as
come over our social life, the clandestine marriage does still take
place; in fact it has been rather boomed in high circles of late; but
it might rather be called a "walkaway" than a runaway match. It can
all be done in such a quiet, business-like manner that no notice need
be drawn to what is going on. The man who urges a young girl into a
secret marriage lays himself open to some ugly charges, for parental
tyranny is out of date, and that alone provided sufficient excuse for
such a grave step.

The man who is mean enough to bind a girl to himself by marriage
before he has a home to give her, and then sends her back to her
parents as if nothing had happened, is not calculated to make a good
husband, unless his offence has the excuse of extreme youth. Let him
work his hardest and trust the girl to wait for him. If she will not
do that, it is certainly not worth while to commit a dishonourable
action for her sake.

The couple who marry and keep the fact a secret because they are
afraid of losing some one's money if they tell the truth, would have
done better to wait, or to tell each other that love was not good
enough without the wherewithal to gild it. In England no one can be
forced into a marriage, and all are free to choose whom they like {114}
as soon as they are of age; so why stain the start of their wedded life
by deception and falsehood? The seeds of distrust and contempt may
thus be sown in hearts where there should be mutual love and trust,
and then bitter fruits will spring up when once the novelty is over.
Given patience, honesty, and fidelity, there need be no secret
marriages in this empire.

A private marriage celebrated in the presence of only a few chosen
friends is what many may prefer and desire; but considering the
inevitable slur contained in the words: "_Why_ did they do it?" the
woman, at least, would do well to refrain from the sweets of stolen
waters.

Second Marriages.

Dr. Johnson pronounced a second marriage to be "The triumph of Hope
over Experience." Others who are less epigrammatic affirm that to take
a second partner is the highest compliment that can be paid to the
departed first. In some cases the real romance of marriage only awakes
with the second wooing. It by no means follows that it must be a dull,
prosaic, practical transaction.

The Children.

The great question in the remarriage of parents with children under
age is the welfare of those children, and the choic