Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-03-02
Now. 1 affirm that it is miserable busi

ness, the whole Of it. 1t may be coed
man9uvring, where all maneuvring, is
out Of place. 1t is an unholy traffic,
through all the trafficers be members of
an orthodox church in good and regular
standing. 1t is transferring 10 the head
what comes under the jurisdiction Of the
heart. The parties concerned may '.live
happily ever after" but they have no
right 10 expect it. OF course, if wo-
man marries a missionary because she
loves him, even though her love sprang
upon his first translantic appearance as a
widower, and goes TO Boorlobool Cha
with him, because she would rather do
it than stay at home without him, there
is not the slightest objection; she is quite
right; only let her say SO honestly, if she
feel called upon 10 say anything. But
when she explains her marriage by en-
larging on her duty, the poor little chill
dren who stand in such pressing need of
a mothers care, the heather who are
perishing for lack of knowledge, why,
then, l say. if these really are her mo-
tives. she is wrong-just as truly, though
not perhaps as greatly, wrongas she who
follows the glitter of gold. Let her take
lesson from Jane Eyre and ST. John,
since she has failed to learn it from her
Bible. If The claims of the heather urge
her so iiresis:ibly, lei her go to them un-
trammelled. The cause of God is not so
desperate that it needs to be propped up
by a falsehood.
Nor do 1 believe in marrying because.
as l have frequently beard alleged, a
womau's nature is such that she "must
love somebody" In the first place. the
implied fact is convenient little fiction
There is no sort of necessity for your
Glowing somebody" 1t may be very
pleasant TO do so it may be very dis
tressing not to do so; but it is not i'm
m-dialely fatal Even if it were, never
mini. Remember Pompsy's sublime
words, 1T is necessary for me to go; it
is not necessary for me to live" Death
comes TO all, and the world does not need
your bodily presence so much as it needs
your moral heroism. If you die rather
than live falsely. you will enrich it by
one great example. Moreover, granting
that you must love somebody" does it
evidently follow that you "must love"
grown man. in possession of a respect
able yearly income? Look abroad at
the orphans, thousands upon thousands.
falherless, motherless. to whom your
love would be as the due of Hermon
Chrst's little ones are all around you
the ignorant, the uncared for, the out
cast. Lavish on them your irrepiessible
affection. The sunshine of love might
melt the ice in which their better nature
is encrusted, and warm into healthy,
vigorous growth the wasting germ Of
many virtue. The idea, girls. the idea
of sacrificing your whole life to so SO
sort of person for the sake of having
somebody to love-" in world so full
of children that the most excruciating
hand organ will in two minutes block
up the side walk in any portion of any
city with admiring throngs of white
headed urchins!
To marry for home or for happiness
is little better. A home purchased by
the sale of yourself is dear bargain.
and happiness is the most uncertain
shadow you can pursue. It's incidental.
1t comes upon us Unexpectedly; but if
We set out determinately and definitely
in pursuit of it, it generally leads us into
bogs and quagmires. and leaves US there.
If. instead of promising 10 love and
honor in the future, custom eDjoined a
woman. on her marriage day, so!em!y to
aver that she did at that moment love
and honor, Iverily believe there would
b. fewer mock unions. think it would
be safer TO let the future build itself, tax
ing care 10 secure in the present a firm
foundation, than 10 take the foundation
for granted, and proceed prematurely 10
the superstructure. Many women. con-
scienlious, but vague, unaccustomed TO
make distinction, 10 know clearly the
difference between one thing and an
other, after long hesiIating and vacilIat-
ing. do finally zigzag their way to
church, and make the most tremendous
promises, with misty kind of belief
that they shall! be able TO keep them
when the indefinitely distant trial comes
who, if the plain question were put 10
them point blank. "Do you now love and
honor this man?' could not find it in
their hearts, and therefore not in their
consciences, 10 say-"Yes"-and would
thereby be saved from life time of suf-
fering. perhaps of sin. Yet, l have
heard Christian woman seriously ad-
wise her young friend to accept a mar
riage proposal, because-she "soOuld not
be likely to do better. a superior ,OOman
must not expect to marry her superior" :" l
have known a gentleman write, 81 ad-
wise you, if an intelligent, truly Chris
tian man, who really loves you, wants
you to marry him, to do so." And a
highly moral and religious community
! does not cease to warn contumacious