The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-28
Be Polite, Is AdUiSed
BY Mencken as Key
to Happy Marriages
Reputed Woman Halter on
Honeymoon; Can See No
Reason for Changing Any
of His Views.
BY HERBERT LITTLE
United Press STAFF Correspondent
(Cnnvripht 1Q2n hn limited RresrN


BALTIMORE, Md, Aug. 2S.-
Henry L. Mencken, editor and for
many years regarded as a woman
hater" because of his TRADES on
marriage, was embarked today on a
honeymoon.
He had welded Miss Sara Powell
Haardt, Montgomery (Ala0 writer,
6. week before the scheduled date,
after leaving to adorn the records of
Mencken literature a credo which
declared that getting married, like
getting hanged, probably is a great
deal less dreadful than it has been
made out"
He had written to the United
Press, in answer to a frank cate
chisln, equally frank answers which
showed he blieved the slogan "be
polite is the keystone for happy
married life, just as it is "the best
rule for all human relations.
Married by Old Friend
His revelations we're given only
short time before he was married
by the Rev. DR.. Herbert Parrish, an
old friend, of New Brunswick, N. j.,
Wednesday in the Episcopal Church
of St. Stephen, The Martyr, with
the formal Episcopal marriage serv-
ice.
Only immediate friends were at
the wedding of the author, who had
been known throughout the country
as the most confirmed Of confirmed
bachelors.
The questions propounded by the
United Press and the replies Men
cken gave in writing only little
while before the sudden announce
ment of his advanced wedding fol-
low:
Q-Will your wife drop her pres
ent name, assuming yours? Will
this extend to her future writings?
Not Lucy StOner
A-The bride-elect halls from the
Confederate states and will thus
use my name. Try to imagine a
southern woman busting out as a
Lucy Stoner.
Q-Have you or Miss Haardt de-
cided whether the land obey" is to
be stricken from the usual ritual?
A-There is no promise to obey
in the Anglican marriage service.
Your question reveals a profound
Ignorance of Canon law.
Have you any of the traditioal
huster of a bridegroom-to-be?
Al discern no tremors. Getting
married, like getting hanged, is
probably great deal less dreadful
than it has been made out.
Q-After years of bachelorhood,
how did you know you were enough
in love to contemplate and invite
marriage?
Al can only say it was intuition.
The Holy Spirit informed and in
spired me. Like all other infidels,
1 am very superstitiouS and always
follow lunches. This one seemed to
be superb one.
Approves of HOneymOOns
Q-Will you 60 on a so-called
honeymoon? What do you think of
that institution?
Al have no objections to honey
moons, nor to church weddings, nor
to wearing plug hat. In all mat
tiers of manner am, and always
have beer, a strict conformist. MY
dissentS are from ideas, not from
decorums.
Q-Who is furnishing the new
house? Is it an apartment or
separate house with yard?
A-The new home in Baltimore
is an apartment 1t is on the third
floor of a somewhat oldish house.
1t faces park in front and a
charming yard in the rear. No
street car passes the door. From
the front windows one sees the
monument to George Washington,
the first land last) American
gentleman. The apartment has
been furnished by the bride-elect,
who has excellent taste in such
matters.
Be Polite, Is Best Rule
Q-W1o will manage your home?
Any new home will be man
aged and operated by my wife, as
my old one has been managed and
operated-and very competently-
by my sister and before that by my
mother.
Q-Can you state any code, or
part of a code of conduct to govern
married life so as to avoid the
clashes which lead rather frequently
nowadays to separations and
divorces?
At seems to me that the best
rule for marriage is the best rule
for all human relations: Be polite.
am marrying one Of the politest of
women, and she is getting a hus-
band whose politenesS has the high
polish of a mirror.