The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-11-06
A MATRIMONIAL
THEORIST
His Theories Did Not Work
In Practice
By ESTHER VANDEvEER


ing marriage there are, those whose
faith In 1t cannot be shaken. They are
persons who have been happily mar
ried and about whom children have
whole world. They are not interested
In any one Of the plans which are in
vented for experimental marriage or
easy divorce. To them the loss Of a
single child is an irreparable misfor-
tune, and to the family as whole the
loss of either parent is the greatest ca
lamity that can befall them.
1t Is either those whose married life
has been q failure or those who have
never been married at all who are seek
ing substitutes for the wedlock Of the
present day. The former usually take
the initiative by advancing new ideas
concerning It; the latter. with a few
exceptions. are ready to jump into mat
rimony without consideration.
Among young unmarried persons in
clined to forethought in this matter
were Edward Ellis and Rebecca Sayles.
Neither was disposed to take life, its
joys and its sorrows as they came,
but must plan everything ahead. Being
mutually interested in many problems
that their elders have found insoluble.
they were drawn together by their dis
cuSSions, and an attachment sprang up
between them. Ellis weighed bachelor
life against married life and found the
advantages and disadvantages Of equal
weight. On the one side there was
something to tie to, on the other lone
illness that increased with old age. He
granted that il a marriage turned out
happily the advantages outweighed the
disadvantages. If it was q failure 1t
was unbearable.
This view of it led Ellis just where 1t
has led host of other thinkers on the
subiect-frst. to guard against injudi.
cious marriages; second, to render them
easily dissolved when the parties found
themselves not mated. He spent q
great deal Of time on both these prob
lens and at last solved them to his SAT-
isfaction. No couple. he said. should he
married without living for at least a
year in close proximity with each 9th
err; no couple should be married with.
out prenuptial agreement that ut tie
option of either they should live apart
and both assist in securing divorce.
Miss Sayles. whose views on the sub
ject of marriage had been influenced
by the matrimonial troubles Of an
aunt rather than mental bent toward
the discussion of abstruse problems,
agreed with Mr.. Ellis as to the pre-
cautions. but was lat sea" with regard
to the remedy. She shrank from the
breaking up Of a famiy-somethlng n
woman would be more likely to feel
than man since the maternal is
stronger than the paternal instinct. She
failed to see how the damage once
done could be remedied Anyway, it
would leave q terrible scar.
However. IL Ellis did not convert her
to his views as to separation, provided
marriage proved q failure, he finally
persuaded her to consent to his pre-
nuptial agreement. He was perfectly
satisfied with this. because she was a
girl who would never go back on her
promise. They lived near each other.
met frequently and by mutual agree.
ment RETAINED from trying to convince
each other that they were far better
than they appeared. At least they
tried to appear what they were. but
whether they succeeded or not is IN
open question.
AT the end of n year Of such inter
course they were married Ellis pre-
natal agreement us TO separation In
case their marriage proved II failure
was put in writing. He gave his bride
Il copy and kept n copy for himself.
The Elliscs lived together ten years
without any more matrimonial dis
agreements than the average married
couple. During that period four chill
dren came to them. two boys and two
girls Ellis remained in accord with
those cynical 1.ngs ut marriage which
have been so popular Of recent years
When he went to the thcatcr and heard
an actor crack jokes illustrative of
what II husband must endure he would
applaud vociferously. He read novel
on the theme of domestic unhappincSS
and recommended it to n friend. The
friend handed it back with the com.
ment that neither he nor the world was
interested In the subject treated. add
| ing that what was wanted We're stories
Of married comfort and family affec.
ton. Ellis looked upon the critic ever
after as Il man of very narrow mental
compass.
Twelve years after the marriage OF
| Ellis and Miss Saylcs he one day hand.
ed her his copy Of their prenuptial
agreement to n separation I'm case their
marriage proved failure Ii gave Der
the surprise of her life She had lis
tened to his jokes about what hus.
bands must endure. but considered that
they sprang from n. desire to be face
tious. She was aware Of what the wife
must endure. hut during the term of
years she had been married her good
sense had prevailed over the theories
Of inexperienced youth. and she had
come to consider them on the same
footing as other necessary evils and
that for the sake of both parents and
children they must he passed over
with No Iittlo dictu rim moo nc ,o.yiI,Ia