The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-12-10
marrying Ancestry and Wealth.


We have read, with much interest and profit
volume of sermons, by Geo. {. Baldwin, D. D.
The title of the book is " Representative Women !;
from Eve the Wife of the ( irst, to Mary, the
Mother of the Second Adam" We have marked
several passages which will be presented to our
readers as opportunity offers In his discourse up
on Abigail, the Superior Wife" after aluding to
her parents anxiety to have her united in marriage
to Naba drunken, churlish, brutal il-humorsd,
coyetous, narrow-minded man. because he
was Of distinguished ancestry, he treats OF the
other incentive to the match-I1ealth. We extract
the following on the latter subject which merits
tn. serious attention of every parent who loses
sight Of those virtues which are more valuable
than riches, to tie lovely and beloved daughter
to the purse strings of hearIleSs, disspated. and
cruel specimen of poor fallen humanity:
The other fact in regard to NAbal which COM
mended him to Abigals parents, US a suitor for
the fair hand Of their daughter, was ths--he had
1noHeU--he lCus a rich mdH-hc owned n large
district OF country. To many parents, aud many
daughters there has always been an irresistible po-
tentiality in this qualification of Euiter. To their
view money covers up multitude Of sins. Its ra-
dance makes au ugly man handsome. It's precious
weight easily suppues lack of the weight of char
acler. All il hath tremendous power among men
and women too. do not wonder that the quaint
Thomas Hood thus sang Of it -
"Gold Gold Gold Gold
Bright and yellow, hard and cold;
Motion, Craven hammered and rolled;
Heavy to get, ald light to held;
Hoarded battered, bought and sold;
Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled;
Spurued by tue young buG nusSed BY the old
To the very verge vt the cAdrCnyard mould
Price OF many u crime Lnto.i
Gold Gold Gold Gold "
This reminds us of that famous expression in
VIrgil's Rnad, d" o cursed desire of gold, what
do.t thou not force mortal hearts TO do " A lsar
full mistake do those parents make who early i'm
bue into the minds OF their daughters an undue
appreciation Of wealth, which leads them to look
with contempt upon the young man, however pure,
industrious or honorable he may be- against whom
nothing can be said, sxcepting-thaL he is poor.
Horrible mistakes do those parents make, who,
like Abigail barter away their daughters 10 suit
or who have nothing to commend them but what
Nabal had, q distinguished ancestry and great
wealth What avails it how high maus family
be if be be low himself? What availI it how dis,
tinguishsd his ancestry may be for patriot
ism and virtue, il he be distinguished for nothing
but eoncsited churshness and debasing vice p?
What avas it how much wealth OF money he may
possess if he be poor in oil those elements that
make up a man Can ancestry or wealth cover up
mental imbecility or moral baseness Can these
pay pure woman for the absence of that gener-
Gus love OF a manly heart, which alone can sup
ply the deatheSs yearuings of her nature, smooth
the toughest paths OF human life, wreath rainbows
around its blickest clouds, ding roses on its most
desert wastes dry up sorrows bitterest tears, sus
tain in hours of sickness aud languishing rs with
q giants power, that immortal affection which
makes Ie's heaviest burdens light, its longest jour
nsys short, aud finally smooths her dying pillow
tendcrly wipes the gathering death-dew from her
palid brow and loads her departing spirit with
sweet bencdiclions Nay ! nay gold canno. buy
happiness, and parents who compel their daughters
to marry for money, or station, commit griavous
sin against humanity aud God. And the woman
who MARI - a churl for his wealth will find that
she has made terrible bargain that all the gilt
terings Of heartlesa grandeur arc but the phospho
lro.cent gsanugs OF heart-wrctchei iaess, that her
life will be one Of gildel misery, and her Old age
will be like crag on the bleak sids OF a desert
,mountain, where cold moOnbcams sometimes gilt
ter, but no sunshine ever falls no flowers bloom
no birds sing, but wild storms howl and hoarse
thunderS roar ; and through the sweeping storm
shall be heard tho stern voice OF the Great God
saying, Your riches are corrupted, your garments
are moth-eaten, your gold and silver are cAnkered
and ihe trust Of them shall be a witness against
you and eat your AeAh as it were fire"
EDUCATE, EDUcATE-- This is the tocsn which,
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