The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-10-26

uOSt 0ppullAH& VI iii pCIJuEASOs = Alus
olore the congress of the United States
to make some righteous, uniform Law
Tor all the states and from ocean te
ocean on this subject Of marriage and
divorce.
Let me say to all young people, before
you give your heart and hand In holy
alliance, use all caution. Inquire out
side as to habits, explore the DISPOSE
ton, scrutinize the taste, question the
and find out the ambitions.
Do not take the heroes and the heroines
of cheap novels for model. Do not
put your lifetime happiness in the keep
ing of man who has reputation for
being little loose in morals or in the
keeping of woman who dresses i'm.
modestly. Remember that, while good
looks are a kindly gift of God, wrinkles
or accident may despoil them. Remem-
Der 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
despicable. Hear it! Hear it! The
only foundation for happy marriage that
ever has been or ever will be is good
character.
Ask the counsel of father and mother
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 anyone else
ever did, and they will do more to-day
for your happiness than any other peo-
pie. Ask them, and, above all, ask God.
I used to smile at John Brown, of Had
dington, because, when he was about
to offer his hand and heart in marriage
to one who became his lifelong compan.
ion, he opened the conversation by say
ing: 'Let us pray" But I have seen
so many shipwrecks on the sea Of mat
rimony I have made up my mind that
John Brown, of Haddington. was right.
A union formed in prayer win be
happy union, though sickness pale the
cheek and poverty empty the bread tray
and death open the small graves and all
the path of life be strewn with thorns,
from the marriage altar with its we'd
ding march and orange blossoms clear
on down to the last farewell at that
gate where Isaac and Rebecca, Abra.
ham and Sarah, Adam and Eve, parted.
And let me say to you who are in thia
relation, if you make one man or wom-
an happy you have not lived in vain.
Christ says that what He is to the
church you ought to be to each other.
and if sometimes, through the differ.
ence of opinion or difference Of dispo-
sition, you make up your mind that
your marriage was a mistake patiently
bear and forbear, remembering that
there is glory in the patient endur.
ance of sad yoke. Life at the longest
is short, and for those who have been
badly mated in this world death will
give quick and final bill of enforcement
written in letters of green grass on
quiet graves. And perhaps, my brother,
my sister, perhaps you may appreciate
each other better In Heaven than you
have appreciated each other on earth.
In the Farm Ballads" our American
poet puts into the lips of a repentant
husband, after life Of married per.
turbation, these suggestive words:
And when she dies wish that she would tt
laid by mo.
And. lying together in silence. perhaps We
will agree.
And If ever we meet in Heaven would
not think 1t queer S@
II we love each other better because We
quarreled here.
And let me say to those Of you who
are in happy married union, avoid first
quarrels; have no unexplained CORE
spondence with former admirers; cnl-
tivate no suspicious; in moment of
bad tember do not rush out and tell
the neighbors; do not let any Of those
} gadabouts of society unload in your
, house their baggage Of CAB and little
tattle; do not make it an invariable
: rule to stand on your rights; learn
: how to apologize; do not be 80 proud
E or SO stubborn or so devilish that yol
will not make up. Remember that The
e worst domestic misfortunes and most
e scandalous divorce cases started from
e little infelicities. The whole piled uI
' train Of ten rail cars telescoped anf
: smashed at the foot of an embankmcn
S 100 feet down came to that catastrophe
S by getting two or three inches of th'
track. Some of the greatest domestic
h misfortunes and the widest resoundinl
divorce cases have started from littl
# misunderstanding that were allowet
e to go on and go on until home and re
i. spectability and religion and immorta
d soul went down in the crash.
l. Fellow citizens as well as fellow
e Christians, let us have divine rag
h against anything that wars on the maj
i rage state. Blessed institution! II
n stead of two arms to fight the battl
'e of life, four; instead of two eyes I
y scrutinize the path of life, four; instea
d of two shoulders to lift the burden {
of life, FOUR. twice the energy. twice th
r courage, twice the holy ambition, twis
y the probability of worldly success
twice the prospect of Heaven. Into thu
ve matrimonial bower God fetches tv
er souls. Outside the bower, room for 9
e contentious, and all chickering's, and 9
he controversies, but inside that bow,
is there is room for only one guest--tl
~. ,ncol of love let that ANGEL stand