baron even, and announces to papa that
he must buy him for her. And why not
He has bought her thoroughbred horses.
automobiles, yachts, what-not Why
does hesitate. Perhaps he passed his boy
hood hoeing in the garden of some Eng
lish estate. or serving as lackey TO some
fine italian lady and he knows from eX-
perience what titled men sometimes are.
or he may be only a shrewd old Yankee.
who does not think the goods worth the
price. So there is a hitch IN the proceed
ings Mr.. Duke insists, papa resists.
daughter persists, and the whole affair Is
exploited in the newspapers. and there is
nasty scandal, much to the joy of the
foreign grande DANES. who delight to talk
Of those vulgar Americans" and the
chorus girls whom the titled one has
previously Tilted. But 1t is all patched up
in the end. Mr.. Duke gets his money.
papa gets a brainless son-in-law. and
daughter gets her title, and so they are
married ana live unhappiIy ever after
ward: no, mot ever afterward." for lust
as soon as her grace tires of the title and
the sodden creature who wears il, she
goes home TO papa. who spends as much
money to get rid Of the titled one as he
did to acquire him, there is a divorce. a
mass Of horrid details. more newspaper
notoriety, and more talk Of those vulgar
Americans"
Now. what can be expected OF such a base
marriage? There is more right and rea-
son in the union of savages in the forests
What respect can man feel for himself
knowing he was bough,, or woman 70,
the man she buys? The whole affair is
an infamous bargain, out Of which nc
good can come, but, fortunately. such
marriages are rare. so rare that they sci
the tongues Of the whole world awagging
for all Americans do not belong 10 the
fast set in New York and elsewhere. and
it does not necessarily spoil woman to