Show SOME CURIOUS CUSTOMS CUSTOM OF r 5 MARRIAGE IN OTHER OTHER LANDS 5 1 N 1 11 t Perhaps y you u ive have never never thought of marrage marriage and f family life except a as aa a comfortable gathering gatherl g about bout the fireside fireside fire fire- tre- tre side of mother father tather and children hildren That Indeed may be the com commonest onest and the he most agreeable but it is by no means the only on form for and you may value the hearthstone ideal idea even more than han you do at present If i you reflect refet upon pon a number of other things thing that it might be and and l nt Pr Probably bablY nOt one fourth of the human human hu hu- hu- hu man beings beins now l living on the earth conceive of as a for instance the average New Yorker d does e that Isto is isto isto to say as a a. sequence of the following s seven ven phases phaes S First a spiritual affinity Second a conviction of lifelong loy loy- alty 5 Third the selection of a home Fourth parenthood Fifth division of labor between father and mother Sixth branching out of th the family There are families In the world who would be very ver much astounded at any such simple outline as this In most forms of ot Wedlock In vogue voge in n the world a mans man's rans ran's wife is his chatel chattel chattel chat- chat tel el and his children childr n are his property to o be disposed of as he may consider to t his advantage There are fathers who bait their lion lon traps in the forest with wit their living children Others Others- Others their wealth in their heir beautiful daughters who vho are aredes destined destined des tined to be s sold saId ld Their wives are their ae slaves adding to their masters master's wealth wealthy by y their labor in the fields felds and gardens In n other conditions of or life among savage sv- sv say sav age or primitive peoples not even the mothers know the fatherhood o of their children Husbands may have many wives wives may have many hus- hus us- us band bands ands During the lower stages stage of so social lal evolution says Charles Letourneau who has written on the the subject women are uniformly treated as a domestic do animals but this this' female live lve stock is difficult to guard for on the theone theone theone one hand they are much coveted andare and andare ard are unskillful in defending themselves and on n the other they do not nt bend willingly to the sided one-sided duty of fidelity fidelity fidel fidel- ity that Is i Imposed posed on them The masters masters masters mas mas- therefore protect their own In Interests interests in- in it- it by a whole Series Seres of vexatious restraints of rigorous punishments and of ferocious revenges left lef at first to the good pleasure of the marital proprietors proprietors proprietors pro pro- and afterward regulated regulate and codified The unforeseen result of all al this jealous fury has been to endow humanity humanity hu hu- hu- hu manity manitY and more particularly women With the delicate sentiment of modesty womer unknown to the animal w ld and the primitive man In speaking of marriage by capture Letourneau Letoureau says The Fijians In lit delivering de tie- livering a daughter to the purchaser the father or brother sid said to the future husband If I you become discontented with wih her sell sel her kill kI her eat her you are her absolute master mater Much nearer home in ancient Russia the father at the moment of marriage gave his daughter some strokes with wit a whip saying henceforth if you are not ob obedient your husband husbad will wi beat you you Such customs show us plainly why in so many may countries counties symbolic practices tices recalling violent capture are kept up in the tho ceremony of m marriage The I ceremonial of capture symbolized also alsoS IS S the subjection of ot the woman sold or S ceded by her parents prents It sanctioned the orS S very excessive rights that the husband acquired over ov ova the wife As a rule the l ceremonial of te capture coincides with wih a avery avery very very great subjection even where it Is only a very distant survival survival W We are therefore warranted in be be- lieving leving that In civilized countries where conjugal legislation is still derived I from the Roman Jaw law the subordinate i position ton assigned to women Is is' the last las lat vestige of ot primitive marriage by capture cap cap- cp- cp ture attenuated to a purchase as mans In the earliest earlest time of the Ro Ro- L Letourneau tourneau continues marriage will wi continue to subsist subsist- It is the last omer comer and m much ch the most worthy and besides the balance balne of ol the sexes makes it almost a necessity |