Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-22

age, have Gle habit or strong drink
fixed on him, he Is as certainly bound
for a drunkard's grave as that train
starting out from the Grand Central
depot at o'clock tomorrow morning
is bound for Albany. The train may
not reach Albany. for ii may be thrown
from the track. The young man may
not reach Il drunkards grave, for
something may throw him off the iron
track Of evil habit But the proba-
bilty is that the train that starts to-
morrow morning at o'clock for AL
bany will get there, and the proba-
bility is that the young man who has
the habit Of strong drink fixed OF him
before - or 30 years Of age will a.
rive mt dlunkard's grave. She knows
he drinks. although he tries TO hide II
by chewing cloves. Everybody knows
he drinks. Parents warn; neighbors
and friends warn. she will marry him;
she will reform him. If she Is unsuc-
ccssful in the experiment, why, then,
the divorce law will emanclpate her,
because habitua drunkenness Is q
cause for divorce In Indiana, Ken
lucky. Florida. Connecticut and nearly
all the states. SO the poor thing goes
to the altar of sacrifice. If you VIII
show me The poverty struck streets in
any city. I viii show you the homes
of the women who married men to re-
form them. In one case out or ten
thousand it may be successful expert
ment. never saw tie successful ex-
pertinent. But have rigorous divorce
law. and that woman will say, III 1
am afliancod to that man. II is for life.
and If now. I'm the ardOr Of his young
love and the prize TO be won, he VIA
not give I'D his cups. when he has woA
the prize surely he will not give up his
cups" And SO that woman will say 10
the man. NO, sir; you are already
married to the club, and you are mar
ried to that evil habit, and 50 you are
married twice. and you are bigamist.
Go"
Hasty Marriages.
A rigorous divorce law will also DO
much to hinder hasty and inconsid-
crate marriages. Under the impress
sion that one can be easily released
people enter the relation without IN
quiry and without reelection. Romance
and impulse rule the day, Perhaps the
only ground for the marriage compact
is that she likes his looks and ne ad-
mires the graceful way she passes
around the ice cream az lIe picnic. IL
is all they know about oacn otler e
is all the preparation fu life. y man
not able 10 pay hs own board bill,
with not a dollar in iis possession,
will stand at tie altar a4i take the
loving hand and say with all my
worldly goods 1 thee endow" \ wo-
man that could not make a LOAF OF
bread to save her life will swear TO
love and keep him in sickness and III
health. A Christian will marry an
atheist. and that always makes con-
ioined wretchedness. for If a man does
not believe there Is God he is neither
10 be trusted with dollar nor with
your lifelong happiness. Having read
much about love in cottage, people
brought up in ease will 90 and starye
in A howell Runaway matches and
elopements. nine hundred and ninety
nine out of = thousand Of which mean
death and hell, multiplying on all
hands. You see them in every days
newspapers.
Our ministers in some regions have
no defense such as they have in other
regions where the banns must be pre-
viously published and an officer OF the
law must give certificate that all Is
right. so clergymen are left DEFENSE
less and unite those who ought never
TO be united. Perhaps they are too
Young. or perhaps they are standing
already in some domestic compact BY
the wreck Of ten thousand homes, by
the holocaust Of ten thousand sacrl-
feed men and women. by the hearth
stone Of the family, which is the cor
nerstone Of the state. and in the name
of that God who hath set up the fam
ilv institution and who hath made the
breaking Of the marital oath the most
appalling Of all poriuries. | implore the
congress Of the United States to make
some righteous. uniform law for all
the states and from ocean TO ocean on
/ this subject Of marriage and divorce.
Warming TO the Young.
Let me say to all young people. be-
fore You give your heart and hand in
holy alliance. use all caution. Inquire
outside as 20 habits. explore the dispo'
silion. ScrutlniZe the taste. question
the ancestry and find out the ambi-
tions. DO not take the heroes ana
the herOineS of cheap novels for a mod
e DO not put your lifetime happi-
ness in the keeping Of a man who mas
a reputation Of being 2 little loose 10
morals or in the keeping Of a woman
who dresses immodestly. Remember
that. while good looks are kindly
gift Of God. wrinkles or accident may
despoil them. Remember that Byron
was no more celebrated for his beauty
than for his depravity. Remember
that Absalom's hair was not more
splendid than his habits were despica-
bic. Hear itl Hear itl The only foun-
dation for happy marriage that ever
has been or ever will be is good char
acter.
Ask the counsel Of father and moth
or in this most important step OF your
life. They are good advisers. They
are the best friends you ever had
They made more sacrifices for you
than any one else ever did, and they
will do more today for your happl
ness than any other people. Ask them
and. above all, ask God. l used Il
smile at John Brown Of HaddingtoI
because. when he was about to oue
his hand and heart in marriage to on
who became his lifelong companion
he opened the conversation by saying
LET us pray" But have seen s.
many shlpwrecks on the sa Of mat
rimony / have made vT mind ina
John Brown Of Had VAS righ'
A union formed IN VIII be
happy union. though -ess pale IA
cheek and poverty eaDty the hfea
tray and death open the small grave