Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-01-27
Talmage on Breach OF Promise.

Talmage on Breach OF Promise.
New YORK, Jan. 22.-Rev DR..
Taimage preached to the girls this
morning about "The S.nctity of
Promise to Marry" His serm on
was founded on the story of Jeph-
thalis' daughter.
Men and women" he said, "need
to understand that. while there are
exceptions to the rule, once having
solemnly pledged to each other,
heart aud baud, the forfeiture and
abandonment of that pledgs makes
the tran gressor in the sighs of God
q perjurer, and SO the day OF judg-
meut will reveal it, The one has
lied TO the Other, aud all liars shall
have their place in the lake that
burneth with fire and birthstone. The
sending back of all the letters, aad
rings, and necklaces and keep sakes
cannot maze that right which III the
sight of God, and ought - be in the
4.
What American society needs u be
taught Is that betrothal is an act SO
solemn and tremendous that all men
ana women must stand back from il
uutll they are sure that it is r!gh-
and sure that is best. sure that 30
retreat will De desired. Espousal is
d gate, golden gate, which one
should not pass unless he or she
wishes Dever To return.
Engagement Is the porch of Which
marriage Is the castle, aud you have
no rignL i'll The porcn If you do rot
mean 10 pass lnLo the castle. The
Irouoie has always been that this
whole trouble OF alliance has been
relegated To the reaim OF irivuliEy
ana Joke, aud considered not worth q
sermou or even serious paragraph.
But suppose L should make d mis-
take, says some mao or woman, aud
l hud out after the engagement aud
before marriage?' My answer is, y ou
have no excuse for making a mis-
lake on this subject. There are SO
maLy ways OF tiuding out all about
the character and preferences and dis
likes and habits Of q man or woman
mat if you bad not brain enough to
torn a right judgement in regard to
hun or her, you are 30 tit candi-
date TOR The matrimonial altar as you
are for an idIot-asy lum. D, woman!
you have more need TO pause before
making such an important promise
THAI man, because if you make mis-.
take IT'S worse for you, If q man
blunder about u promise of marriage,
or 70 into an unfortunate marriage,
he can spend his evenings away, and
can 20 to the cluD or absorb his mind
Ia clty or State or National elections.
or smoke himself stupid, Or drink
himself drunk. But there is no placs
of regular retreat for you, oh! woman,
and you cauuoJ take narcotics or in
toxicants and keep your respectable
ty. Before you promise, pray aud
think and study and advise. There
will never agaid in your earthly his
tory be time when you 80 much
need God.
If a man will lie to a woman and
q woman will lie to man about 50
important a matter as that of life
times weitale, they will lie about q
bill of goods aud lie about finances
aud lie ABOUT any thing. Society to-
day is btimful of gaIIauts aud man
milllners, carpet knights and coquetts.
and hose most God-forsaken Of all
wretches-h,rts. And they go about
drawlDg-rooms aud the parlors OF
watering places, sl.npering and bow
ing aud scraplng aud Whispering, and
then return To the club rooms, if they
be men, or TO their special gatherings,
if they be women, to clatler and gig
gle over wnaL was said TO them In
Confidence AS to such men, they
walk around in their celibacy after
their hair is streaked with gray, pre-
tending they are naturally short
sighted when their eyes are so old
10 siu that they ueed the speclacles Of
septuage marian. an eyegiass about
No 8, and think they are bewitchiDg
in their stride and overpowering ia
their glances, although they are sim
ply laughing stocks tor all mankind
And If these base dealers in human
hearts be females, they are left alter
awhile severely alone, striving in a
very dispair of agony, trying to get
back TO The attractiveness they had
when they used to brag how many
masculine affections they had slaugh
tered, Forsaken of God and honest
men and good women are sure To be
all such trlfers with human and yet
immortal affections.
"If you are unhappily married in
most cases | would advise you to
make the best you can of an awfully
bad bargain"