The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-10-09
A PLEA FOR CELIBACY.
BY AN OLD BACHELoR.

The following is AN essay written
by an sold" bachelor, In one Of our
neishboring towns, aud read before
II literary society of the place.
This essay, accidentally, fell into
our hands, aud We take the liberty
OF using It YlthnEt the know ledge
or CONSENT ct the Rriter; and, lille
therp is much in it that Is good !,
our past course proves that We do
not endorse 4 af it; nor do We be-
lievo that any man possessing all
the noble traits of character with
which We know the writer to be en-.
dowe,l can honestly say that he has
arrived at the age Of-withOut ever
having met some woman whom he
WAS willing to call 10y the Sncetest
of all names, "wife." Wo know,
sometimes, "marriage Is a feast
where the grace it better than the
dinner" but beca use some "Petru.
chic" is unfortunate enough to draw
a "KItharina" in the great lQttery
Of life is no reason why We should
condemn the whole institution.
we brlieve with johnson in say
ing, "marriage is the best safe of
man in general, and every man ia
u worse man in proportion as he il
unfit for the marriage state" Take
the daughter Of . good mother ;" is
the a,lvJce OF Fuller aud We recon.
mcnd it TO you, old friend, then
you will have q dnnhle blessing, a
good wife AMI good mother ia.
law Read the essay;
Whichever may be- right, the
popular side Of Il QUESTION is the
strong side. II she is thrice arm.
cal ho hath his quarrel just" it is
lOubly true that he iA ten tines
armed aud pGHOplied whose cause
is popular. But to DO popular is
not always 10 be right. Who is so
unpopular as he Who tells the nn.
disguised, unpalatable truth /
tremble to think that the advocate
of celi6acy ISOpposed by the whole
world. All the world brljPyeS in
all the world marrieS
and IL given in marriage; but all
the world may be wrong, just rs il
was in having for ages believed |
that the earth was not round and |
did not rey9lve around the sun =
even cruelty pPrsecutiIg the unhap.
py astrOnqmer who Was bOFn in al
vance VI his age; and to-day, it
reqnirps the courage of tull cor.
vlctioB TO go forth preaching cell.
bacy. Bat now aud here there is
nothing TO be feared bnt tue shafts
Of ridicule. Already | hear the
Whis,'er, "sOur grapes;r but be.
ware, lest tell you that the matri.
nOnial vine bears never a grape,
Dut only Dead Sea Fruit, which YOU
nave eaten, and its ashes are on
TOur lips.
Far be it from me to adrOcate
he abolition Of marriage. | only
Isk to offer few arguIp"nis ~
avor of celibacy as the Rlore ef.
ectlve promoter ct the two ends OF
mans exiS ences his Happiness aud
lis us, filness. | admit that to
Ibolish marriage wOuld b. to make
chaos OF society aud ot the world.
admit that marriage is Uery large.
y necessary, bat beiHg himan
may il not ba u necessa
y eUilf Yuu answer. t'NO, becaase
rod ordained it," He did ordain il,
'ut Il was before the fall, while
lan's nature was IN harmony with
tself and all around It, v hen fidelity l
nd love, aud honor, aud grnerOnsi.
y, and charity dlled all his heart,
Then perfect COMPATIBILITY might
ave been possible hetwren man I
Ud man, and man and woman.
low, where IL the nature that is !
even with itselfi WheIe 4
! the heart that Ia not nv battle. |
ED Of perpetEally conflicting ten
eucies I aud can man, never at /
eace With himself, live in perfect !
aTmOny with anOther-ihOugh = ]
.ss selfish being who brings bat /
ew inhfmities 70 add to the dis