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Show MARRIAGE. Early marriages should be recommended and promoted by those who have authority and influence influ-ence over young people. The nature and deliberate opinion of great minds in the world's history has been in favor of early marriages. Profoundly convinced con-vinced that early. marriage is the great safeguard of youth and the preserver of purity, they have strongly advocated the early marriage of young men. , ' The morality of the Christian, the wisdom of the philosopher, and the knowledge of the man of the world favor early marriages. Marriage is the only natural, proper and safe state for the majority of persons living in t lie .world, It is a sure promoter of domestic happiness "the only bliss of paradise that has survived the fall." The law of Sparta required a man to marry when he became of age; if he did not he was liable to prosecution. The salutary effect of this was seen in the superior morality of the Spartans over the other, people of Greece. The morality of the people of Ireland is one of the brightest gems in the crown of the "loved Ireland Ire-land of sorrow;" the practice of early marriage contributes in great measure to this morality. Thy pernicious practice of marrying late in life, which prevails generally in France, is one of the chief causes of the licentiousness of that gay and trallant nation. Unfortunately a tendency toward late marriages has been gradually growing among the American people, especially in our large cities. This is one of the most dangerous and threat-enings threat-enings signs of the times. It arises from a love of luxurv and display which have overspread the land and destroyed that simplicity of life and manners man-ners which was once the glory and strength of our nation. Parents are unwilling that their daughters should marry young men who are not well-to-do, forgetting that they themselves were poor when they married, and that their wealth has been amassed by lung years of constant toiL Thcmistocles, when asked if whether he would prefer to marry his daughter to a poor man of merit or to a worthless man of estate, replied: "I would prefer a man without an estate to anxestate without a man." Tho trend, in our country, i toward wealth and titles. Those who have but little of this world's (roods seek to affiliate with wealth, and those who have wealth covet titles, which are foreign to the simple 'tastes of a republic. Xeither appreciate rv'cX worth. The consequence of marriage arranged by ambitious parents, on this false basis, have been most lamentable. Divorces in high society today-are today-are proof abundant. ,. Daughters are unwilling to abandon a life of ease and luxury to share the fortunes of younc men who. though ptior in a material way, are rich in real worth, and have that which will command success. A foolish young woman once refused to marry a young man on account of his poverty, whose death was mourned by two continents the noble philanthropist, George Peabody. Xapoleon III., when in poverty in London, solicited the hand of an English lady of rank; she refuse! him, and his commentary on her rejection of his suit was: 'Madame, you have refused a crown." Young women wo-men in refusing young men of talent; industry and virtue, on account of their present poverty, living on the hope of accepting worthless young men of fortune, frequently refuse a life of domestic peace and happiness. lhe standard established by young women is so high that many young men have very expensive tastes, that make it well nigh impossible for a man of humble life to support them. The reason alleged by many younsr men' for deferring de-ferring marriage is that they cannot afford it. When some one mentioned, on one occasion, to Chief Justice Chase, that lately a young man of his acquaintance had grown cynical and censorious because be-cause he was engaged and could not afford to marry his remark was that: "Any young man who can support himself can support a wife that is, if he is wise enough to select the right sort of person." The Chief Justice had married when he was young, poor and unknown, and his success began with his marriage. Many of the voting men in America today are not satisfied to live comfortably; thev must live luxuriously. They live as extravagantly as the idle sons of rich men. Xecessarily they must live up to, if not beyond, their means. They can afford to marry if they will give up expenses which are always useless and often dangerous. Our American youih owe a dutv to their Church and their country, which they neglect with criminal indifference. An early marriage is 'the best beginning for the majority. It gives at once'' an object and aim'to life. Marriage is a hol state, established by God, as the ordinary means for the happiness and salvation of the greatest number of the faithful. As a rule, it is the safest state for persons living an ordinary life, and for many it is the only one that is safe. Catholic Transcript. |