MARRIED LIFE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 53, 26 November 1919, Page 4

MARRIED LIFE

ELIMINATION U UN HAPPINESS. No one can fail to bo struck nowadays by tho great number ol uiuKippy luaznages, tho results of which am continually beforo Us, says an exchange. The moralist may iiavo much to say on this subject, but tho artist ami the lover of beauty will feci tho greater "'effrafc. , , • ,1. i A happy married coupio is tho centre of <v happy oroup of people. 1 hoy might bo said to bo gardeners entrusted with a plot of ground, which is beautified by the smiles of friends' and the love of children. When a marriage is dissolved there is one beautiful garden less in the world. iJJvery coupio scU out with hopo iu their hearts and the full intention of making their marriage a success. If thoir high hopes .fail, it is cold comfort to toll tliem tlicy are selfish or immoral, or to suggest that, like the Spartan boy, they must hide their trouble rather than disturb a complacent and hypocritical world with the knowledge of their unhappincss. Kather let coinoliconcr and hypocrisy bo shattered, and let cold facts obtrude themselves, so that the wise _ brains of the world may be driven into doing somo hard thinking! Then, peril, apt, a solution may be found to this deeply important problem.. This will' not be helped by giving so jiiucli publicity to divorce wises. It would bo better to copy the wisdom of tho. Dutch in this respect. In Holland an unhappily mated couple go. to a 'fatherly judgo and ask him to dissolve the marriage. He answers "Come back in six mouths, my children, and tell me again' tho same stoiy." When tlio judge is finally satisfied that a divoroo is inevitable, ho grants it, and tho fact is not even referred to in the Press. 11l Kngland wo are too fond of overemphasising all questions 'relating to sex. Wo need a better sense of proportion in these matters.As every boy and girls is a potential husband or wife, why not let tliem have the knowledge that tho painful years have taught others, and thus, help tliem to make a success of their marriage when tho time comes. Point out that though marriago is an enchanting relationship, it is yot quite, quite human, and that if the enchantment is to linger, they must learn' the craft of making somcono else happy, <i craft that neeiis da much skill as being a successful engineer—or a lioyal Academician. Our young idealists seem to think an unseen orehostr-a will always be a wedding march, ind that even n -mOO a year it will bo possibles to drink nectar from golden chalices. They al6o suggest that in marrying they have done something so uniquo and miraculous that, the sun, moon, and stars will feel honoured by being asked to dino with them. All these ideas are gleaned from exotic poems and moving operas,' and tho (jdor people who havo learnt to be content with the knowledge that the absence of pain is pleasure, enter into a conspiracy of silence, and even encourage exaggerated hopes. ' Some of us are already aware of a significant though, at present, formless movement around us. Some new phase of life and conduct seems to be on the verge of manifesting itstff. May it not "be that out of this wc shall obtain ve* construction and readjustment even 111 tho sphere of marriage? Lot us endeavour to direct tho now lorco with wisdom, for we shall not bo able to suppress it with silence and ignorance.