Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-08-15

! harmony with the rest of creation. You ar
wrong in your view of the matter, Mr.. Smith
1t is through these changes that we are made
happy. 1t we cannot succeed in marrying tht
person we should chance to love, time wears
out the impression and we are soon in love
again. Don't you observe the conservatism il
such plan?"
"Well, never could do it," said Mr.. s.
"That only shows that you are an exception tc
your race. Because you have not the capacity
of loving twice, you must not suppose that nc
one else can.'
II don't believe any man can,' replied Mr..
Smith.
THAT is merely your belief; you have no
way of proving that. Because one man should
be an infdel, it does not follow that all are
You are only an unfortunate exception TO your
race. [ asked you some time ago what would
become of man if he should truly love wo-
man and she could not return his love? sup
pose, if your theory be correct, the best thing
he could do would be to get rope and hang
himself, as the day of grace would be passed
with him.
Mr.. Smith, after hesitating little, put on a
very philosophical look and said
IF we except 1irts and devotees of passion,
there is not one sensible woman in thousand
that will not love man if she be satisfied that
he truly loves her; although he may be by far
her inferior She is of that nature that she
cannot help loving man who truly loves her.
Therefore, that difficulty will never exist if
man truly loves"
"You .speak very feelingly, Mr.. Smith,
about loving truly, would like to hear your
definition of true love-"
w ell, sir, to love woman truly, you must
be able to see through her eyes, hear through
her ears, and feel through her heart. You
must become part of her being-the two
must be as one, and that is just what is meant
when the Bible says, man and wife should be
as one.
THAT is very strong way, Mr.. Smith, of
expressing the idea. And you prove it by the
Bible. l am glad to see you refer to that book,
because when a thing can be proved by the
scriptures it needs no further investigation. -
That is true, Sam you are right once,
any how"
Don't you think, Mr.. Smith that the BIZ
ble teaches that marriage should be based on
love?"
81 do, because it positively commands hus-
bands to love their wives, and wives to love
their husbands.
DO you believe, if marriage be consum-
mated merely as convenient arrangement for
the parties, without love, that it is truly
marriage according to the scriptures p
II suppose not. | take scriptural mar
rlage to mean union of hearts. The marriage
ceremony is not the marriage itself, but only
a publication to the world that two hearts
have been fused into one, which of course oc-
CURED previously to the ceremony The cere-
mony only gives the parties the right, accord
ing to civil law, to live together as man and
wife. And In the absence of civil law man
and woman could become as truly man and
wife in the sight of God, without the ceremo.
ny as they are now with it. So, it is not the
ceremony that makes marriage. but the union
of hearts"
"Now, Mr.. Smith, you begin to talk like
sensible man. You say marriage is union Of
hearts, or in other words, it can be based only
upon love-"
THAT is exactly what I believe, SAM"
Therefore, you believe if love be absent,
tbs parties are not in reality married, but living
ip adultery p
''Yes, l think so Is that right Nlr. Smith?'
mo, it is not To act in perfect accordance
with the scriptures, they should not marry un-
less they love each other"
II agree entirely with you there, my friend
Smith. -
Now let US examine that position a little
You believe the Bible, do you not ?'
Certainly do"
"Does not the Bible permit man to marry |
the second time, if his wife should die?'
eyes"
Does 1t not command man to love his
wife?"
Yes
Now, if it be as you say, that a man can
only love once, and If he has loved his first
wife, why should he be commanded to love his
second wife? He could not do it according to
your theory, and he would be commanded to
do thing which would be impossible for him
to do"
Men do a great many things which they
are commanded not to do" replied Mr.. Smith,
But Mr.. Smith. the Bible would not COM
mand thing which was impossible to be done
and the fact that the thing is commanded,
shows that it is possible, and when a man is
permitted to marry two women and command
ed to love them both, it is clear to my mind
that it can be DONE"
Mr.. Smith.