Samuel Kneeland

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ...that, in proportion as woman has been the equal and co-worker with civilized man, has been the refinement and purity of social relations. The authority of the father, however, or the natural guardians, in case of proposed marriage, was decisive, either with or against the girl's inclinations; a widow could not be compelled to marry a second time, nor could she marry without the consent of her father, brother, or sons. Marriage was a regular business affair, and the settlement of the conditions often a shrewd bargain. If a girl married without the consent of her parents, the father could disinherit her and her children; and the man who made her his wife, under such circumstances, was liable to be punished for abduction; this right was not always exercised. If the father were dead, the nearest male relatives became her natural guardians. Betrothal could not be extended beyond three years, and neither party could break it without punishment and disgrace. With the introduction of Christianity, marriage became a religious rite. Plurality of wives, though not expressly forbidden, was never general, either in Norway or Iceland. Should a man lay violent hands upon his wife three times, she was at liberty to leave him, taking both dower and settlement; but such violence was rare, as it was looked upon as most unmanly. Says their old law: " Every man owes the same duty to his wife that he owes to himself;" but the husband alone possessed all rights concerning the disposal of the children. As in all well-ordered households, in all time, the husband's duty was to see to every thing out of the house, and that of the wife to have the care of every thing within it; but now and then superior, strong-minded women would so far encroach upon the husband's...

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