The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-12-02


and the House of Representatives, and
plainly interpreted by the Supreme
Court of the country.
There are thousands Of married peo-
pie who are unhappy, and they ought
never to have been welded. They were
deceived or they were reckless, or they
were fools, or they were caught by
dimple, or hung by curl, or married
in joke, or expected fortune and II
did not come, or good habits turned 10
brutality, and hence the domestic
wreck. But make divorce less easy
and you make the human race more
cautious about entering upon lifetime
alliance. Let people understand that
marriage is not an accommodation
train that will let you leave almost
anywhere, but a through train and
then they will not step on the train
unless they expect to go clear through
to the last depot. One brave man this
coming winter, rising amid the white
marble of yonder Capitol Hill, could
offer a resolution upon the subject OF
divorce that would keep out OF the
next century much Of the free-lovism
and dissoluteness which have cursed
this century.
1t has been the custom in all Chris
tan lands for people to keep watch
night as an old year goes out and
new year comes in. People assemble
in churches about 10 o'clock of that last
night of the old year, and they have
prayers, and songs, and sermons, and
congratulations until the hands OF the
church clock almost reach the figure
twelve, and then all bow in silent pray
er; and the scene is nightly impress
siye, until the clock in the tower OF the
church, or the clock in the tower OF
the city hall, strikes twelve, and then
all rise and sing with smiling face and
jubilant voice the grand doxology, and
there is a shaking of hands all around.
But what a tremendous watchnight
the world is soon to celebrate! This
century will depart at twelve o'clock
of the thirty-first of December, OF the
year 1900. What a night that will be-,
whether starlit, or moonlit, or dark
with tempest. 1t will be such night
as you and l never saw. Those who
watched the coming in Of the nine
teenth century, long ago went to their
pillows of dust. Here and there one
will see the new century arrive who
saw this century enter, yet they were
too infantile to appreciate the arrival.
| But on the watchnight Of which
speak, in all neighborhoods, and towns,
and cities, and continents, audiences
will assemble and bow in prayer, wait
ing for the last breath of the dying
century, and when the cleck shall
strike twelve there will be solemnity
and an overwhelming awe such as has
not been felt for a hundred years; and
then all the people will arise and chant
the welcome of new century OF JOY
and sorrow, of triumph and defeat, OF
happiness and woe, and neighborhood
will shake hands with neighborhood,
and church with church, and city with
city, and continent with continent, and
hemisphere with hemisphere, and earth
with heaven, at the stupendous depar-
ture and the majestic arrival May we
all be living on earth to see the So
IDENTITIES and join in the songs and
shake hands in the congratulations
of that watch night; or, if between
this and that any of us should
be off and away, may we be in
habitants. of that land where "a
thousand years are as one day." and
in the presence of that angel spoken
of in the Apocalypse, who at the end
of the world will, standing with one
foot on the sea and the other foot on
the land. swear by him that liveth
forever and ever, that time shall be no
longer"