There is a pompous and solemn side to marriage, and there is a private
museum side.
Marriage poses as an harmonious general concord in which religion,
society, and nature join.
But is it anything of the kind? It would appear to be doubtful. If the
sole purpose of marriage is to rear children, a man ought to live with a
woman only until she becomes pregnant, and, after that moment, he ought
not to touch her. But here begins the second part. The woman bears a
baby; the baby is nourished by the mother's milk. The man has no right
to co-habit with his wife during this period either, because it will be
at the risk of depriving the child of its natural source of nutriment.
In consequence, a man must either co-habit with his wife once in two
years, or else there will be some default in the marriage.
What is he to do? What is the moral course? Remember that three factors
have combined to impose the marriage. One, the most far-reaching today,
is economic; another, which is also extremely important, is social, and
the third, now rapidly losing its hold, but still not without influence,
is religious. The three forces together attempt to mould nature to their
will.
Economic pressure and the high cost of living make against the having of
children.
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