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