The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-04

TeIu the uTilele 61lllled 10 Love,
Honor and Obey, by Mr.. Alfred Seton in
a recent issue of The Age-Herald, wherein
he advocated the elimination of the word
obey from the marriage ceremony.
While this is not altogether a new idea
with Mr. Seton, it Is a growing one, and
If allowed TO 60 unnotieed may eventuate
in much harm to our home Life" she ar
gued in defense of her position.
"Mr. Seton, to use his own words. says:
" The formula was prescribed in the
morning of Christianity by pious on
clerics, who, without doubt, conscien-
tiously believed that to omit any one Of
them would mean the overthrow of the
religious social and possibly the politicT
fabric. At that period of darkness the
members Of the female sex were In con-
dition of bondage, were chattels to be
disposed Ct as best suited the interests OF
their parental other propIictors. Ana
this relic of barbarism Is yet far from be-
irg totally eradicated. even among peo-
Iles with high rretentions of civilization
Mr.. Setons simple narration of two
historical facts" she continued, that
when it was embodied in the marriage
vow wor.en were In bondage, and after
two hundred centuries use she became
free, desti oys the whole force of his ar
gument 1t is well to turn to the source
from which this custom, as 1 presume
Mr.. Seton terms 1t, vas derived. Paul,
Epnesians 5:22. "a, says
wives be in subsection to your own
husbands as unto the Lord; for the hus-
/
also the head of the church. being himself
the savior of the body But as the church
is subject to Christ, SO let the wives also
be to their husbands in everything
Some masculine women dislike such
teaching end speak evil of Paul, Tut let
us remember that Paul Is not the author,
but only the writer. Nor does Paul's code
step there. for it is a perfect system of
laws for the home. In the following
verses he says:
Husbands. love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself up to 1t, that He might sanctify
1t, having cleansed it by the washing of
water with the word
HE commands children to honor and
obey their parents, and admonishes faith
ers not to provoke their children to wrath.
1t Is my humble opinion that moro crime
end uuhappiness results from violating
this code than all other laws combined.
Law! Obedience to lawl Precious words
to the true Christian and dutiful wife
There is another author, Willie not d.
vine, who should be read more by both
husbands and wives Need | call the
name? Ruskn. So let him, whose Eng
lish Is classic and whose thoughts are
purest of the pure. speak for me.
When people read, THE law came by
Moses, but grace and truth by Christ"
do they suppose 1t means that the law
was ungraeious and-urtrue? The law was
given for a foundations the grace Cor
mercy and truth for fufilment-the whole
forming one glorious Trinity of judg-
ment, mercy and truth.1 And if people
would but read the textsof their Bibles
with heartier purpose of understanding
1t, instead of supersttiously they would
see that throughout the parts which they
are intended to make most personally
their own (the Psalms0a it is always the
law which is spoken of with chief joy. .
The Psalms respecting mercy are often
sorrowful as in thought of what it cost;
but those respecting the law are always
full of delight. David cannot contain him
self for joy in thinking of it; he is never
weary of it's praise. How l love Thy law.
1t Is my meditation all the day. Thy tes-
timonies are my delight and my counsel
Tors; sweeter also, than honey and the
honeycomb.''
There must be a head, a law-giver
IL you please, to every successful estab-
lishment. This is just as true with respect
to home life as 1t is to business life Mr.
Seton compares the marriage status to a
partnership. Granting the aptness of the
illustration. still L doubt II he can name
a successful one which does not recognize
thls principle. 1t 1t true that the head
Is usually recognized by tacit- consent
or all the members by reason of the es-
pecial fitness of this one But IL frequent
~ occurs that many of the members do
not desire the grave responsibilities of the
mead of these establishments So # Is
with the home life. Dutiful wives, by
obeying the law of the home relieve
themselves Of these responsibilities Those
partnerships which fail to choose n bend
OF the establishment have violent biclxer-
lngs which soon result in dissolution. So
IL is with the home. The heads of orr
banks are responsible to their boards Of
directors therefore they must require
M. III
lack the iirmness to get 1t, sooner or later
the board will know It. and another viii
be selected who will get 1t.
All reasonable creatures are rebelIious
by nature, and women are no exception.
put the more nearly all hold this natural
propensity in subsection the greater the
uesree OF happiness in this world for
them. l believe that If Mr. Seton woul1
travel few months In the west. where
the Iaw-giVing-women idea has fun
sway ne would be convinced that those
women lack that which all true woman
hood craves-the proper respect for thai,.
sex from the opposite sex For those
women have to stand In crowded cor.
right in the presence of young and able
bodied men. Nor is the prevalence of a.
Voree suits In that section conductive r.
the highest state of happiness for tbeir
communities
III Mr.. Seton thinks that dutie,,,
southern wives desire the change In ~
marriage ceremony he advocates he is
mistaken. Some of us may, YES MANY of
us 40 advocate 1t on some occasions and
with some men, but Its only in fun we
IKE TO argue quite as well as some men.
ana when we get scalp we rejoice but
dislike to carry it on a banner through
the streets. especially when some men
VIII do that act for us. We want strong
and decisive men with high moral char
acter and Ideals. All women can, and
most OF them do, rule their husbands
with loVe' the only safe rule for wives
Modern Notion is largely responsible
Tor this new idea. The women are not
true to nature The obedient daughter
is thing of the past The paint used in
these characters is not indelible, and will