The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-07-08
A Theory
B, GRACE OClEsBY

new IOIluAtlous, anu SUN al aeS 10
always attended by certain amount
81 hysteria. When people leave a
beaten track 10 strike out into new
paths they are liable 10 bewilderment.
ana So when they ind or believe they
have found that they have been intu-
enced 10y false ideas In seizing new
ones they are prone 10 jump from the
frying pan into the fire. More than
this. they are liable 10 Jump from
terra firma into water altogether too
deep for them.
one OF the new departures of the
present day is dissatisfaction with
marriage as We In America have
known il Kent Blakemans father
and mother had lived together com
fortably. bringing up half dozen
children. Kent at twenty-five discov-
cred that they had taken a great risk
in binding themselves so closely to-
gether that there was no easy way for
them 10 break the chain. In their
case fortunately they had not wished
10 break IT, But. as for him, he did
not intend thus 10 tie himself up. He
believed in experimental marriage IL
he married he would reserve the right
10 leave his wife as soon as he ceased
To love her. and she should have the
same privilege with regard To him.
Miss Estelle Woodruff, being about
the same age as Brakeman. also grew
up I'm the same atmosphere of hyster-
La no rH L
ing about the frequency of divorce,
marriage being failure and kindred
subjects. and her mind was very sus-
ceptible to absorb new theories. Blake
man found few women 10 sympathize
with him in his notions about mar
riage-most reforms begin with a
paucity Of numbers-and when he met
Miss Woodruff and made an easy con
vert of her he was much pleased with
her-that Is. he was much pleased
with himself for having struck into a
new path-and considered the girl
above the ordinary in that she hid
appreciated his ideas.
There is IN infinite variety of mental
structure among human beings Blake
man, who married Miss Woodruff, was
of n different brain He kept on de
veloping in his anti-marriage theories,
while she. with the coming of children,
ceased TO take an interest in them and
at last turned against them.
Perhaps il was the discovery that
he had been mistaken i'm his wife's
mental caliber that started him in his
idea that they were not fitted for each
other. Their union had lost its romance
and was becoming humdrum. 1t seem
ed 10 him that the connubial kiss morn
ing and night had lost its zest He had
asserted when bachelor that the hon
eymoon should last always and that
when II had completely waned 1t was
time for the couple TO separate and
each find new mate.
Time came when Brakeman conclud-
ed to "be true to himself" rs he put
1t, and claim the privilege he had re
served for himself when he married
He made several attempts to get his
courage up to Il point where he could
tell his wife that she was not his af-
self from her and make another trial
to find n real and lasting mate At last
he succeeded
Between passing influence in youth
and II woman who had been made over,
SO 10 speak. by the possession OF two
little children-a boy and a girl-there
was an enormous difference. She was
not only surprised by her husbands
announcement; she was thunderstruck
But II she had not developed she
had insensibly come into n lot of
horse sense. TO attempt to argue her
husband out OF his nonsense she knew
would be futile. TO oppose him would
be equally so. Moreover. she remem-
bered that ut the time of her marriage
she had conceded with his views. II
was he who had been consistent, she
who had changed. 1t had been mu
tually agreed that when either wished
for freedom IL should be granted
She held TO her agreement. though
she recognized the outcome us n great
misfortune. But she was plucky as
well as n proud woman and gave no
sign Of what n blow she suffered. The
prenuptial agreement gave the children
if any came-to the mother, and this
was. of course, n godsend TO her She
wondered as she looked back when the
provision was made that she had very
nearly assented to n conditional propo-
sition to divide the children between
husband and wife.
When all preliminary arrangements
had been made Mrs. Brakeman and her
children-the little ones being igno-
! rant of the separation of their parents
took II train for the mothers birth
place. where they expected TO live.
Brakeman saw them off and as the
train was starting kissed them all and
left the car.
lie stood on the platform. looking
after them AS they rolled out OF the
station. and all of sudden great
| light broke In upon his brain. and he
said To himself.
What an addle pated nlnny have
made of myself
Going 10 the ticket office. he bought
ticket for the next train TO follow
| them. and the same night. when the
mother was ruefully hearing the chill.
dren say their prayers. the father
swoopcd down on them like n cyclone