The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-21
MARRY BY RULE.
Tho Salvation Army's Code of courtship

The girl who wishes to become an Off
Ger in the Salvation Army must, first of
all, make up her mind to keep her heart
we'll governed. She must promise to re-
main single for three years. She is gen.
orally in her teens, often pretty, and just
like other girls, only more enthusiastic
and determined to make the world bet
ter. Her training lasts at least six
months, and during this time the worst
offense she can commit and the one that
will soonest cause her expulsion in dis
grace is to fall in love. Should Prince
Charming appear during the fatal period,
1t makes no difference, he must not be
encouraged nor even looked at In fact.
he must ooldly be told to go about his
business. The object OF his affections is
as far beyond his reach as did she wear
the veil of priestess of Vesta So all
the weet-faced cadets who stand upon
the street corners preaching or selling
their "War Cries" or 60 soliciting for
charity through the downtown build
ings, no matter how prettily they smile
or how coyly they blush, carry stony
little hearts under their flannel guernseys.
Even when she becomes an officer and
has her commission her heart Is still sub
ject to certain regulations, and they are
many in number and strict in character
She can not be foourted" until she lie
one year In the filed service, and then 1T
is another year before she can become
engaged" and she must be engaged one
year before she can be married. Then
her heart must attaoh itself to another
officer. or one who is willing to 60 i'm
mediately into training to become one
The statement of the army show that
nearly all who leave it's ranks do so
through love affairs, and this does not
seem strange when the regulations are
read. 1.-THE Field Book of Officers lays
down the law governing love and mar
rage as confidently as if heal ts were ma
chimes that worked with screws, cranks,
and levers. With the army it is not task
papa" or Task mamma" 1t is task d.
is. in most cases, some one who lives in
another city and can know very little
of the state of the lovers feeling. But
the field book says assuringly:
MANY officers are young and inexper-
fenced, and they require some older per
son to give them counsel in such mat
ters.''
LAWS ON "COURTING."
When girl applies to be allowed to
enter training she is asked many ques-
tions to gauge her fitness, but most of all
she is questioned regarding her affections
and any ENHANCEMENT into which they
may have led her. On the subject of
"oourting'' the laws are:
Candidates must pledge themselves to
abstain from anything Of the kind COURT
ing when in training) and. for at least
twelve months after GO mmission officer,
Counting means more or less a
division of feeling and must in some
measure interfere with the discharge of
duty and is, therefore, to be deprecated %
They must not fall in love with one In
the same place, for the laws are: fOff1-
GERS must not be allowed to carry on any
oourtship in the town in which they are
appointed Their influence is destroyed
when it Is known that they are engaged
so situated should ask for removal when
surrounding influences are found to be
too strong"
In everything lovers are told that help
mates must be chosen "for the war;"
and consent will never be given to any
engagement or marriage which would take
the officer out of the army"
In explaining the object of the last law
the Field Book states that the army oan-
not afford to educate and train officers
to have them leave. In leaving they are
impressed that they violate their most
solemn pledges. Moreover: "Of1csrs are
to inform division officer of any oomrade
violating these rules, and the "rules''
refer to "courting."
TAKE TIME TO CONSIDER.
This is the cool way An officer acts be-
fore she consents to become her lovers
wife: after prayer and consideration
the officer is to make careful inquiry of
those likely to know something of the
private character and real disposition of
the other party" Here it treats of the
difference bewteen public and private
character, and continues: Before MAX
ing any overtures, or giving any pledge,
or allowing the feelings to be entangled
to any extent. the officer must first find
out what the real disposition of the par
ty is No matter what outward charm,
OR capacity, or popularity the person
may possess, if the private spiritual life
and history do not show the individual
to be true, sincere and good, the officer
must decline to be led into any engage
ment.'
When officers do receive or give atten-
ton to one of the opposite sex they must
'mean business" for the law says, un-
der the title of "No f1irting": .aNo init
macies are allowed but those meaning
straight forward engagement. More
than this, any breaking of an engage
ment must at once be reported to the
division officer, and "any officer found
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