Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-07
COUTURE OF THE AFFECTIONS
A Very Interesting Lecture ON n
Very Interesting Subieef.

weather quite a large audience assembled at
Masonic Hall last evening to bear the dis
course of DIR. A. j. Baird upon the subject
''Culture of the affections, or how and what
to love-"
He said: This is grave and important
subject, lying as it does at the very base of
social order and prosperity. We have long
desired an opportunity to discuss it before
an intelligent audience. Society in these
wise days of ours makes the whole subject
a joke for the parlor or drawing room, or
for the slow saunterings Of the moonlit eve.
And dearly does she pay for her folly.
What are the affections? They are pow
ers Of the moral nature, approaching and
approving or disappearing the qualities of
persons and things offered for possession
and enjoyment. They are not only the
fountain but the censors of all
moral obligation. These great pow
erS can approve and attach to exter-
nal qualities. But they cannot investigate
them. This is the work of the intellect. of
reason and judgment, which shall 90 be-
fore these housekeeping virgins of the soul
and clear the way for their outgiying.
Send out these cool and brave videttes first
and let them make sure work Then can
these daughters of music go forth and SOW
the path Of life with flowers, and bless it
with their songs of love.
The Whole man is symmetrical and his
actions should be so. A person without
affection, whatever else he may have, is a
monster, and person with abundant love
and nothing else, is but doting simpleton.
just and wise culture will stimulate the
tardy and cut back the overgrowinc,
as in the tree so in the man as well.
Our affections are like grape-yines-they
must not be left to grapple with briers and
thorns, or waste among the clOds and dust,
but should be directed to some strong stake
where they can fasten their tendrils and
climb up into the sun.
WE TOO OFTEN LOVE FIRST,
and then think, when thought cannot avail.
The reverse is right. As a general thing,
we do not need teachers to teach us how TO
love, but what to love. The terms we use
to-express the exercise of this noble power
are often not only foolish and absurd, but
false and dangerous. "Fall in love-"
''charm," ''caPtivate," ''smitten," ''taken,"
''taking On"-all these are expressive of vio-
lenee, helplessnesS, or accident sort of
'igoing it blind" A better and more tenn
perate set Of terms would be, being pleased,
agreeable, interested, acceptable.
At the base of the pyramid of the quail
ties we shOul love, lies integrity. On top Of
this industry, economy, generosity, energy,
finishing the pyramid with independence.
Train your daughters, your sons-train
yourselves to love these. Ifyou have char
acter, you will have everything else that is
needed-wealth, honors, distinction, posi-
ton in society, all these naturally fall into
the lap of the OneAgho possesses these quail
ties. Thelove ofthese should be taught at the
Sunday at the day school-nay
earlier, they should be mingled with the
mothers sweet lullaby.
Take the reverse of these. a young man
falls in love with young lady. "Oh, she's
beautiful" he exclaims, ''and I'll die if l
don't get her." '.Has she integrity? hon
esty? economy? benevolence? kindnesS?'
don't care what she has not, if she has
these qualities, she is beautiful.
Men and women were better in the early
settlement of this country than they are
now, although we have plenty of good
people now. As a people become wealthy,
you find artificial wants coming in. Young
folks are no longer contented to do as thei-
grandfathers and grandmothers did, but
want TO reach the summit of life at a leap.
woman must love something. She
can love gold, and when the gold is re-
moved from the one she marriss, that
woman despises the man that was the
owner. The speaker had received a letter
no. long since from
AN OLD LADY IN ALABAMA.
who had written to make inquiries about
Nashville Young man who had been paying
some attentions 10 her daughter. The let
Ter ran like this: s'Dear Brother Baird: |
want to ask you some questions with
reference 10 a certain young gentleman who
lives in. Nashville. Do YOU know whether
his father owns great many acres Of real
estate i'm the West9 Dow know whether
hC own Q large amount OF bank stock?
Now you know what mean-will he do TO
tie tor The speaker did know the
young man but knew no good Of him, and
so he wrote in reply: "Dear Madam, not
being in the, real estate business, neither
here nor in the West, i am unable to say
whether that young mans father owns
property in the West or not, and not
being acquainted with the dealings
in Nashville bank stock, | cannot
say whether he Owls any stock or
not. As to your last question. "will he
DO to tic toy that depends very much what
it is You wish to hitch him to. Ifyou want
to hitch horse to him, he won't do; but if
you want to hitch had dog to him, L think
he will do very WELL
Not long after this, the speaker met the
young man in question on the street. The
latter drew himself up and asked, ssDid
you write something about me TO lady in
Alabama?' to which the speaker replied In
the affirmative, and offered to read a COPY
of the letter, adding. '.HOw did you make
ii down in Alabama" "ConfOund YOU,
didn't make it at ALL" was the reply.
That letter illustrates point. Here's
the plain English of it: That Alabama
lady had
A DAUGHTER FOR SALE,
and she intended to sell her for a good
round sum. If there ever was a negro for
sale in these Southern States, that young
lady was for sale. That was her idea of
marriage, Oh, what have we come 60 jim
this are WHEN p.icc in money is paid Tor
a human heart?
Il -. sv-s IN searcn OF wife. He has
toiled through lapse of years until he is
called bachelor. lie has gathered a COM
potency about him, and is the owner Of
comfortable home. You say it is easy for
him TO get 1hdrfied, but the fact Il; Il
is harder to win a woman's heat than
when he was twenty years Of age. Men
and women say ''there'S 4 catch;" 'he has
mOney-he has the rocks" lie may lie
so bald that his head resembles a peeled
onion, but he has money, and consequently
he is in danger, and runs a thousand
chances of being cheated. Talk about your
cheats In Wall street, ane the swindles in
Congress-why they are DOt!iing in COM
parisOn to the cheats and swindles Of coutt-
Ship
Take one Of those Gld-fashioned matches,
when the young couple had nothing but
good hearts and good health. The young
man says to his sweetheart, s'Can you walk !
such path as that which lies before you
as my WIfe?'' and she says, ''Yes can,
with you by my side.' There's a union
That viii stand all the storms; there's cou- |
pie that will be master and mistress of all
the world holds dear. He has integrity.
honor, industry, economy, Is benevolent
and kind, and is man every inch of him.
The ingenious and scheming mother sets a
trap, and on the end of the dead-fall places
her daughter, circulating reports Of her
wealth. None but adventures are attract
ed, and these are the men who nibble at
The bait.
U'Ia-a.s n rrroo4 HI r.