Pocahontas star herald., 1914-01-16
Yuu and Your wife

dprlng the period Of the engage
ment. II a love that is cultivated
Wnh more or less secrecy can bring
90 much Joy TO the soul. with what
gieNer delight should the lovers
enter upon the period when there
s. no longer necessity for conceal
mnt Of sen,iment-whcu hope
hss beeu supplan,ed by the
knowledge that love has become the
aOinasing motive Of the two hearts
which have common interest.
In placing so much Importance
upon the engagement, however, we
sometimes overlook thi fact th,t, At
the most, the promise to wed is bat
an agreement 20 marry which
rs far from being the
m,nuags it'elt. A, pee.
limlnary TO mAtrimony-lhe most
serious step that man or woman
vii ever be called to take, this
promise should never be made cart :
lessly OF broken lightly, yet it isa
mistake 10 clothe it in such garb
ofsanclitatYas To leave no possibility
for retreat. Eyenloye, blind as it
cficnis, sometimes has its eyes open
81. aud il this awakening comes az
Ter the engagement has been an-
noincid, i l. the duty Of ether to
main,an an agree nent that mly be
rspagnlit 70 one, or bo,h, Of thems
rMarfiage, If II Is to meet its
highest possibilities, must be harmo.
nions and sympathetic union be.
tween two souls, and where such re
lations do not exist the attainment
Of tins idea is hopeless. It is true
that NJ mau should ask a woman to
become his wife until he is certain
that his affection for her is so SIN
oere that It may be expected to last
- long as life itself; bul Il a posi-
live change Of sentiment occurs
while there is yet time TO escape
marital VOWS. It is just as much his
duty to ask TO be released from his
promises. ltis no kindness to a
woman to marry her without loving
her. 1t is no kindness to condemn
her to a hfe that is little better than
Pnrgaiory of heartbreaks and tear.
Better far a torrent Of tears now or
few weeks of hearl-breaking sor-
row than that these conditions
should continue indefinitely with
n prospect OF the suudtring Of the
sic IN tie divorce court alter all.
Instead Of savoring Of the courage
aud nobility supposed to have been
banded doen hom the age OF chiv-
airy, such conduct may be nothing
moie than an exhibition Of cowaidice.
Defoe maintained this idea so
consistently that be blamed lack Of
courage for most of the domestic
discord ia life. II women were
more willing to wait for the coming
Of the right man. or if men we're
possessed Of sufficient courage to
take time 10 test the personal
qualities OF th' wom,a dey desire
20 marrN, or tle o9ml-s 90 wuA-
drag IRON anston chat seems
certain to end Hnhppiiy, he world
wonld witness fewer cases OF do-
meshc bankruptcy. "she is aleays
married too soon who gets a bad
husband" f" he said, "and she is new
er married too late who gets a good
one
There Is so much glamour about
The conrtship days-especially when
oneis being loved for the first time
that il is difficult for either of the
lovers to view themselves and their
sentiments calmly. Under the in
huence Of the witchery which
love casts over everyth in &,
each N very apt to regard the other
rs one who is about as near an ap-
proach TO perfection as it's pos
si6le for human being to be.
Tell a youth who is in love that the
object Of his affection has faults
that are similar to those which
other women display and he will
- -. all tba maid that her