Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 9, Number 35, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 1 March 1879 — Page 1

Vol. 9.— No 35,

THE MAIL

A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE.

SECOND EDITION.

Town-Talk.

EXIT BALLS—ENTER PRATER BOOKS.

There is some Bense and a good deal of nonsense about Lent. It is sensible, as all must admit who believe in tbe teachings of Christianity, to pausq in tbe rush and drive of secular business and pleasures, and giro unusual attention to spiritual affairs. It is arrant nonsense, on tbe other band, to attempt to crowd into forty days of spring time all the religion of the year, and this is what fashionable society attempts to do. It runs the rounds of balls, parties and other gayetiee of fashionable life up to the first hour of Ash Wednesday, and, lest there should be some unnecessary sacrifice, often prolongs the fun and frolic an hour or two into Ash Wednesday. Then suddenly all hands become very religious. White kids are pnlled off, party dresses are laid by— sometimes with a sense of raliet and often with a sigh—necks, busts and arms disappear from sight, plain dresses, that conceal charms which have by their familiarity erased to be ch^runs, are brought oat, velvet-bound prayer books take the place of order of dances, oysters, ti^h »nd eggs take the placa of beef and pjrk, the men go about their business, and the women, having nothing else to do, go to church. This continues forty days, and then low necks, short sleeves, trails, etc., etc., for three hundred and twenty-five days again. And this is called religion—brt it isn't.

LENT AS A SANITARY MEASURE

Is doubtless beneficial. In fact it is doubtful if the incessant demands ef society, especially in the larfcar cities, could be endured did not Lent cail a halt. Dancing, late hours, midnight stuffing with salads,ices and confections, washed down with coffee or wines, tell fearfully upon the system, and the poor, jaded and abused body sadly needs a rest. By all means iet it have its rest, but do not call this resting religion. By all means let the fellow who is on a spree sober off, but there is not much religion iu sobering off to avoid the delirium tremens, especially if tbe fellow intends to go on another binder as soon as be thiuks it will do. But society gets on a "tear," and then swenr* if for forty days, and oalls this religic n—but it isn't.

To pray instead of dancing because FASHION SAYS TRAY is not religion. To eat oysters "in every style" instead of boned turkey because Fashion says, "To your oysters," is not religion. To pull up dresses so as to cover maternal fonts instead of trailing them on the floor, because Fanhion says, "Be decent," is not religion. To go to church instead of the theatre, because Fashion says, "It is time for churcb," isn't religion. T. T. has not read his Bible as much as some, and may be mistaken, but he never found anything id the account of the Master's forty days fisting that led him to suppose that tbe Master was tired out with fnn and frolic when he was driven into the wilderness, or that in feasting he Htuffed himself with one sort of food instead of another, or that at the end of the fast he gave a wboop-whoop-burrah and sailed in for another jolly good time. Yet this is what Society does and calls it imitating Christ—but it isn't. No greater

CARICATURE OK CHRTSIANITY

ever cursed this world than a fashionably kept Lent, and the great evil of It Is that many unthinking people are thereby led to regard themselves religious when their religion is merely another form of worldliness and„sensuality, and the young are trained.up in this mistaken notion of religion.

T. T. ITKMBVRS IN WENT,

but not in tbe fashionable form. If one chooses to live on a diet of eggs, fish and oysters, T. T. not only has no objection, but can readily see how such a diet might be made a continual reminder of tbe true purposes of Lent. Bat T. T. protests against permitting any mere form to take the place of sober, earnest, -useful living. If Lent helps do this—as a properly kept Lent may, and often does—then T. T. goes in for It with

heart and soul—and pencil. He believea that a greater multiplying of good works, visiting the poor and tbe sick, feeding the hungry and helping clothe the destitute, and cheering the disheartened, would make Lent more profitable than it often is. Fasting is all right, but feeding the hungry is better. Unusual sobriety is all right, but making others happier is better. Forty days of well doing is well, but three hundred and sixty-five days is a full nine times better by actual count. And if people would only get the genuine article of religion, and keep it

abDUt

them all the

year, they might feel less In need of an extra amount in the spring. And yetT. T. readily admits that even the most devout, earnest and consistent christian, one given all the year to good deeds and good words may find Lent a great help to^the true religious life. And T. T. would sooner lose his right hand thau create a smile or a sneer at the expense of such an observer of Lent. Bat T. T. believes that in holding up the fashionably kept Lent to ridicule, be is doing a valuable service to real and genuine Christianity and to true christians. It is not Christian to lead a frivolous, useless, or positively harmful life ten months and two-thirds, and attempt to make up for it by crowding one month and a third with so-called religious exercises. T. T. has a notion that Christianity is intended to help men and women to be better, purer and kinder in thought and deed, lift them toward an ideal manhood and womanhood, and he believes that Lent, properly regarded and kept, may help toward this high aim, and he also believes that Lent, as very often regarded aud kept, destroytbis aim and make*

Christianity

a fails

ure. He goes for both kinds of Lent He goes for the first to keep it, and he goes for the last to destroy it.

A Woman's Opinions,

DIVORCE.

The great increase in the rate per cent of divorces has led to much serious thought in regard to our divorce laws, whether they be too lax and afford too easy opportunities for the severance of the marriage rows. But behind all this arises another question: Do more people at the present day tire of the marriage relation and long to be free, than in tbe olden time, or did this discontent always exist? This would be a hard question to answer. No doubt, in all ages, married people have found out, as tbe years passed by, that they have committed a dreadful mistake, and one which they longed to repair, but, in past ages, so great was the ignominy attached to divorce, that they would bear their troubles in silence rather than incur the disgrace of a separation, yet perhaps this very knowledge that the step, once taken, could never be recalled, caused people to be more careful about marrying in baste. They realized that it was for better or worse during a whole lifetime, and entered into tbe contract with forethought and deliberation. But human nature, with its different sentiments, emotions and passions, is ever the same. In the last century, just as in this, young people fell blindly and unreasonably in love and crowned their folly by an imprudent marriage then, as now, the worship of Mammon brought its idolaters to the altar of Hymen marriages did not originate in Heaven a hundred years ago a bit more frequently than they do to-day and, in coasequence of all these inharmonious causes, the results were just as likely to be discordant in the case of our ancestors as in our own.

But in those days, ^hen the conviction forced itself upon husband and wife that they were mis-mated and could never hope to live happily together. they went on just the same, inwardly rebelling, outwardly protesting, wearing tbe chains that grew more gailing day by day, bearing children in wedlock but not in love, and bringing them up in an atmosphere of ooldness nnd estrangement and dissension and I do not know that the world is any better for all this. I have heard so many old ladies talk about these things, dear old grandmothers, whose silver hair and wrinkled features bore impress of many a winter's frosts and snows and now with calm serenity they sat waiting for tbe final sacrament. "I was married before I was sixteen," said one, "and my husband took me far away from all my family. I soon found he had an uncontrollable temper which was likely to burst forth at any time. He was almost a manlao on such occasions, and did not hesitate to make me feel the weight of his hand. I lived like a slave In constant fear. At last I went heme and told my father all about it, and offered to serve him faithfully all my life if he would only let me come home. He had always been an indnlgent father, but now he said be was sorry-I was so unhappy, but that I had made my choice and must abide by it—tbat he could not have his family disgraced by my leaving my husband." go she went back and lived with him forty years and bad ten children, and,

utidsit

FRANCIS MURPHY was born in Wexford, Ireland, in April, 1336. At tbe early age of sixteen he embarked for America, landing in New York after a long and unpleasant voyage. Remaining there a short time, much of which was spent in dissipation, he started for Quebec. Meeting with failure there in every attempt to procure business, be managed to get to Montreal, where he obtained work in a hotel, remaining there for some time. His intemperate habits finally cost him his situation, and he again returned to New York, where he got employment on a farm. Soon he went into tbe interior of the State, practiced sobriety, and, before he was nineteen years of age, became the husband of a noble girl. Six years glided by peacefully in his rural home, wijen he was visited by one of his brothers, who induced' him to go to Portland, Maine, and there he commenced keeping hotel. This business

during all tbat time, never knew a happy day. Another beautiful old lady told me that after she had been married a short time, she discovered that her husband was intemperate, of an insanely jealous disposition, and so penurious tbat he refused her tbe necessities of life. After her first child was born his abuse became so great that she went to her father and begged to stay with him.

He pictured to her tbe awful disgrace of leaving ber husband, told her that she would have to lead a life of seel-Man and would be shunned by all her friends and so worked upon ber pride tbat she went back to ber master. He was a man tbat was disliked by everybody, and feared by all who came in his power. She lived with him half a century, brought up a large family of children, and suffered indignities that not a man on earth would endure, all because she could not bear the terrible disgrace of a separation.

These are only two of the many examples that might be given of tbe manner in which divorce was regarded fifty years ago. Whether we have gone to the other extreme, and look upon it too earelessly, may be questioned. In respect to the Divorce Law of Indiana, (we have not spaoeto consider any other,) it does not in itself seem too lax in its requirements, but, like all other laws, improper advantage may be taken under it. 1st. Adnltery 2nd. Impotency existing at time of marriage 3d. Abandonment for two years 4th. Cruel and inhuman treatment 5th. Habitual drunkenness 6th. Failure of the husband to make reasonable provisions for his family for a period of two years 7th. The oonviotion, subsequent to marriage, of an infamous crime. According to tbe law, "divorces may be decreed torthmp causes and for no others."

A man or woman convicted of any of these specifications virtually breaks hia or ber part of the marriage contract, and it ought therefore to be annulled if tbe other party desire it. Yet while all these seem legitimate causes for divorce, there are many abuses practiced under this law. Cases are not infrequent where the husband commits adultery for the sole purpose of allowing the wife to procure a divorce. Either party goes off and remains two years, to enable the

"TERRE HAUTE, IND, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1879. TSJii

'I J- ti-i 1 -f M#

imi

•A ftM

Him

b**. 1

MURPHY.

FRANCIS

was in direct opposition to his wife's wishes, as she knew it involved the sale of liquor. The business proved to be very successful, and Mr. Murphy, in a few years, became a wealthy man. He kept his word to his wife for a long time, that he would not drink, but finally yielded to tbe seductive tempter, and the money be had made was wasted, quicker than it was earned. Soon Francis Murphy was a miserable sot, and penniless. He then conducted a small saloon, thinking to keep the wolf from tbe door. In a drunken brawl in his saloon, he refused to let one of the men go upstairs. At the top of the stairs a scuffle ensued, when they both missed^tbeir footing and fell to tbe bottom. Murphy was unhurt, but the intoxicated man was, in a moment, sent into eternity. Francis Murphy was tried for taking the life of a fellow creature, but was acquitted of the charge and dismissed. During: his in

other to obtain a bill of separation. A case of cruel and inhuman treatment, if put into tbe hands of an acute lawyer, can be worked up from a surprisingly small foundation. Every law, however wise and beneficial may be subverted from its orginal purpose, therefore, without discussing tbe statute, let us notice whether or not it is a cause for congratulation or regret that it has become so easy to obtain a divorce, and that the greater part of the odium attached to such a proceeding has given plaoe to more sensible views on the subject. There are these objections to be urged: tbat people enter too lightly into matrimony, feeling that if it does not meet their expectations they can escape from the bonds that when little troubles arise, instead of trying to settle them amicably, they begin immediately to think of freedom, and in plaoe of endeavoring to live bappil? together they regard marriage as a yoke of bondage, from which they long to escape that if wedded life is not considered fixed and permanent, tbe affections are apt to waver and wander, and husband and wife may allow themselves to think that life might be happier if shared with some one else. There are these and many other objections from a moral standpoint to be urged against the granting of divorces, but tbe other side of the question has many strong points, and these apply more especially to the poor than to tbe rich, more particularly to wives than to husbands. Tbe wealthy wife may have much to bear, indeed many of them have almost more than thoy can endure, but she has a great many advantages. She may effectually separate herself from the husband even though living tinder the same roof with him she has not tbe fear of destitution staring her in the face she can purchase many pleasures which may not replace tbe companionship of ber husband, but yet they make life much more endurable she has society and friends, and though she carry a heavy heart, still she can go through to the end without a public separation. For the sake of her children, her little family which she cannot bear to divide, she can endure so much. She feels it is better for them that the marriage relation remain intact, and so she suffers in silence, thankful that her1

*i*

fclsit* .•

is.

Ij,

i* S.V 3 -v

carceration in prison he embraced religion, and through his instrumentality every prisoner took the pledge. Three weeks after his release from jail his wife was seized with typhoid fever, and in a short time died. Mr. Murphy delivered his first lectnre, in Portland, in April, 1873, and so affecting was his speech, and so great the impression made, that he received, that same evening, over sixty applications to lecture elsewhere. His success was soon noised abroad in every direction. Two years were spent in Maine in lecturing, and one in New Hampshire. He then went to Iowa and Illinois, his adyent everywhere being hailed with delight. Since then he has been leoturing, with wonderful results, iu various parts of the country. He visits this city next week for the first time, and will hold two of his wonderful meetings at the Opera House, on Tuesday and, Wednesday evenings.

children are well provided for and supplied with every advantage, There are hundreds of women, to-day, who would besiege our courts for divorcement were it not for the love they bear their children and the strong desire to keep their little band unbroken.

But with tbe wives oi the poor the case is very different. If they are so unfortunate as to be bound to drunken, lazy, worthless husbands there are but two courses for them to pursue cling to these wrecks and behold their families Increase with nothing to feed and clothe them hunger, want, abject poverty on every side or to get rid of tbe burden forever, oolleot their ohildren togetber and support them by honest toil. Let a poor woman go to the Benevolent Society and the first question is: "Have you a husband Then we can't help you," and wherever uhe goes she will be met with the same question and re sponse. People are willing to assist women and ohildren, but able-bodied men must take care of themselves. Unless a woman ia divorced, her husband can live off of her earnings and she cannot help it, and more than that, be can collect every oent of her wages and apply them for hia own benefit. The only safeguard for her is a Divorce, nor is it necessary for her to pay a large fee for this. If she is worthy and industrious, almost any lawyer will assist her to render herself independent.

In such cases as this there can be but one opinion, that a separation is the only proper step to take. But in ordinary instances a divorce should always be avoided if posssible. I have known of husbands and wives who were entitled to a separation for almost every one of the causes specified by law, and yet through the exercise of forgiveness, forbearance and kindness the erring one was reclaimed and a long and happy life ensued. Divorce should be the last resort, when there is no longer any hope for reconciliation, for reform or for happiness. It should be a matter of deep thought, of serious regret, and actuated only by the most conscientious prindples.

READ the synopsis, in another column, of the "Knight of the Plains." It shows it to be a thrilling story of adventure. And then it is a sketch from real life.

Ninth Year

Science Gossips

The Scientific Monthly says snoring is an acquired habit, Lockyer says educated men hardly ever use the word "scientist."

Insects have no lungs, but breathe through spfracular tubes in their sides. Iron is as necessary to tbe growth of plants as it is to the growth of human beings/

Tbe sale of popular science treatises is claimed by the New York booksellers to be hardly inferior to that of novels.

A Prague chemist has invented a mirror which reveals the contents of wine casks without removing the heads.

A Belgian physician, appointed to report on the prevalence of color-blind-ness, attributes tbat disease to the excessive and general use of tobacco.

The electric lights introduced into tbe light-houses, railway stations, and public halls of Europe, have, in no reported instance, been discontinued.

Boston becomes more and more scientific. At prayer meetings in tbat city the hymns are sung from hymn screens instead of books. They are projected upon the screens by means of a stereopticon.

Modern science }s doing a great deal for civilization, but there are certain departments in which it has as yet accomplished nothing. It has put a bit in the mouth of the lighting it has built railroads in tbe air it has dreamed tbe dream of the telephone and the microphone, but it has devised no way to keep shirt buttons from coming off just at the wrong moment. We do not care to be called an alarmist, but it is our firm oonviction—the result of years of experience—that the world will never be what it should be, tbat man will never attain that moral excellence which is the evident destiny of the race, until a shirt button shall be invented that will never come off. It is a startling surprise, for which the moat Christian man finds himself totally unprepared, when in the attempt to fix a collar in place the button gives way and you are left shivering in tbe oold until the damage can be repaired. No religious fervor can stand suoh a strain as tbat. Before you can reoall your good resolutions the offensive phrase has climbed up to your lips and peeped out. Spiritual perfection is a thing of the distant future unless this matter be taken in hand at once and the sublime genuises of tbe world give their undivided attention to it.

HOW HE DIED. Cleveland Leader.

Our grandfather's ticker, told him when to take his liquor, which stood bottled on tbe shelf ninety yesr. It was stronger by half than the old gent himself, and a blamed sight better than beer. It was made on tbe day the old man was born it was his joy and his pride, but it was stopped—short—never to flow sgain, and tbe old man sighed but as he had passed by tbe saloon sixty years "without stopping," and feeling sure that he "never could tick any more"—urhy, the old man died.

SUCH BOOKS Norristown Herald.

Reading flashy dime novels induced a New York boy to steal |75 from his father and run away from home to exterminate the Indians. Such books should be suppressed. Reading a religious book inauced a Philadelphia boy to

into the cellar and hang himself, ucb books should—tbat is, suoh boys should not read such books.

A LEVEL-HEADED EDlfOB* Cincinnati Times. We have great respect for able scissors. We purpose cramming the Times full of "elegant miscellany," of the news, of opinions, and of all that varied and vast store of incident, reflection, discovery and suggestion which the telegraph never touches and never can touch.

CANINE ARISTOCRACY. Ind, Journal. Representative Briggs tried to get a bill through the House yesterday exempting rat terriers from taxation. The other members thought they perceived in the measure an attempt to create a canine aristocracy, and the scheme was promptly stepped on.

FIELD FOR MISSIONARIES. Lime City News. It is said that not more than one farmer out of every ten in Huntington county takes a weekly paper. The story looks a little big, but we have pretty good authority for it.

THE PROPER DESIGN A TION. New York World. When a (2,000 clergyman is offered a 93.000 pastorate it is styled a ''call," wnereas in voint of fact it is not a "call," but a "raise." -*-,*•

LIKE A BOIL.

Inter Ocean.

One good thing about Congress is, tbat it comes to an end. It is like a boil: its best time is when it breaks and runs.

NOT ENOUGH TO GO ROUND. Washington Democrat. We can't all be editors—some have to be governors and generals.

A young clergyman of Philadelphia, who has been drawing full houses by tbe announcement of sensational subjects, now begins a service of "Popular Discourses on Fools." «r.-\

fUm

...