The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-17

jewel for finger or car least that sparkle of
precious stone turn out to be the eye Of Il basi-
lsk, and let not the ring come on the finger
OF your right hand lest that ring turn out to
be one link of a chain that shall bind you in
never-ending captivity. In the name of God
and heaven and home, in the name of all timo
and all eternity l forbid the banns! Consent
not to JOIN one of the many regiments of
women who have married for worldly success
without regard TO moral character.
Ii you are ambitious, o. woman, for
noble ali9ncins, why not marry a
king? And to that honor you are in
Ylted by the monarch Of heaven and earth,
and this day voice from the skies sounds
Iofth; AS the bridegroom reioiceth over the
bride SO shall thy God rejoice over thee" Let
Him put upon thee the ring Of this royal mar
rage. Here is an honor worth reaching after.
by repentance and faith you may come into q
marriage with the emperor OF universal do
munlon, and you may pc an empress unto God
forever, and reign with him in palaces that
tho centuries cannot crumble or cannonadcs
demoish.
High worldly marriage is not necessary for
woman, or marriage olany kind in order
to your happiness Colibacy has boon honorcd
by the best being that ever lived and his
greatest apostle, Christ and Paul. What
higher honor could single life on earth have?
But what YOU need, q woman, Is to he atlianCcl
forever and forever, and the banus Of that
marriage | am this moment here now ready to
publish. Let the angels of heaven bend from
their galleries of light to witness while | pro
nounco you onc-a loving God and a forgiven
soul. One OF the most stirring passages in his
tory with which am acquainted tells us how
Cleopatra, the cNilCd queen Of
Egypt won the sympatics of Julius
Caesar, the COnquCror, until he be-
came the bridegroom and She the bride Driven
from her throne, she sailed away ON the
Modlterranean sea in 4 storm, and when the
large SNIP anchored She put ont with one
womaniy friend in \ small boat until she ar
rived at Alexandria, where was CUsar the
great general. Knowing that she would not
be permitted TO land or pass the guards on tho
way to Caesars palace, she laid upon tho bot
tom OF tho boat some shaWls and scarls and
richly dyed upholstery, and then laid down un-
ON them, and her friend wrapped her in them
and she was admitted ashore IN this wrapping
OF goods, which was announced as
present for Caesar, This bundle was
permitted to pass the guards of tho gates of
the palace, and was put down at the feet of
the Roman general. When the bundle was
unrolied there rose before Caesar ono whose
courage and beauty and brilliancy are tho as
constituent of the ages. This eXilcd queen of
Egypt told the story of her sorrows, and lie
promised her that she should get back her
throne i'll Egypt and take the throne OF Wiicly
dominion III his own heart. AftorWard they
made triumphal tour in n barge that the
pictures of many art galleries have called
"Cleopatra's Barge" and that barge was coy
cred with sillen awning, and its deck was
solt with luNuriant carpets, and the ores were
silyer-tippcd, and the PROV was gold-mouutod,
and tho air was rcdOicnt with the
spcery of tropical gardens and resonant
with the music that made the night glad as
the day. You may rejoice, o woman, that
you are not a Cleopatra and that the one to
whom YOU may be aihanCCd had mono of the
sins Of Caesar, the conqucror. But it suggests
to me how you, n soul eNicd from happiness
and peace, may find your way to the feet of
the COnquerOr OF earth and SKY. Though it