Marriage is the process by which a man and woman enter into a complete

physical, legal and moral union. The natural object of marriage is the

complete community of life for the establishment of a family.

THE MARRIAGEABLE AGE AND ADAPTATION

At twenty-four the male body attains its complete development; and

twenty-five is a proper age for the young man to marry. Romantic love,

personal affection on a basis of congeniality, mutual adaptation, a

similar social sphere of life, should determine his choice. Nature and

custom indicate that the husband should be somewhat older than the

wife.

MEN WHO SHOULD NOT MARRY

Men suffering with diseases which may be communicated by contagion or

heredity should not marry. These diseases include: tuberculosis,

syphilis, cancer, leprosy, epilepsy and some nervous disorders, some

skin diseases and insanity. A worn-out rake has no business to marry,

since marriage is not a hospital for the treatment of disease, or a

reformatory institution for moral lepers. Those having a marked

tendency to disease must not marry those of similar tendency. The

marriage of cousins is not to be advocated. The blood relation tends

to bring together persons with similar morbid tendencies. Where both

are healthy, however, there seems to be no special liability to mental

incompetency, though such marriages are accused of producing defective

or idiot children. Men suffering from congenital defects should not

marry. Natural blindness, deafness, muteness, and congenital

deformities of limb are more or less likely to be passed on to their

children. There are cases of natural blindness, though, to which this

rule does not apply. Criminals, alcoholics, and persons

disproportionate in size should not marry. In the last-mentioned, lack

of mutual physical adaptability may produce much unhappiness,

especially on the part of the wife. Serious local disease, sterility,

and great risk in childbirth may result. Disparity of years, disparity

of race, a poverty which will not permit the proper raising of

children, undesirable moral character are all good reasons for not

marrying.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION BEFORE MARRIAGE

Medical examination as a preliminary to marriage is practically more

valuable than a marriage license. Since many entirely innocent young

girls to-day suffer from disease, incurred either through hereditary

or accidental infection, a would-be husband may be said to be quite as




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