Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-16

A CASE has recently arisen in which
"A Philadelphia wool merchant took thu
wife Of another man to Japan and from
there toured with the recalcitrant lady tC
Australia, ito be-" as he declared in an
snraptured letter. together In the most
perfect love and harmony until God sep
arates us" His affection for the partici-
pant in the elopement was enthusias-
tically described by him as "a love that
enriehes that ennobles. that makes life
worth living and makes a man think Of
other things in life"
The woman who has sufloient courage
70 break the bonds OF matrimony, to face
the censure Of public opinion, take the
bic between her teeth and hguratlvely
and literally bolt from the scene of do
nestle bliss has one quality at least that
must be accorded her, and that is cour-
age For every woman knows perfectly
well that social ostracsm Is quite certain
to follow her act and good many other
things as we'll, which are more or less un-
pleasant. and which, apart from tho
moral aspect Of the case, are going TO
give her pretty bad time in those
auieter moments when head tnce more
has a little predominance over heart, and
when the nrst wild tide OF excitement has
ebbed.
In this particular instance, the defend
ant, who vowed that he would live with |
his "soulmate" in the most perfect love |
and harmony until the Almighty should |
see At to separate them, returned to
America leaving his ''soulmate" some
where in Asia or Europe. why bring
the Almighty into the matter at all?
That Is the curious part OF these unhal-
lowed passions. The participants always
wish to cover up their own melancholy
mistakes with cloak Of sanctity a spe-
cial type Of religious glamour as 1t were,
which really deceives no one, least Of all
themselves.
The married woman who allows herself
70 become unduly interested in any man
other than her own husband Is surely
courting disaster. am convinced, how
ever. that those unfortunate affairs, with
which the papers are daily filled. are the
result Of idleness more than the result
of ungovernable passion. The excitement
of the forbidden has a strange attraction
for many women, particularly those OF
the neurotic type. II is generally the
lelsured woman. by the way, who falls
into that sort Of affair. The wife who
has lots OF work TO do has not time for
intrigue.
!, A regular passion for intrigue is lead q
ng characteristic OF some women. They
owe to run the risk OF placing themselves !
n compromising situations, they love to t
iabbie In mild love affairs. they are c
never happy unless they are sailing on
he treacherous waters OF a forbidden +
owe affair. The old Eve is very strong
n every woman and curiosity Is the great 4
actor in the plucking of the apples. Eve Il
wasn't a bad woman. Neither are the a
women who figure in these unfortunate q
lopements really bad at heart They o
ont mean to be immoral, they don't
ellberately wish to do anything wicked
hey are only bored, or curious. or
eurotic, or mlsgulded-generally q ju- c
Ielous mlnglins Of all four, Their pun. I,
ihment is none the less easy for that, y
owever. The outer world doesn't take ~
iuch heed OF motives and Intentions; It
idges by aotsl And the married woman u
Tho elopes with another man is a social "a "a
ariah. b,
Situations of the sort quoted here are bI
rought about in the first instance -.
u'esH inc passion some women have be