The Washington herald., 1918-07-12

have received q letter from .
girl who writes:
The young man TO whom have
been engaged for several years Is
now a soldier boy who will soon
sail for France. I want to marry
him before he goes. / want the
honor of bearing his name. / want
the sense of belonging to him. and
of having him belong to me. that
only marriage can give. to comfort
me in his absence.
MY iance refuses to marry me
on. the ground that he may possibly
become one OF the poor. helpless
wrecks Of men that war makes. and
that he would not be willing to in
fiict such a burden upon me. That
is precisely why insist upon being
married before he goes / want the
right of a wife to care for him in
case he Is manned. I am a business
girl, earning a good salary. and
amply able to support him and my
self. IL need be.
what do you think about this?
should soldiers marry or not before
they 60 to the frontT
This Is a question that thousands
of young couples are anxiously de-
batting and the answer is that in all
such cases the wisdom or folly of
matrimony is purely a matter or
money.
There is no reason why a soldier
laddie and his Iassie should not
marry before ne stats forth 10
war, il either he or she has enough
money to support the young wite,
and the child that may be the result
of such a marriage. and to provide
for the man in case hs comes back
home incapacitated for making
living.
One can see how the romance ana
the sentiment Of the SITUATION
makes an all but irresistible appea /,
to young hearts, how they feel enat
no matter what the future mas In
store for them, they have a right 10
ask Of fate this one sweet poon' OF
being together for the last few Gays
before they part, perhaps forever
Whatever the morrow may orlns
they feel that they have right 70
this, their one hour OF love ana oiiss
The man feels that he can go easier
having bound to him the woman ne
loves by the most unbreakable OF an
human ties. The girl feels that tne
wedding ring upon her finger Is
golden talisman that will bring mel
man back safely to her. Also mar.
rage puts her upon the little pedestal
that every community has erected &c
its war brides. 1t gives her a rlgn'
to faunt in public her service mas
with its one glittering star, to openl!
proclaim the pride and anxiety, ano
perhaps, display the grief that tears
at her soul.
II we were all heart and life were
all sentiment, one would unhesitat'
ingly saw to every Sammy and hi
girl get married, II you want to
while you are still strong and beauu'
full, before your splendid young body
is marred by shot and shell and YOU
nerves wracked by the hell Of battle
or the agony of anxious waiting. Per
haps this is the only time love will
ever hold its chalice to your lips. Il
you do not drink 1t now, You vii
never taste its nectar"
But, alas. life is not all sentiment
1t Is mostly grim, hard. cold facts
Every act has far-reaching conse'
ouences and some time we dare no
indulge ourselves in the pleasure oi
the moment because of the price thai
we must pay later on.
Sane people must needs face reali'
ties, take account of possibilities ant
look ahead Of them a bit. They can
not shut their eyes to the fact thai
marriage generally means the found
ing OF a family that will need money
to support 1t, or to the dangers o.
war, a nd the possibility that the mar
who goes forth a splendid young giani
may either be slain or come back a,
helpless as a baby.
This is why 1t is well for the poor
soldier and his sweetheart to wait
until the war is over before they
marry. Marriage in such cases is sim
ply a luxury that they cannot AFFORD
any more than they could afford te
set up q touring car or a yacht.
Marriage will not bring such q
couple any happiness. Indeed, II will
add to their sorrows, and the more
they love the worse IL will be fol
them. 1t will be another turn of the
rack to the poor soldier to think oi
the woman that he loves, alone, sicl
and suffering, and perhaps In want
when she most needs her husbands
care or to feel that he will be a bur.
den laid upon her weak little
shoulders.
The poor little war bride, or, per-
haps war widow, will have her sorrow
and grief doubled II she has two
mouths to feed instead of one, and II
she is held back from doing the things
she could do for her own support by
the clinging fingers Of babe upon
her breast.
1t is true that death. and disaster
know neither wealth nor poverty and
the heart OF the rich bride will break
over that black line in the newspapers
that tells Of her husbands loss, tust
as much as will that Of the pool
young vita uho roadn fha wrfyn = a.