El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-04
Should Know Each Other
HeridIty and Health are Important
Things TO Inquire Into When
Seeking Life Partners.
Yrs. John Hays Hammond.
4 a prophyIaxis to the affinity

a prOphylaxis to the affinity
n sort Of tragedy in married life I
would recommend that married
people make it an obligation to learn
thoroughly to know each other and to
develop a community of interest. that
each day their lives may be more per-
fectIy blended In matters of mar
riage, as in that of health, prevention
is of far more value than surgery.
It is to my mind most essential that
man and wife should respect cach OIn-
er's individuality. that each should rec
OgniZe in. the other privacy of soul
which should never be intruded upon
In the average marriage too fire.
qUently money OF social pOsitit Is the
chief consideration Male WcakiingS,
stOOpshOuldered and flatchested girls,
unable TO carry on the ordinary battles
of earning a livelihood, are ordinarily
considered fit for marriage and parent
hood. There are too many cases OF a
man marrying weak girl because the
pity which she aroused in him ripCnS
into love. or OF a giIS marrying a man
Of Incorporate and immoral habits to
reform him. Thanks to the new
science Of eugenics and to the contrib
utions Of biology, we are coming 10
know that it is far more important to
inquire into the heredity and health OF
a prospective husband or wife than 1t
is to reckon the money in his purse or
the amount Of her dover
Expression Of Sex.
All that is great and beautiful in the
living world is an expression Of sex
phenomena. It is natures way that
each new life shall be born from the
fusion of two half lives In order that
the union of these half lives shall be
brought about, flowers put on gorgeous
cOlOrs, load the air with delicate per-
fume and fill their cup with sweet nee
tar; birds sing their most Iapturous
songs and deck themselves out in bril-
liant plumage- From the love Of the
mother in the primitive family there has
gradually evolved human sympathy and
a love that reaches to all mankind.
We should teach our children to look
forward to permanent marriage, TO
value its enduring mutual condolences
and its far reaching tempering of our
best selves Caution them that in the
most successful marriages there Will
be that little barren spot Of nnaladjust-
ment which must be made into a gar
Den and covered over with the flowers
Of forgiveness, unsedfishness, toleraneel
and reverence r.-- L--
Too often the end sought Is a bril-
liant social match-and a marriage OF
convenience-rather than the blending
of two lives for individual and racial
fruition. The diamond engagement
ring is more a consideration than the.
moral endowment Of the lover, and
more concern is felt about where the
! ing was - .ie.sSu I-io4t
genitOrs of the man who is to be the
father of the coming family
Dreams of n Home.
Marriage is so solemn, with results
which will end only in eternity, that
there should be special education Of
preparation for the bride and groom.
Instead of an elaborate rousseau, en-
failing exhaustion from shopping and
dress fittings, instead Of parties that
further tax her physical strength, the
bride should spend weeks IN gladstone
contemplation, not of a brilliant we'd
ding. but of the sweet little home with
its duties, where love is shut in and
strife shut out.
CThis is one OF the regular features
of The FL PasO Hernld.b