The Newtown bee., 1903-08-07
Franklin, N. c., where they will spend
several months.
SOCIAL TOPICS, NO. 22.


THE SCHOOL OF LIFE.-BY O. o. WRIGHT.
Great men are inclined, think, to
consider marriage from the education
al point of view. 1t is to them a great,
important experience in the school Of
life. It plays most significant part
in the evolution of human sympathies,
moral virtues, and the finest spiritual
qualities Of character. The making Of
a good mother, or good father goes
long way toward making good society,
good homes and good saints in general.
Even without the experience of par
entage marriage affords abundant op-
portunities for schooling in social and
moral virtues. The union of two per-
sons who must live in the most inti-
mate relations and fellowship until
separated by death is serious venture
at the very best. The possibilities of
happiness or misery are SO great, and
SO easily verified by numerous exam
pies everywhere, that any one of the
most ordinary intelligence may well be
led to pause and consider the condi-
tions which are most surely involved.
Lecky remarks that, Gin numerous
cases it is the great turning-poin of a
life, and in all cases when it takes
place it is one of the most important
Of it's events. Whatever else marriage
may do or fail to do, it never leaves a
man unchanged. His intellect, his
character, his happiness, his way of
looking on the world will all be influ-
enced by it. If it does not raise or
strengthen him it will lower or weaken
him. If it-does not deepen happiness
it will impair it. 1t brings with it
duties, interests, habits, hopes, cares,
sorrows and joys that will penetrate
into every fssure of his nature and
modify the whole course of his life."
I picked up copy of Emerson's
"Conduct of Life" few days since, in
| the home of friend, and CHANGED to
open to the following: "We are not
very much to blame for our bad mar
riages. We live amid hallucinations;
and this special trap is laid to trip up
our feet with, and all are tripped up
first or last. But the mighty Mother
who had been SO sly with us, as if she
felt that she owed US some indemnity
insinuates into the Pandora-box of
marriage some deep and serious ben
etits and some great joys. We find a
delight in the beauty and happiness OF
children that makes the heart too bic
for the body. In the worst-assorteo
connections there is ever some mixture
of true marriage. league and his jade
got some just relations of mutual re-
spect, kindly observation, and foster
ing of each other; learn something
and would carry themselves wiselier il
they were now to begin"
But what is true of marriage is alS(
to be said of all the other great expert
ences Of life. All the events Of thi
earthly career are educational. One'
trade, or profession, his social position
political relations, and everything be
longing to- his situation and state O
life, all contribute to the evolution ant
building of character. There is n
more fatality about marriage thai
there is in any other great experience
All things are according to divin
Providence; and our ideas OF love an
matrimony are as much the result O
our birth, breeding and education a
} our ideas of business, amusements
honor, morals and religion.