The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-02-03


late that he had not married into the
family of the '.Gracas,' but into the fam
ily of the "Fueies." To the day of his
death the murder OF his first betrothal
followed him..
The Bible extols one who 'sweareth to
his own heart and changeth not" That
is, when You make promise keep it at all
hazards. There may bo cases where do
ception has been used at the time of en-
gagement, aud extraordinary circum-
stances where the promise is not binding,
but in nine hundred and ninety-nine
cases out of one thousand enga cement is
as binding as marriage. Robert Burns,
with all his faults, we'll knew the force OF
a martial ngagement. In obedience to
some rustic idea, he, standing on one side
of the brook Ayr, aud Mary Campbell on
the other, they bathe 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 hand
writing, may be found the words: 'Levit-
icus, xix, u: Ye shall not swear by my
name falsely; am the Lord" And on
the cover Of the New Testament, in his
own handwriting, "Nathew, ", 33: Thou
shalt not foreswear thyself, but shalt per-
form unto the Lord thine oaths."
Suppose ship captain offers his serv-
ices to take a ship out to sea. After no
gets a little way he comes alongside of
vessel with a more beautiful nag, and
which has perhaps richer cargo and is
bound for a more attractive port. Sup
pose he rings bell for the engineer to
slow up and the wheel stops. Now l see
the captain being lowered over the side
of the vessel into small boat, aud he
crosses to the gayer and weaIthier craft,
and climbs up the sides and is seen WALK
ing the bridge of the other ship. I pick
up his resigned speaking trumpet and
shout through it: "Captain, what does
this mean? Did you not promise 80 take
this ship to Southampton, England"
EYES," says the captain, "but l have
changed my mind, and have found can
do better, and am going to take charge
here. 1 shall send back to you all the let
ters got while managing that ship, and
every thing l got from your ship, and it
viii be AL right" You tell me that the
worst fats FOR such captain as that is
tcO good foE hin. But it is just what
man OF woman does who promises
ts take one through the voyage
of life. across the ocean OF earthly
existence, and then break the promise.
The sending back of all the letters and
rings and neckl aces and keepsakes can
not make that right which ia in the sight
of God, and ought to be in the sight Of
man, an ver'asting wrong. What Amer
lean society needs to be taught is that 30.
trOthal is an act so solemn and tire
mendous that all men and women must
stand back from il until they are sure
that it is rig ht, and sure that it is best
and sure that no retreat will be desired
Before that promiseof lifetime companion
ship any amount OF romance that you
wish, any ardor of friendship, any COM
ing and going But espousal is gate,
golden gate, which one should not pass
unless he or she expects never to return
| Engagenenh IS the porch of which mar
riage ia the castle, and you have no right
in the porch if you do not mean TO pass
| into the castle.
! The troubIe has always been that this
| whole subject Of eflance has been rele-
/ gated to the realm of frivolity and joke,
| and considered not worth a sermon or
even a serious paragraph. And SO the
massacre of human lives has gone
! on, and the devil has had e his own
cruel way; aud what Is nightly needed
is that pulpit anu platform, and printing
press; all speak word OF unmistakable
| and thunderou5 protest on this subje of
| infinite Importance. We put out into
| thin poesy and light reading the material
| engagements of Petrarch and his Laura,
/ Dante and his Beatrice, Chaucer and his
/ PhiHppa, Lorenzo de Medici and his
| Luerelia, Spencer and his Ro salnd, Wal
1
/ was andthe stvle of their engagement that
| decided their happiness Or wretchsduess,
| their virtue or their prohgaey. All the
! literary and military and religious glory
/ of Queen Eiizabeth's reign can not blot
/ out from one Of the most con spicuous
! pages of history her infamous behavior
| toward, Seymour and Philip, and Mel
| vile, and Lelceste' and others. All the
| eccIesiasticaI robes that Dean Swift ever
/ fsa1 r.7o
not hide from Intelligent people of
all ages the fact that by promises
| Of marriage which ho never fu.-
| filed he broke the heart OF Jane
! Waring after an engagement Of seven
| years, and the heart of Stella after an en-
gagement OF fourteen years, and the
| poetic stanzas he dedicated to their OK
cellences only make the moro immortal
his own perfdy.
'sBut suppose I should make mistake, -
says some man or woman, t'and find 10 out
after the engagement aud before mar
| riage?" My answer is. you have no ex-
cuse for making a mistake on this sub
| sect. There arc. 50 many ways OF finding
| sut al about the character, and
I preferences, aud dislikes, and habits
! of man or woman, that il
you have not brain enough TO form
a right judgment in regard TO him or hur,
rfHnonaI aItf- as you are for an idiot asy-
lum. Notice what society yOur especial
friend prefers, whether lie is industrious
or1azv, whether she Is neat or slntterniY,
what books are real, wha5 was the style
Of ancestry, noble o. depravod, and il
there be any unsolyed mystery about the
person under consideration postpone all
promise until the mystery IS solved.
.Jackson's Hollow, Brooklyn, was part
of the city not built on for uany years,
and every time / crossed IL I said to my
self OF to others, why is not this land
built onf l found olt afterward that the
title to the land was in Controversy, Y, and
no one wanted to build there until tha
question was decided. Afterwasd / un.
derstood tho title was settled. and nos
buildings are going up oil over it. ID
not build your happiness 70 this world on
a character, mas cufin3 or fem nine, that
has not q settled and uudi sputed title t.
honor and truth, and sobriety, and kind
ness, and rightcou5 u5nesg.
o woman, Won hnve more need to paus'
before making such an important promig
than man, because IL you make a mistak'
it is worse for you. IL man blunde
about promise Of marriage, or 60 on go an
unfortdBate marriage, he can spend hi
evenings away, AMI can go 30 the ciob
or the Repub.icaa or Democrat
ic headquarters, a7d absorb hi.
= mind in citys.Dr State aud National siec
, tiOns, or smoke himself stupid, Or drinl
him felf drunk. But there IS No place o
| regular retreat for yon, @ u0mta, am
you could not take marco ..Cs or in1oX
! cants, and keep your resscctabliity. BE
fore YOU promise, pray and think, aut
] study and advise, Th 're viii usver agnI
in your earthly history b. time wher
you so much need God.
It see ms 10 me that the world ought f
cast out from busae - crsdits aud frop
good ueighborhooi tbo5e WHO least o
the number Of hearts they have s. on, a
the Indian boasts o tle nu.nher 81 sea r.
he has taken. II a mnp wi.l iie 10 a wem
an and a woman VIII lie 10 "a man aboa