sure to destroy the unity of aim and interest which ought to characterize husband and wife, as the heads of a family; for the wife having cause to dread, from the commencement, that at some future time her husband may take it into his head, in some evil hour, to divorce her, her aim will naturally be, instead of devoting herself to promote the general prosperity of the family, to secure for herself a separate portion, at the expense of her husband, so that, in case of divorce, she may not be destitute. The husband, knowing this, will probably be disposed to withhold from her that confidence and share in the management of the household which he would gladly accord if he were sure that she had no interests apart from his own. It is not uncommon to hear a Muhammadan ascribe want of success in advancing the interests of his family to the circumstance that his wife, instead of seconding his endeavours, only seeks to obtain as much of his income as she can for herself and her relatives. Wherever such is the case, there is an end of a family union and healthy family life.

The laws and practice in question also exercise an injurious influence on the welfare of children. The mother is greatly tempted to spoil them by over-indulgence, from a mistaken hope of thus gaining and securing their affections so effectually as to retain them even in case of separation by divorce. The father likewise inflicts a cruel wrong

upon his own children by divorcing their mother. For as thenceforth he is not only indifferent, but hostile to her, and she can no longer visit his house, his children are deprived of their mother almost as entirely as if she were dead. They may indeed, now and then, find an opportunity of visiting her, but in most cases this is not approved of, perhaps even prohibited by the father, and the whole spirit of his house tends to alienate them from her who gave them birth. Thus the practice of divorce, where there are children, strongly tends to deaden the tenderest feelings and strongest instincts that God has implanted in the human heart, namely, those that form the maternal and filial bond.

Another evil result of the unlimited authorization of divorce is the strong ground thus afforded for feelings of jealousy between the married parties, and the moral impossibility of the natural and free intercourse between the two sexes, which proves such an advantage to society in general where Christian principles prevail. Whilst in well-regulated Christian society husband and wife are perfectly sure of one another, from the fact that, so long as there is no criminal cause, divorce is an impossibility, married Muhammadans, especially the wives, must be greatly susceptible of jealous surmisings, or disquieting apprehensions, because they are never sure whether the slightest real or imagined coolness in