The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-23

TO fulfill II? III man sign note for $500
ought he to pay it? Ii contract be signed
involving the building Of house or tho
furnishing of bill Of goods, ought they
stand by that contract? "Oh, yes," al
ways answered. Then / ask the further
question: Is the heart, the happiness, the
welfare, the temporal and eternal destiny
OF man or woman worth us much rs the
house, worth $500, worth anything The
realm Of protligacy is filed with men and
women as result of the wrong answer TO
that question. The most aggravating,
stupendous and Goddeiying lie is lie in
the shape OF broken espousal.
But suppose man changes his mind,
ought he not back out2 Not once in 10, 900
times. What il change my mind about
q promissory note and decline 10 pay il,
and suddenly put my property in such
shape that you could not collect your noteP
How would you like that? That, you say,
would be fraud. So h the other a fraud
and punish it God will, certainly as you
live, and just as certainly II
you do not live. l have known
men betrothed to loving and good
womanhood resigning their engage
ment and the victim went down in hasty
consumption, while suddenly the recrcant
man would go up the aisle OF church in
brilliant bridal party, and the two prom
Used 81 Will with solcmnity that seemed
insurance OF lifetime happiness. But the
simple fact was, that was the first act of a
Shakesperian play entitled, Flaming the
Shrow" He found out when too late that
he had not married into tho family OF the
"Gmces," but into the family OF the "Fu-
ries." To the day OF his death the murder
OF his first betrothal followed him.
The Bible extols one who 'swearcth 10
his own hurt and changeth not" That is,
when you make promise keep II at all
hazards. There may be cases where de-
ccption has been used at the time Of en-
gagement, and extraordinary circumstances
where the promise is not binding but in
900 cases ont of 1000 engagement is rs
binding rs marriage. Robert Burns, with
all his faults, well knew the force OF a
marital engagement, In obedience 10 some
rustic idea he, standing on side Of the
brook Ayr, and Mary Campbell on the
other, they bathed their hands in the
water and then put them on the boards OF
a Bible, making their pledge OF fidelity.
On the cover Of the Old Testament Of that
book 10 this day, in Robert Burns hand
writing, may bc found the words, Levitt
icus, xix. IL: We shall pot swear by my
name falsely; / am the Lord" And on
the cover OF the New Testament, in his
own handwriting, Matthew v. 81 Thou
shalt not iorswear thyself, but shall per-
form unto the Lord thine oaths."
Suppose a ship captain offers his services
10 take a ship out 10 sea. After he gets a
little way out Inc comes alongside OF YES.
| aal fol II,
has, perhaps, richer cargo aud is bound
for a more attractive port. Suppose he
rings a bell for the engineer 10 slow
up and the wheel stops. Now see the
captain being lowered over the side OF the
vessel into small boat, and lac crosses "a
the gayer and Weather craft, and climbs
up the side, and Is seen walking the bridge
OF the other ship. pick up Inns resigned
speaking trumpet and shout through Il
Captain, what does this mean2 Did you
not promise 20 take this ship 10 South.
ampton, England ?" "Yes,n SAYS the
and | have found | can do better, and
am going 10 take charge here. shall
send back t2you all the letters got while
managing That ship, and everything ! got
from your ship, and II will be all right.
|
captain ~ that Is too good for him. But II
is just what n man or woman does who
promises 10 take ono through the voyage
Of life, across the ocean OF earthly exist
ence, and then breaks the promise. The
sending back of all The letters and ring
and necklaces and kecpsakcs cannot make
that right which Is In sight Of God, and
ought 10 be in the sight OF man, an ever
/ -.
needs 10 be taught is that betrothal n an
act 30 solemn and tremendous that all men
and women must stand back from IL until
they are sure that II Is right, and sure that
II Is best, aud sure that no retreat will b,
desired. Before that promise Of lifetime
companionship any amount OF romance
that you wish, any ardor Of friendship
any coming aud going. But espousal Is !
gate, n golden gate, which ono should no
pass unless lac or she expects never to NJ
turn. Engagement Is the porch Of which
marriage Is the castle, and you have NJ
right IN the porch II you do not mean &
pass into the castle.
The trouble has always been that thi
whole subject OF alliance has been rele
gated 10 the realm OF iriyolity and Joke
and considered not worth q sermon, o.
even n serious paragraph. Aud NO thu
massacre OF human lives has gone ON an,
the devil has had II his own cruel way
and what is nightly needed is that pulp
and platform and printing press all spcal
q word Of unmistakable and thunderou
protest ON this subject OF infinite import
ance. We put clear out Into thin pocs,
and light reading the marital engagement
OF Pctmrch and his Laura, Dante and hi
Beatrice, Chauccr and his Phillippa, 10
reno dc Medici and his Lucretia, Spence
aud his Rosalind, Waller and his saccha
rissa, not realizing that Il was tho style O
their engagement that decided their happi
ness or Indebtedness, their virtue or thci
pronigacy. All the literary and mlitar,
and religious glory OF Queen EliZabcthl
reign cannot blot out from one OF the mos
conspicuous pages Of history her iniaInou
behavior toward Seymour aud Philip ant
Melville and Leicester and others. AL
the ecclesiastical robes that Dean Swii
ever rustlcd through consccrated place
cannot hide from intelligent people OF al
ages the fact that by promises Of marriage
which no never fulfilled, he broke tn
heart Of Jane Waring after an engagement
OF seven years, and the heart vi Stella ate
an engagement Of fourteen ycaB, and th
poetic stanzas he dedicated 10 their excel
lcnce only made the more immoral his owl
pcrhdy.
"But suppose should make a mistake,
says some man or woman, "and find
out after engagement and before MAI
riageg" My answer Is, you have no cS
cuse for making mistake on this subject
There are 10 many ways Of finding out al
J about the character aud preferences an