The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-14
Sunday Evening Discourse by
Rev. Wallace Nutting.
Some Of the Duties Of the Wife Worth
Mentioning.
The Part the Wife Has In Developing
First Glass Husband.

Rev. Wallace Nutting, whose series OF !
sund sy evening discourses on the "Rels- I
tions OF Society," have drawn steadily in |
creasing congregations, had for his sub
ject last evening "The Wife" The text |
was Cor. xiii:7. "Love beareth all
things, believeth ell things, hogsth all
course In full follows:
"If II is well for man TO marry, as
we were saying last week, evidently IL
Is we'll also for woman, else the divine
economy would be at fault. Marriage
brings more trouble TO women than 10
men. Its SORROWS and cares are heavy.
But when we are young these things DO
not appeal to us. IL Is fathers and moth
ers who think of these things. and hold
back their daughters from a relation In
which mos. women find their largest
good. To be good wife Is not an easy
thing, but it is worthy aiu, and II is
encouraging that most honest men wnl
agree that their wives have succeeded In
this aim. and the surest prophecy that
welded life will be happy is the steady
confidence that you can make IL so.
Women should not look upon marriage asa
cURTAILING OF THEIR SPHERE,
TO use the cant expression. The society
custom OF extending for considerable
number OF years the period after "com-
ing out, - on the theory that the girl ought
10 have q "good timeh Is based on q
blind ignorance OF the blessings OF mar
riage. and IL ignores the lofty moral posi-
tion OF Christianity. For II 10 neither con-
sistent with sense nor righteousness that
the corpse OF a burned out soul should,
after its spiritual freshness has departed,
in the selfish play with affections COM
mon in society, afterward, when ad-
mirers begin to drop off, then be given
in marriage as the only thing left 10 be
done. ] am glad these pernicious customs
rule only q small portion OF the people;
and that ordinarily the young woman
10 left without conquests and without
the deterioration that accompanies them,
until tho time when, be 1t early or late,
she gives her husband a soul unstained
by gambling.
"What are some
wIFELY DUTIES WORTH MENTIoNINof
Some wives promise TO obey their hus-
bands and IL they SUI ceed in doing so
think they have accomplished the whole
duty OF woman. No wife 10 worth low
ing merely because she is obedient. 1
suspect that In some cases obedience rem
ders q wife despicable in her husbands
eyes. 1t all depends upon whs, he asks
her to do. Let the wife see, says Paul,
that she fear her husband. Evidently
the sort OF fear meant Is not physical. IL
is unnecessary to tell the wife OF vio-
lent, cruel man to fear him. She does SO
already. The old version had in this
place the word reverence, but that meant
too much, nor does fear exactly define the
proper attitude OF wife, for
PERFECT LOVE cAsrETH OUT FEAR
"The meaning is, suppose, that a wife
should show careful Difference TO her
husband. Men are more decisive than
women. In sue b a caAe she should allow
him to sway her--she is already balanced.
1t ought TO be possible for husband and
wife to agree. When they can't. owing
to the fault of one or both, and no moral
question Is involved, IL Is better for the
wife to give way than to cause coldness.
These questions often arise, and any con-
siderable degree OF persistence In both
parties on minor matters causes friction.
The Biblical writer's knew their subjects.
In q case where something must give way
or break what is to be donef Clearly here
was q practical question In young
church Just converted from paganism. lr
the pagan system the husband frequently
used coercive measures or chose the meth
cd OF Socrates-remained down town. II
did not require the wisdom OF an apostle
to suggest that IL the husband won't yielc
the wife should. II Is the same question
as that of the growing kittens in the lit
tie basket. II one doesn't get out VIII,
the other must. And SO they continue 4
live together in peace and harmony. Th
husband, therefore, on account OF some
divine reason into which we will not nov
enter, Is given the opportunity to cast TIT
decisive vote and be gentleman. III b.
isn't, then-the wife, as lady, follow
his initiative and the world remains il
reasonable peace. For love suffereth loni
and 10 kind, and the failure OF a husband
to show 1t does not excuse It's absence II
the wife, Such questions occurring in ou
imperfect society, grow less and les
when the first command is fulfilled. Whel
moral questions arise, no woman-no hu
man creature can verge hairs breadt
from the dictates of conscience, II tn
whole race OF husbands were TO interfere
We owe i suspect, many wise sayings G
Socrates to the protracted talks he ha
with his friends, because he was afrai
to go home. He was too much OF
philosopher TO take pagan methods OF sui
DUNG his wife, so he
RELIEVED HIMSELF BY QUIzzING HI
FRIEND.
"Now while II may require uncom mo
patience to be the wife OF a philosopher
think his wife had neglected a very IN
portant question, that is--wbat attract
a man to his home She wanted him
come-s she longed for the hour-for ha
she not waited all day to turn the vials {
her wrath upon himf 1t was her opinio
that he would do better to make statute
for that was his business than to
philosophizing. History has proved th'
she was wrong. III she could have for,
seen this, suspect II would not ha,
changed her attitude, for she sought NJ
posthumous fame, but some vain Athel
ian notion, and no doubt IL was trying
have Socrates down town launching o,
into a transcendentiy argument that r
quired until three hours after dinner
demolish his antagonist. But after q
the life is more than meat, and our =
viour Himself aroused the surprise Of III
disciples by becoming so much interests