The Newtown bee., 1903-07-31
William Ross, is visiting in Sea Cliff,
SOCIAL TOPICS, NO. II.
sELF-CONTROL.-B O. o. WRIGHT

In letter written by George Wash
ington to Eleanor Curtis, occurs the
following: "Love is said to be an invol-
untary passion, and it is therefore con-
tended that it cannot be resisted.
things else, when nourished and sup
piled plentifully with aliment, it is
rapid in it's progress; but let this be
Withdrawn, aud it may be Stifled in it's
birth, or much stinted in it's growth"
In the first place, any one who has
had true Christian education knows
very well that self-denial, and the mas
terry of all the appetites, desires, and
natural affections, is not only possible
but absolutely necessary to moral char
acCer and ordinary self-respect. To
say that sex-love, or any other kind of
love cannot be resisted and overcome,
is to confess moral weakness and spirit
ual confusion. The soul that has a
victim of any earthly affection, and is
not overcome by any conflicting .mo
tionS, which may contend for Suprem-
acy within his bosom. The divine love
which is the standard and test of all
life, makes one the arbiter and Judge
of all his experiences in thought, feel
ing, and conviction. The enlightened
conscience is supreme in the conduct
of this life.
If love is simply passion, which has
it's inception, and power, and end, in
mere appetite, then by all means it
must be controlled by sight reason and
must be degrading and ruinOuS to rep
utatiOn and character. The carnal
appetite is tickle, unreasonable, unjust,
and cruel; and woe to that man or that
woman who trusts to it's unbridled aid
unSanctifed prOmptingS. Marriage
based upon the natural lust of the flesh
is like house built upon the sand.
Scandals, divorces, and the wrecks OF
wretched families are the results.
Even when love begins in pure,
spiritual sentiment which may haunt
ones soul forever, it still must be held
in subsection to the higher powers.
One may truly loye and still never con-
sent to marry. One may love when he
knows he cannot, in all good reason, be
united to the object Of his affection.
Only the other day, a friend told me
of young man who decided to give
his life to the great missionary cause.
He was engaged to young woman who
did not care to sacrifice herself for
that work, and he broke the engage
ment, to do his duty, to God first.
And that was right.
Within certain limits persons never
fall in love; and never think Of the
reason why, perhaps. There are laws
of nature which govern the affections,
as all things are governed by laws.
Instinct may determine the matter in
part; but no doubt it is largely sub
ject of education A young man does
not fall in love, nor get in love with
his sister, or other near relatives. It
is contrary to nature, against the law
of the State, prohibited by the law Of
God. Young people brought up in the
same social circle are not likely to love
and marry, as rule. They know each
other too we'll, perhaps. And it has
been remarked that friendship between
men and women seldom ripens into
love, which is contaminated in mar
riage.
There is abundance of proof there
fore, that love can be, and is resisted,
overcome, and set aside; and that what
society needs, lisa standard, a strict law
of propriety, education and conviction,
making ill-assorted marriages impos-
slble.