The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-23

Surance OF llIeJlne happiness. but tue
simple fact was, that was the first act of a
Shakespearian play entitled Tanning the
Shrew." He found out when too late that
he had not married into the family of the
"GraceS," but INTO the family of the
"Furies." To the day of his death the muir
der of his first betrothal followed him.
The Bible extols one who "sweareth to
his own hurt and changeth not.n That is,
when you make a promise keep it at all
hazards. There may be cases where decep-
tion has been used at the time of engage
ment, and extraordinary circumstances
where the promise is not binding, but in 800
cases out of | 900 engagement is as binding
as marriage. Robert Burns, with all his
faults, well knew the force of a marital en-
gagement. In obedience to some rustic idea
he, standing on one side 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 to this day in Robert
Burns handwriting may be found the
words: "Leviticus xix, II: Ye SHALL not
swear by my name falsely; am the Lord. "
And on the cover of the New Testament in
his own handwriting: Matthew v, 33:
Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt
perform unto the Lord thine oaths.A
Suppose a ship captain offers his services
to take ship out to sea. After he gets lit
tie way he comes alongside of a vessel with
a more beautiful flag and which has per-
haps a richer cargo and is bound for a more
attractive port. Suppose he rings a bell
for the engineer to slow up and the wheel
stops. Now l see the captain being low
cred over the side of the vessel into a small
boat, and he crosses to the gayer and
wealthier craft, and climbs up the sides,
and is seen walking the bridge of the other
ship pick up his resigned speaking trum-
pet and shout through it; captain, what
does this mean9 Did you not promise to
take this ship to Southampton, EngandF
YES" says the captain, 'but | have
changed my mind, and have found | can
do better, and | am going to take charge
here. | shall send back to you all the let
ters / got while managing that ship,
and everything L got from your
ship, and it will be all right"
You tell me that the worst
fate for such a captain as hat is too good
for him. But it is just what man or
woman does who promises to take one
through the voyage of life, across the ocean
of earthly existence, and then breaks the
promise. The sending back of all the let
ters and rings and necklaces and keepsakes
cannot make that right which is in the
sight of God, and ought to he in the sight
of man, an everlasting wrong What
American society needs to be taught is that
betrothal is an act so solemn and tremendous
that all men and women must stand back
from it until they are sure that it is right,
and sure that it is best, and sure that no re-
treat will be desired. Before that promise
of lifetime companionship any amount of
romance that you wish, any ardor of friend
ship, any coming and going. But espousal
is gate, a golden gate, which one should
not pass unless be or she expects never to re-
turn. Engagement is the porch of which
10 h,ax risr,t
in the porch if you do not mean to pass into
the castle.
The trouble has always been that this
whole subject of alliance has been relegated
to the realm of frivolity and joke, and con-
sidered not worth a sermon or even seri-
GUS paragraph. And SO the massacre of
human lives has gone on and the devil has
had it his own cruel way, and what is
nightly needed is that pulpit, and platform
and printing press all speak a word of un-
mistakable and thunderous protest on this
subject of infinite Importance We put
clear out into thin poesy and light reading
the marital engagements of Petrarch and
his Laura, Dante and his Beatrice, Chaucer
and his Philippa, Lorenzo de Medici and
| his Lucretia, Spenser and his Rosalind,
Waller and his Saccharssa, not real
their engagement that decided
their happiness or wretchedness, their viz
tue or their profligacy All the literary and
military and religious glory of Queen Eliza
! beths reign cannot blot out from one of the
| most conspicuous pages OF history her
| infamous behavior toward Seymour and
| Phillip and Melville and Leicester and 9TH
ers. All the ecclesiastical robes that Dean
| Swift ever rustled through consecrated
places cannot hide from intelligent people
| of all ages the fact that by promises of mar
riage, which he never fulfilled, he broke the
heart of Jane Waring, after an engagem 9nt
| of years, and the heart of Stella after an
engagement Of IA years, and the poetic
| stanzas he dedicated to their eXcellences
only make the more immortal his own per-
| fidy.
But suppose l should make mistake, "
| says some man or woman, "and l find it
out after the engagement and before mar
riageF My answer is, you have no excuse
| for making a mistake on this subject
There are so many ways of finding out all
about the character and preferences and
dislikes and habits of man or woman that
| if you have not brain enough to form a
right Judgment in regard to him or her,
| YOU are not so fit candidate for the matri-
monial altar as you are for an idiot asylum.
Notice what society your especial friend
prefers, whether he is industrious or lazy,
| whether she is neat or slatternly, what
books are read, what was the style of ances-
| VI > lpOplo VI ihNOhi nil' - DiSA Y CO uhJ
unsolved mystery about the person under
consideration postpone all promise until
the mystery is solved.
Jacksons hollow, Brooklyn, was part Of
| the city not built on for many years, and
every time l crossed it | said to myself or
to others, why is not this land built on!
found out afterward that the title 10 the
land was in controversy and no one wanted
| to build there until that question was de-
cided. Afterward | understood the title
was settled and now buildings are going up
all over it. Do not build your happiness
| for this world on character, masculine or
feminine, that has not settled and undis-
puted title to honor and truth and sobriety
and kindness and Righteousness
0 woman, you have more need to pause
before making such an important promise
than man, because IL you make a mistake
it is worse for you If a man blunder about
promise of marriage or go on TO an unfor-
tunate marriage, he can spend his evenings
away, and can go to the club or the Repub-
lican or Democratic headquarters, and alb
sorb his mind in city or State or national
elections, or smoke himself stupid or drink
himself drunk But there is
no place of regular re-
treat for you, Q woman, and you could not
take narcotics or intoxicants and keep your
respectability. Before you promise, pray
and think and study and advise. There
will never again in your earthly history be
time when you so much need God.
IA a -t.A 4.