Telegram-herald., 1888-01-23

cssu 1f-f1 4.ta E1@a ket1 let i"4t ~ ee-4
FoG aaa2s : paorsss Eseg g ~ al hs1se~s-
TksFs AaAy - esses sasrs aeceEt,aa has bsea
esed - t1s tine * s1s4kes zed sxfEser-
el<ary Circumstances whsge tt@ nfelasss :
not oiEa4ng, bus - ai1s kaaAtfe.& z4d niaetg-
ans eases sut 81 = tks1salAG sasegeslegt .
a. b.H.1iaz a. nszu 49,. k9asrl burns wsth
al has fsalts Nsls saee the tares ~ a EaaEitsi
sngss seE-eat. Ia eseiisnca - sOEae fusiic
itsz be. S.41elng % oas sl1e the b1ook
Ayr snd Mar l&aEbeli ca ghs ether, th<s
bathei the.r sznds ia he water aud then
pa tbsm ca the bsar.s of sae bsbss. making
thsir ple,ig- II Esielity Ca the cover q the
Old Testament n that book 70 this day,
ia Robert Barns h<nd~F.ring nsay be found
the words. "Lsxitic'S. xix- ~ ie shall
Eot swear ~ az nAn8s falsely 1 an the
Lord And On tEs cover ol the Nss Iesta-
neat. in LIS osn aaI1sTitlEg' Matthew,
y. IS. Tbog sAalt NOT f0rswc4F thyself, but
shsit perform aHto ths Lord thine o4ihs. /"
Supposs ship csptaia offers Bis services
% fAks snip ont % sea After he gets q lit-
re way Be coaes alongside q a vessel With
msrs beautiful Gag ami which has perhaps
richer cargo and Is bound fog more at
tractlye port. Supnoss hs rings : bell Tor the
eagineer q SLOW up sn3 the y heei stops. now
/ 80 The eapt4ia o~inE lowered over the side
ef lhs vessel into = snail boat, and be crosses
70 the gayer aud weather. craft, AMI eiimbS
up the sides, and Is seen walking the
bridge Of lie other ship ! pick up his
resigned speaking trumpet and l shout
through il: Captain, whst doeS this meant
Did you not premise % take this ship To
Southampton, Esgianl.' "Yes," says the
captain, ''but have changed nay mind and l
have found can do better ami | am going
- take charge here | shall send back to you
all the lettsss g1t while managing that ship
and everything cot from your ship, and it
viii be all right You tell no that tho worst
fate for such a captain IS that Is to good for
him. Bat il Is Jlst What a man or woman
does who promises 10 take ons through the
voyage of life. scross the ocean of earthly
existence, and shea breaks the promise The
sending back Of AL The letters and rings
and necklaces and keepSakes cannot make
that right which IS IN the sight Of
God, snd ought To be in the sight Of man,
an everlasting wrong What American
society needs 20 be taught Is that bethrothal
is an act 50 solemn and tremendous that all
men and women must stand back from 1t
until they are sure that it is right, and
sure that ii is best, and sure that
no retreat viii be desired. Before that
promise of lifetime companionship any
amount of romance that you wish, any
ardor OF friendship, any coming and going.
But e.,pousai il gate, 1. golden .gnte, which
one should not pass, unless he cr she expects
never TO return. Engagement is the porch
Of which marriage is the castle, and YOU have
no right in tho 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 realms OF friy oiity and joke, and con-
sidcred not worth sermon or even a serious
paragraph And SO the massacre Of human
lives has gone on and the devil has had 1T bis
own cruel way and what is nightly needed
is that pulpit and platform and printing
press all speak word of unmistakable and
thunderous protest on this subject of in
finite Importance. Weput clear out into thin
poesy and light reading the marital en-
gagements Of Petrarch and his Laura, Dante
and his Beatrice, Chsucer and his Philippa,
Lorenzo de Medici and his Lucretia, Spenser
and his Rosalini, Waller and his Sacchar-
issa, not realizing that it was the style or
their engagement that decided their happi-
ness or wretchedneSs, their virtue or their
prohgGcy All the literary and military
and religious glory Of Queen Elizobeth's
reign cannot blot out from one OF the
most conspicuous pages Of history her in
famous behavior toward Seymour and
Philip and Melville and Leicester and
others. Althe ecclesiastical robes that Dean
Swift ever rustled through consecrated
places cannot hide from intelligent people of
all ages the fact, shat by promises of mar
riage which he never fulfilled, he broke the
s.
OF seven years and the heart Of Stella after
an engagement of fourteen years, and the
poetic stanzas he dedicated TO their excel
lences only make the more immortal his own
perfidy.
But suppose / should make q mistake,
saws some man or woman, "and find it out
after the engagement and before the mar
riager' Ny answer is you have no excuse
for making mistake on this subject. There
are so many WAYS Of finding out all about the
character and preferences and dislikes and
habits of a man or woman, that if you have
not brain enough to form right judgment
in regard to him or her, you are not SO tit q
candidate for the matrimonial altar as you
are for On idiot ssylum. Notice what society
your especial friend prefers, whether he is
industrious or lazy, whether sho is neat OF
ktEILefnlH, Nudb DpolAS tlAc iCfthf WAoo No7
the style Of ancestry, noble or depraved, and
if there be any unsolved mystery about The
person under consideration postpone a.
promise until the mystery is solved.
! Jacksop's Hollow, Brooklyn, was part O.
the city not built on for many years, and
every time crossed it / said 70 myself or tc
Others. whY is not this land built onl
found out aftervard that the title TO tbs
: land vas in controversy and no one wanted
to build there until that question was de
cided. sAftsrward l understood the title was
settled. and now buildings are going up 81
over il. Do not build your happiness for thi
world or a character, masculine or feminine
that has not a settled and undisputed title &
honor and truth, and sobriety and kindnes-
and righteousness.
On woman. yoa have more need to pause be
fore making such an important promise thar
man. because IL You make a mistake it j
worse for you. III man blunder abou
promise Of marriage, or go on to an unfortu
nate marriage, ne can spend his evening
away. and can 20 to the club or the Repuhii
can or Democratic headquarters. and Absorb
his mind in city or state or national elections
or smoke himself stupid. or drink himsel
drunk But there is no place of regular re
treat for you. on woman, and you could no
take narcotics or intoEicants and keep you
responsibility. Before you promise, prn.
and shink aud study and advise. There Wi
never again in your earthly history be
time when you 80 much need God.
Il sssnrs 90 re that the world orrht ?
cast cus from business credits an4 FROM roc'
neirhhorhe-f those who boast e the numb
q iesf.s ,1ey have wou. IS tie lnsiia
boasts Il taa Number Il scalps he has taSsr
II nssa wa lie - a wonan AL wosns
VII lie - r-en arcut 60 important a ll-
Ter - hat - hfefirae's welfare. thev
he about \ biil ~ go.~ls sna lie al.0ut 6narc
s...t~-