The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-17
MARRIAGE.
DR.. Talnage's Discourse to the
Women of America.
MARRIAGE FOR WORLDLY SUCCESS

bRoONLNNi n. Y, January 10 Special. -
In the Brooklyn tabernacle this morning the
Rev. I. Dewitt Talmage, DID, preached the
second OF the series Of sermons to the women
of America, with important hints to men. The
subject of the sermon was Marriage for
Worldly Success Without Regard to Moral
Character and the text was from I Samuel,
XXv:2; "And there was man in Maon whose
possessions were in Carmel and the man was
very great and he had three thousand sheep
and thousand goats" DR.. Tolmagc said:
My text introduces us to a drunken boat Of
large property. Before the day of safety de-
posts and government bonds and national
banks people had their Investments in focks
and herds, and this man Nabal of the text
had much IN his possessions in live
stock. lie camo also Of q distin-
guishcd family, and had glorious Ca
le5 for an ancestor But this
descendant was a sneak, q churl sot and
fool. One instance 10 illustrates; 1t was
wooI-Haisjng country and at the time Of shear
inga great feast was prepared Tor the shear
ors; and Dayid and his warriors, who had in
other days saved from destruction the thresh-
ing floors of Nabal, sent to him asking, in this
time Of plenty, for some bread for their starry
ing men. And Nabal cried out "Who is
Dayid?' As though an Englisman had
should say; "Who is Won lIolt5o?" or an
American should say: ''Whois Washington ?"
Nothing did Nabal give to the starving men,
and that night the scoundrel lay dead drunk
at home, and the Bible gives us q full length
picture of him spraw!ing and maudlin and
helpless.
Now thatwas the man whom Abigail the love-
ly and gracious and good woman married-a
tuberose planted beside a thistle, a palms
branch twincd into a wreath of deadly night
shade. Surely that was not one of the
matches made in heaven. We threw up our
hands in horror at that wedding. How did
she ever consent to link her destinies with
such a creature! Well, she no doubt thought
that it would be an honor to be associated
with an aristocratic family and no one can
despise a great name. Besides this, wealth
/ would come, and with it chains of gold and
mansions lighted by swinging lamps of
aromatic Gil, and resoundng with the cheer of
banqueterS seated at tables laden with wines
from the richest vineyards and fruits from
| ripest orchards and nuts threShed from foreign
woods and meats smoking in plattoTs Of gold set
on by slaves III bright uniform. Before she
pHghtcd her trOth with this dIsspated man
She sometimes said 10 herself: GLOW can |
endure him 10 be associated for life with
such q deb0uchec, I cannot and viii not" But
then again she said to herself: 1t is time |
was married, and this is a cold world to depend
on, and perhaps l might do worse, and may be
Will mako sober man out Of him, and
marriage IS lottery anyhow" And when
one day this representative of a great house
presented himself in parcnthesis of sobriety,
and with an assumed geniality and gallantry
Of manner and with promise of fidelity and
kindness and self-abnegation, 4 June morning
smiled on a March squail, and the great sOuled
woman surrendered her happiness to the keep
ing of this infamous son Of fortune, whose pos
sessions were in Carmel; and the man was