Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-03-10

By the law of the Scottish clan as
soon as the daughter Of one clan mar
ried into the family Of another clan at
once she ceased to have any afiliation
with the elan Of her father. In India
no sooner does a girl marry than she
goes into the home Of her mother-ln-
law and at once ceases to have any as
gociatOn with the home of her child
hood. Thus in one sense was 1t with
the Hebrew and Moabitish marriage
laws. When Ruth married she be-
came part Of her husbands family.
Naomi became her mother. And, ac-
cordlng to the marriage laws of her
time, she was in duty bound to care for
Naomi for better or for worse. Cannot
you and | learn a mighty lesson for
fidelity to our marriage affairs Of the
west by Ruth's faithfulness to the
marriage laws Of the east? The simple
fact is too many people look upon the
marriage altar simple as trystlng
place and not as a sacred shrine. They
seem to think that the marriage ties
are not unbreakable bands Of steel, but
mere gossamer threads, which can
glitter for little while in the sun and
be snapped at will They are ready to
plight their troth and say, Il will wed
thee for better" but they are not ready
to say, 81 will wed thee for worse"
Why. so lightly do some people think
Of their marriage vows that a popular
literary man of England some time ago
advocated the idea that marriage
should not be for life, but for only
term Of ten years. If at the end of a
decade the husband got tired Of his
wife because she had lost the bloom Of
youth, or because her hair was streak
cd with gray, or because the burden
Of supporting the household was too
great. or because, like Brigham Young,
lie might see the pretty face Of some
other woman whom he would like to
make his favorite, then the mar-
riage relationship could be terminated.
while on the other hand, If the wife
was a frivolous, good for nothing gad-
about and she got tired Of her husband
because he liked to sit at home and
play with the children, or work over
his books. or plan how they could de-
crease their expenses so they could
lift the mortgage off the home, then
at the end of ten years she could pack
up her trunk and leave that home and
go off with the first worthless charac-
ter toward whom she had been casting
her 1irtatiOus eyes during these ten
years of her married life. Is that
right? All, no, that was not Ruth's
idea Of marriage! When she married
Naomrs son she realized the full re-
sponsibility of the relation. She was
ready TO meet those responsibilities for
better or for worse.
The Old Fashioned Ideas.
Her ideas of marriage were a great
deal like the old fashioned ideas with
which our grandfathers and grand
mothers were welded. They may have
stapted ont ~-ith little OF worldIJ
| goods, but they had a big balance In
the bank of trust. When they started
housekeeping they were both ready
and willing to put forth their hands to
| lift the common burdens. The babies
came. and the fathers hammer and
saw made the crib, and the mothers
foot rocked it, and the mothers needle
sewed the garments for the little
strangers. When sickness came they
nursed one another through it. When
| financial trouble and want came they
starved together and made the old
clothes do. Side by side they met the
storms of trouble. Side by side they
smiled in the sunshine of prosperity
They sobbed together. They sang to-
gether. They prayed together Their
bodies. side by side, are now sleeping
In the little country graveyard, and
their spirits are now side by side II
heaven together For better or worse,
read their plighted troth. "FOr better
or for worse" was Ruth's marriage
pledge to Naomrs son. May God hell
lis TO be true to our marriage vows
Nav we be true for our own sakes anC
true for the sakes of those whose hap
piness is dependent upon our faithful
ness to that plighted trOth. But RutL
measures up full to her religious stand
ard as well as to her love test and he
mental test She stands before us tn
noble example Of woman who ha
surrendered her heart to the true Coz
as we'll as her life to the service o
those human beings who were dear t
her. And unless you can have thl
commingling of the divine love VIII
the human love you cannot have elthe
man or woman meet the full require
ments which God or the world has de
manded Of them. Some time ago l
was my privilege to spend a hoida,
with tllree children who had an IL tide
and a skeptic for a father. The mothe
was dead. They were three beautifu
children. They were exquisitely dress
cd Their manners were perfect. Bu'
though they were only children, 20
could see and feel something was lach
ing in their makeup. The spiritua
part of their lives was stunted. Inc
had learned to love man, but they ha
not learned to love Jesus Christ. No
thus was Ruth. She measures tull I
the test of human love. She also meas
ures full to the divine test. Let NJ
draw a figurative picture Of what
mean.
In the Land of Moab.
It was sad, sad sight in one OF u
/ homes Of a city. Of the great and rlc
, country in the land of Moab. 70
ought to know n little Of the history {
, that land. Its cities were as rich a
, the cities of pdom and Gomorrah, an
the inhabitants Of these cities were jus
as vile as the SodOmites. They wei
not only idol worshipers, but wors
/ Their worship was similar to thi
which was celebrated in the temple
Baal. In this home are three weepin
, | ,,.;do,v.s Naomi is there ana Orpa