The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-11-07

upon 1t that 1t is always safer to adopt
Gods plan, and leave the consequences
for him to take care of, than to try our
own plan, and assume the responsibility
for the consequences ourselves. And
Gods plan is, wives, submit yourselves
to your husbands as unto the Lord"
"Seems to me that this is rather q
tough doctrine for the wives" said the
pastor.
"Not a bit of it," said the deacon. cit
is an easy doctrine. 1t takes all the fric-
ton and much of the burden out of their
lives. Our pulpits ought to preach it,
and our schools to teach it, until no girl
would ever think of marrying till she
found man she could 80 look up to that
to submit her will to his would be the
chiefest delight of her life.
"There would be fewer marriages"
said l, ain that case"
"And fewer Divorces" said the deacon,
sententiously.
"But how in matters of conscience,
deacon ?" said Mrs. Geer; "surely you
wouldn't have wives submit their con-
sciences to their husbands ?"
"Husbands have consciences as we'll as
wives, don't they ?" asked the deacon.
al don't know" said Mrs. Geer.
Whereat there was another laugh, in
which the deacon joined.
Conscience" said the deacon, els
simply the judgment applied to moral
questions. The wife ought not to do
wrong to please her husband; but in all
questions l advise her to submit her judg-
ment to his"
elf was tract society,"" added the
deacon, az would print five rules for
wives on card, to be given to every bride
on her wedding-day."
"What are they ?" said I.
The deacon reached over, took up a
piece of paper from the table, took PEN
Gil out of his pocket, and wrote thereon,
as follows:
TO WIVES.
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands
as unto the Lord
/. Never dispute with your husband
2. Never refuse his request unless 1t is u,,-
n,istdkdbly sinful.
3. Never offer him advice unless he asks
for 1t.
d. Never make any demand, and never hesi-
tate to make any request.
8 And never be bashful about letting him
know that what you do, you do for his sake,
not for your own.
"There," said the deacon, as he showed
the paper over to me; "put that in one
of your letters, Mr.. Laicus, and tell the
wives, with my compliments, that if they
will try that plan faithfully and heartily,
as unto the Lord, for year, if they don't
make their husbands and their homes and
their children happier, and have their
own wdy more than any wives of their
acquaintance (my italics represent the
deacon's emphasis), "they may put Paul
down for an old fogy, and me down for
ano her."
at seems to me-" said Mrs. Geer, i" that
the wife ought not to take all the self
denial. think the husband ought to
take some too"
The deacon Strengthened up, looked at
her for moment with pause which was
emphatic, and then said: al think he
ought to take it all. think she ought to
lay all her burdens on his big broad
shoulders, and he should carry them fol
her--for them both. think that's what
husbands for; l think"
just then the clock on the mantel
struck once; it was half-past nine.
THAT" continued the deacon, dropping
his thread and picking up another, sit is
time for us to 60. Come, Mary"
81 wish you would give US your rule;
for husbands" said l.
- "Some other evening, "said the deacon
| So we broke up our conference. As We
walked home, Jennie and talked the
matter over between us. We both thought
that the usually level-headed deacon was
rather "strong," and Jennie demurrec
especially to his third rule; but we both
agreed that there was good deal of gooc
sense in the deacon, after all, and Jennie
advised me-without waiting till asked
her-to report what he said, without note
or comment. But we are waiting will
considerable curiosity for the other hal
of the suhject.-Laicus, in Christian Union