Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-09-15
4 DISEASE A,o ITS CURE.

space and the long series Of events
which inevitably and always precede
this deplorable end. Somewhere in the
life OF tine drunkard who goes down
to his grave il disgrace and dishonor
he took the first drink. Somewhere In
the course OF the man or woman who
dies of tubercu!a- affliction the deadly
germ enters upon its career Of tissue
distinctions Somewhere along the
pathway Of people who appear In d.
vorce courts asking for the severance
Of bonds that should be holy there has
been something injected which ought
to have been left out and something
left out which should have been made
q vital part of the training of the child
This failure is largely. II not wholly. In
the home and the schools and churche.
and al 1.-The other agencies Of society
have failed to supply it. No more ex-
pressive term descriptive of this thing
that has been left out Of the lives OF
these young people can be found than
plain common sense"
There has been no training for life.
The. daily routine has had in it as an
ever dominant note, pleasure. The
parks. the picture shows, the vaude-
vile. the pool halls, the saloons. the
dance pav!!!cns, the summer resorts,
the companionship of idlers, auto rides
and the thousand and one avenues Of
diversion have simply submerged the
home life and monopolized the time Of
the young folks that should have been
devoted to training for the serious but
really pleasurable duties Of home max
ing and home life. In moderation most
Of the avenues Of pleasure seeking are
sound and healthful. But when the
parks become merely rendezvous for
gum chewing kids to meet and make
puppy love. when the dance halls be-
come the center Of main endeavor on
the part Of young people and whom
these mere diversions monopolize the
attention Of young people to the ex-
clusion Of home duties and home max
ing and forgetfulness Of home ties. the
crop to be harvested in the divorce
courts is bound to be- large. The
excessive use Of all these diversions 10
doing for the American home what
whisky and modern civilization have
done for the noble red men. Our homes
are submerged and their affairs thrown
down In the mad rush for pleasure
and the divorce courts.
This process relegates marriage to
the category Of pastimes. 1t becomes
no longer q sacred contract but an i'm
pulse Of the moment. Enraptured
with the music Of the dance hall. the
pleasure seekers get married more with
the hope Of continuing the perpetual
round OF pleasure than with any idea
Of the founding and building Of .
home. The drudgery Of the homo with
. preliminary training Of this charac-
ter is very soon a burden and children
are an abomination. They interfere
with the program Of pleasure hunting.
Quarrels- follow. the demon Of anger
IL fed and famed by suspicion. Affini-
ties are sought and consulted. Motives
are questioned and frequently misin-
tsrpreted. Effort IL directed toward
the accsntuation Of differences rather
than toward their elimination. Then
. lswysr II consulted ana the newt
able petition for divorce follows. Very
rarely are these cases contested. Both
parties are usually glad to break
away" The only regrettable thing
about the matter on the part Of the
parties in interest IL the publicity ana
this 10 no longer 80 bad" because
there are 80 many in the boat and the
old stigma is 50 divided that It II no
longer much Of q burden and bids fair
to soon become a badge to be worn
with pride Civilization brings bless
inss and it brings opportunities for
dissipation which 1t appears an ever
Increasing number Of people are I'M
able to Withstand.
What Is the remedy? The remedy IL
proper training for real life. The pleas
ures Of the homo may b made such
that beside them the glitter OF the
street and the glamour Of the show
will pail the senses and drive to the
homo ~ a haven Of refuge In time Of
storm. There are pleasures in the
home. there are pleasures In the do
ing Of daily tasks unheard Of ana UNI
known anywhere else on earth. These
must be searched out ana interpreted.
The spirit Of the homo must b re-
vivod and made dominant in the lives
Of fathers and mothers and then 1t
wiz Become. ~ IA the children. Per-
sons from homes whore this spirit pre-
walls are seldom or never found seek
Ing q divorce. Up at Logan. Rev. Lyles
Of the Methodist church Il striking .
blow at tho divorce evil by organising
classes in cooking in his Sunday school,
He rightly conAsads that II interest can
be stimulated n the hcmely duties Of
life that the well springs Of dyspepsia
ana the divorce svil will die thru ab-
ssncss OF raw material ON which 70.
work. The doctor IL right. He 70 hit
ting key note. The time should como
when applicants for marriage licenses
SHOULD show on Tie part OF young msin