Year: 1878

The manner in which marriage is re.


garded by the other than the CONTRACTING 9


parties, depends very much on the mum.


Der OF times that il has been perpetrated
Although nothing is more entirely and
exclusively ones own affair than mar.


risge, it is usually the thing about which


ones acquaintance and neighbor's busy


themselves most. In fact no man or
woman, whatever his or her reputation
| for sound judgment and discretion. is
supposed TO be quite capable OF determin
ing who he or she ought to wed This
/ important question, mainly concerning
themselves alone, should be left, accord.
ing TO public opinion, to a self elected
sanhedrim Of promiscuous councillors,
who, however foolish or reckless they
may have been respecting their own
marriage are presumed to be particularly
sagacious as to the marriage of others
Indeed, the circumstances of their own
matrimonial failure is thought to empow-
err If not to authorize, them to direct
their friends in the right course They
have learned wisdom by experiences;
they can tell their associates Just what to
accept, and. equally important. Just what
to avoid. Having suffered disastrous de-
leat they are enabled to win any mum
Der of vicarious victories


First marriages, when there is no
strong objection to them, are apt to be
looked on without any special prejudice,
and the announcement OF their early
occurrence is commonly a welcome bit Of
intelligence. Our relatives. our friends,
our enemies, accept our approaching
doom with complacency, il not with un-
disguised approval. They may have.
they are very likely to have, their criti-
- LII


nevertheless, they are prone to be re
signed to our happiness or unhappiness,
as the result may prove. On the whole,
we got off easy. Barring vast amount
Of miscellaneous. unsought, and often
impertinent advice, we are graciously
permitted to obey our proper inclinations
with very little hindrance.


Second marriages are different They
encounter more friction. more oppo-i
tion, more misunderstanding than the
first; the general impression seeming to
be that one connubial experience dis
qualities the majority of persons Tor its
repetition. A number OF people who
appear to think first marriag,. natural
aud commrndable, consider second
marriage unnatural and, in some sort.
rppr-hrnsible They say that neither
m IN nor woman has right to connubial
iteration, though why h. or she should
not have il they never make quite clear
rh. cause 1T this biaS is really ~entimen
tai They have extremely romantic no
tons, wholly unwarrantrd by experience.
reason, or knowl-dsr of human nature.
aud one Of their notions j. that we'll
regulated persons love only once. and
th e any assumption of another love. j.
hollow, the passion counterfeit. the ohiect
hy haN
mists. and. being such, have no sympathy
with widows or widowers. When they
are told that the heart is never so likel, |
to form a new attachment as when it j. |
suffering from the memory Of an old one
they scout the sentiment. call it cover
cynicism, aud pronounce il a shallow
pretext ior disloyalty. They will not b..
reconciled to the ways of Nature; they
insist that their sentimental theorie-
shall be answered, albeit these are base
less and utterly fantastic


And when persons enter for any rea
son, upon a third matrimonial venture.
they are, in a certain sense, outlawed
II is ordinarily held that there cannot be
any justification for such excess of coniu
gal enterprises. and that the execution
Of it borders upon guilt Even those who
have been thrice welded are by no
means certain to be patient or tolerant
of third marriages in external instances
There were peculiar circumstances in
their case-of course there were-which
rendered their tertiary commission OF
wedlock entirely excusable and such a
combination Of circumstances could


hardly have happened again. ii may
possibly; but they have never heard OF
II. and must beg leave to doubt it, Peo-
pie who advocate second marriages with
energy and fervor rarely admit the pro.
priety of third marriages. Three times,
they asservate is just one time too often
| They would defn man as an animal who
/ inclined TO matrimony, and may be twice


a husband. Brute is a creature opposed


to the established order of things, that


has the hardihOod and effrontery to be


thrice married: The most unfortunate


thing, however, for the thrice married is


the endless ridicule to which it exposes


them. They may endure any degree Of


misrepresentation, SANDER, or otjurga-