The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-09
THURSDAY, OCTOBER o, 1919.
TRYING TO FORCE HAPPINESS

TRYING TO FORCE HAPPlNESS/I
In these days of unrest and chronic
dissatisfaction it is perfectly natural
that the situation should be reflected
in the divorce courts The fact that
everywhere this year there is a great
increase in the number of applica-
lions for divorce leads to much com
mert OF more or less value The fol-
lowing is from the New York Tr-
bune:
"Out in Chicago, where they have
enough divorces to know something
about the science of happiness and
unhappiness in marriage two much
experienced judges have delivered
their opinions and advice They
agree substantially in backing the
girl who comes from a family lin
moderate circumstances to make the
most successful wife. The daughter
of rich household may make good
wife If properly educated" But the
chances are all against such educa-
ton. Similarly, the poor girl faces
certain handicaps. She is apt to
marry TO escape poverty and she
brings to her job less education and
less interest.
so we reach the dictum that "the
daughter Of a good mother who con
duets her own home and that means
the girl i'm moderate circumstances.
makes the best wife" II is not an in
spring phrase. moderate circum-
stances" 1t has a fatal sound like
that other kill.ioy of color and ex-
citement and the long shot. the gold.
en- mean Not from such, middle of
the road existence comes the severe
test or the big inspiration to point the
way TO vast achievement Imagina.
ton is hard TO grow in a steam heat
ed semi-detached cottage with every
comfort and luxury that can be as
sembled on a fiftyfoot lot
But the Chicago judges were not
speaking of genius, and neither is a
nation Of geniuses what America has
concerned herself about. Geniuses
make bad wives and not necessarily
good citizens. The greatness of
America has come quite as much
from her moderate masses as from
her transcendent leaders. This is a
new sort of national greatness. 1t
can serve very accurately as a defni-
ton OF Americas chief contribution
thus far 70 the wellbeing OF the world
In sum we have created the largest
middle class the world has ever seen.
II Includes the steel worker. the
plumber, the entire skilled labor of
the country Right there is its prime
piffap9fl ffr,f fnn 3
that our soviet friends are so fond nf
sneering az. It's second point OF DIFF.
ference is the quality inherent in our
whole social and economic scheme
of things lit is not fixed group en-
during from generation to generation.
Its membership comes and goes with
the ability of father and son and
daughter. So il is essentially dyna.
mic crowd q s opposed 20 the static.
rather selfsatisfed, extremely con.
servative bourgeois type Of Europe.
In short its members still have the
American potentialities of achieve.
ment and success.
The Chicago Judges are right.
Where you find moderate circum-
stances You find MOI only the best
wives but the best citizens and the
best hope of America
All down through the ages the true
prophets and philosophers have told
the multitude that wealth and luxury
did not lead to happiness but they
have never been able to make most
folks believe. The greater part Of
the herd from the days of the golden
calf right down to date. have per
persistently chased off after the false
prophets who told them that if they
could only get a lot of money every
thing would be perfectly lovely
In the final analysis the only endur-
ing happiness is mental, and the man
or women who is always dissatisfied
and longing for something more or
something different gradually weak
ems into a chronic scold and fault
finder.
The first step toward happiness is
TO learn to be comfortable with what
we can get rather than what we
think we want. There is no political
or socialistic system that will make
the world over or even improve it,
Honesty industry, temperate living
love and JOY and generosity and
patience, kindness and charity, are
the only things that give a person any
considerable degree of happiness and
they are to be had byN anyone Of
sound body and mind if he or she
will earnestly seek them.
In homes where they exist there is
no divorce.