The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-15
That's What Women Should be Instead
Of Society Charmers.
The Kind of Girl the Young Nan
Should Marry.
Sermon Delivered bysRev. J. K. Shell.
enberger Last Night.
Excellent Advice given to Those Con-
templating Matrimony.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Rev. j. X. Shellenberger preached a
sermon of special interest last evening
from his pulpit in the Christian church
on "The Kind of a Woman the Sensi-
BILE Young Man Will Seek for Wife,"
The subject of matrimony was thus
treated from the point of view of what
the woman ought to be, who is on the
eve of being married. Next Sunday eve
ming the matrimonial qualifications of
a man viii be taken up in the same
manner.
Rev. Shellenberger called attention to
the vast lumber of divorce cases that
are being continually chronicled in the
daily newspapers. So many such cases
have been coming to light of late that
people have begun with one accord to
ask the question, us marriage a fail
ure?" Rev. Shellenberger did not take
SO pessimistic view of the matter as
the average observer. He reminded the
congregation that the history of happy
marriage was seldom chronicled and at
tracted little attention when it was.
Those marriages that were failures and
turned out unhappily are the ones that
attract the public eye. The happiness
IS @ha xrboIa ,,or,;ad ,,op,,la tion chorld
not be judged by the sensational cases
that come to light and are talked about.
The whole fabric of civilization rests
upon the home. A father once said to
his daughter, Getting married is very
solemn thing, my child" eyes, father"
she answered, 'but not getting married
at all is lots solemner" Nations that
have not the institution of the home are
savage or barbarious. The rising stand
ard of civilization can always be gaug
ed by the rising standard of the home.
Marriage is serious question and one
that should not be the theme of idle
frivolous joking as it too often is. Yet
the institution of marriage has always
been the subject of more or less mirth.
The ancient Greeks laughed and joked
about it, as do the civilized peoples of
today.
When Jesus entered the world he
found social conditions at their lowest
ebb. Under the Roman law man could
put away his wife and a woman her
husband as they saw fit. Jesus declared
against the divorce customs that were
in vogue He relaid the foundation
stone of the home and started the growth
of a new social fabric.
The highest ideal that any person can
have this side of heaven is that of
noble, sweet, pure and perfect home. The
girl who has no ambition to build up a
heme does not realize what is the true
sphere of womanhood. The man who
has no domestic aspirations is not man
to be trusted
It has been truly said that "Men
build the houses, but women build the
homes" A home is itself whatever a
woman makes it.
Woman who have ambitions, the
clergyman divided into two classes:
Those who aspire to be the bellies of So
ciety, and, those who aspire to be queens
of homes.
Those who had the aspirations of being
the queens of homes should see to it
that they are properly educated for this
mission. Marie Antoinette, when she
married Louise XVI, was not qualified
to fill the position she assumed. She was
not educated mentally and spiritually to
the task. She set aside all the court con-
ventionalities. She gambled and vast
ed time in foolish amusements. She won
the respect of nobody. She disguised all
Frenchmen. And she finally came to her
end at the guillotine.
Rev. Shellenberger asked if there was
any young woman in the congregation,
who had not often pictured to herself
the kind of a man she would like for a
husband Each certainly had had dreams
of the subject and had shaped the ideal
of husband. He was man, tall, hand
some, with a straightforward look and
clear, honest eye. He was a man that
could be respected. Too often the wom-
an had found the man she had married
not what she had supposed him to be.
Men had the same experience. Yet it is
right for each to set the standard as
high as possible.
Every woman who sets her ideal of a
husband, should be careful to see that
she can be worthy of such husband.
She should give all she demands of him.
A happy home required absolute blend
ing of the husband and wife. Until there
was reasonably certainty that there
could be such blending, the marriage
should not take place. The young WON
an who has carved out in her own mind
the ideal husband and the ideal home
should prepare herself to be fitted for
them. If she demanded an intellectual
man, she must herself be likewise.
Many divorce had arisen because q
man or woman had set too high stand
ard for his or her spouse without at
tempting to be worthy of such spouse
In these days of the education of the
masses there are so many different de-
grees of intellectual and moral develop
~ a "a .. - &c., -. 49,. q