The Washington times., 1923-11-27
4 Delightful Narrative of Domestic
Life by a Popular Magazine
Writer.

m sorry TO miss her." the old
man said, shaking his white head.
II wanted to make my peace with
her before she went. and wish her
Godspeed.'
''Why-what was wrong, padre?
Did she do something to displease
your"
TITS I that did the displeasing,
my boy. She was as cross as two
sticks with me because I'd not
marry her. I couldn't do it twice,
you know, Philip; not with her
first husband still living"
Philip studied the minister's
face, and his brows knit slowly
in troubled frown.
''Too bad you feel that way. I
don't understand. What's wrong
with marrying her again? You
ministers make marriage terribly
difficult proposition for the rest
Of us. SIT down. padre, It's been
too long since we've had q talk.
I'd like to argue this thing out
with YOU"
He gently pushed the minister
into a chair and drew up another
close by. The old man dropped
gratefully into the proffered seat,
his broad felt hat upon his knees.
You know, PADRE" Philip said,
speaking carefully, ''this marriage
business-it's all wrong; it's neither
decent nor reasonable. A man
and woman that are. or think thsy
are. in love with one another, be-
ing at the moment swayed by the
strongest but most changeable of
emotions. stand up before one Of
you representatives Of the church.
and solemnly take an oath to love,
honor and cherish one another UNI
til death do them part. It's not
humanity possible: you can't win to
like thing for the rest Of Your
life: you ask US right off at the
very beginning of our marriages
to swear a lie."
The clergyman smiled benevo-
lently.
MY boy, like other careless. un-
thinking people in attacking the
sacrament of marriage, you speak
only as selfish individual. A
bond dissoluble at will in. the. di-
vorce court is not foundation
upon which civilized society can
endure It is essential that mar
riage should be permanent. To
let men and women live together
for a time and then with legal
sanction separate to form other al
Iiances. is practically to abolish
marriage and to substitute a sys-
tenn of legalized free love-
what of it? Cali it what you
like, Tegalized free love" or mar
riage.' It is what exists all over
the country today. / don't Just
remember what the proportion
is -"
interruption
"One divorce in every nine mar.
riages," said a voice behind them.
Rosemary stood in the doorway If
the house. She came forward with
a smiling welcome for the caller.
''Sit still-sit still. Mr.. Gould;
don't get up. I l1earo voices, so ]
came to Investigate. was read
ing some statistics about divorce
in the paper the other day"
IT remember-remember quite
distinctly" the minister remark
ed. "and It impressed me as q
grave state Of affairs. I read the
article with a heavy heart. In the
States Of Oregon and Washington,
Philip, an investigation showed
that during a six months period,
lately, the ratio was one divorce
in every two marriages! Statistics
published by Mr.. Carroll D. Wright,
Of the Department Of Labor, In
Washington, show that in twenty
years nearly one million persons in
the United States have applied to
the courts for divorce. and that
more than six hundred and fifty
thousand Of these have been
grantedp'
(TO Be Continued TOmOrrOw.)