Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-12-14
LOVE NOT ENOUGH
MONEY CALLED POWERFUL AID
TO HAPPY MARRIAGE.
Writer % Opinion That the French
system Of Providing Wives With
DowrIes Has Much to Rec
ommend II.


It Is said that because of the scar
city Of money In France the dot system
is slowly dying out. The American
parent has ever laughed to scorn the
venerable French custom of supplying
the bride with dowry TO bring to her
husband on her wedding day. A dot
less maiden Ia French countries re-
mains single. In many parts of upper
Canada this Is still true, and have
known American girls who married
into French families In Montreal and
Quebec to secure substantial dot
from their parents before taking the
matrimonial leap. Otherwise their
standing with the people who are TO
be their future friends Is decidedly
Insecure. writer IN the Philadelphia
Ledger says.
All Of which proves that the French
people. with their usual intuItive quick
ness, realize what Americans hesitate
to acknowledge-that money Is pow
erful aid to a happy marriage. An
American girl Is not expected to bring
her husband q dowry; but let me see
the bridegroom who refuses a fsf
check from dad II he ttrusts 1t upon
the bi--hing pair.
DO not mean to say that the mod
ern man and maid nuke It practice
to get all out OF father that they can;
because, even II there were no father
aud the girl happened "a be one Of the
working class whose dot depends en-
tirely npon .her slender savings, they
would stlll marry, and perhaps belhap-
py forever after.
But II John can't feather his little
nest with sheraton furniture and vary
his daily bread with plenty OF cake, ii
won't do any harm to let him remain
in single bleescdness until he can,
The French put a money value on
marriage. They fall In love after their
RESPECTIVE parents have arranged the
match. The young people begin TO call
each other by their first names after
they are husband and wife. l remem-
Der staying with French family sew
eral years ago. The head OF the house
was scandallzed BY the familiarity
with which the American girls and
men called each Other By their first
names.
We are pleased 20. cali our American
marriage SYSTEM marriage for love.
And probably II ~. But the appalling
numbsr OF divorces In the Unltea
States Is hn awful reflection on tha
eoustnpcy Of American lovers Tho
Nentlmensal may sentimeutaiixe and
th6 SOD nisters sslh. but IL ms nalIid
marriage for love alone, with no WISH
bic means Of support Is as hopeless
as Don Qulxote fighting the wlnduiiIls
One might as well attempt 10 swim
Niagara Falls. for the continuous
strain Of making ends meet Is as re-
lentless as the tons OF water rushing
over the cataract.
The happiness Of French marriages
IL wen known. The dot system works
out admirably. Girls whose dots are
large get husbands in their own class,
those who have no dots get to work
and earn them. And Jacques sits back
nonchnlantly and twirls his rnustache
until the lady Of his heart makes what
he constders a dowry suitable % his
| place In society. This sounds SNUG
and self-satisfed, and so it Is; but such
Ii the custom Of the country. The end
| justifies the means; the French bour-
geolsie are the happiest people on the
face Of the earth.
Money makes the mare co. espe-
cially the matrimonial mare. She gal
lops when the drivers pockets Jingle,
but her tread IL slow aud dragging
when love alone points the way.
wonder II the abolition OF the dot sys-
tenn viii accomplish its object? WIN
France be any more popuIous because
marriage be easler7 doubt It.