The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-01-13
!: ECHOES FROM CAIRO PULPITS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

most satisfying character should De
allowed to hold this place of honor
in the heart; for this is the sort OF
Friendship that may be expected, or
dinarily, to grow into the most sacred
relation OF life.
This favored one should have right
of way to the sweet condolences of the
heart. Such a friendship should be
treasured sacredly as ones very life.
Loving courtship.
Kindly friendship should be allowed
to ripen into loving courtship. where
4 the two souls come to mutual under.
standing of each other, and where
love and trust bring them into that
holy place of bethrothal.
This is the crisis period in the his
tory Of the two souls, when the des-
tiny of two lives is largely deter
mined, and when all others are to be
renounced for this new world of two.
Important questions are to be decided
Are these two souls prepared for en-
gagement and for marriage? When
this is settled. intelligently and low
ingly. the two lives merge into one,
and the blessing of God rests upon
them.
| When they again come forth u
meet the world, 1t is with new halo
OF hope and power on the brow. Each
one has a secret to guard and to cher
ish. Henceforth each lives for the
other
Possibly 1t may not be long before
] they are both suffering the surprise
and the pain of nervous relaxation,
and, unless they understand. there
may be both encouragement and de-
SPAR That is always a critical hour,
when both have won; for that very
conquest may be turned into ignorant
defeat. This Is good time for each
one to hide some thoughts, at least
for the time being, from the other;
for time will tell whether they are of
the nerves or of the heart.
This is the dangerous rock where
SC many betrthals come to grief.
The disappointment which usually fol-
lows bethrothal sometimes gives rise
to an unnatural independence which
may deyelope into cruel brutality and
hopeless misunderstanding. Right
here is where wounded pride is in
clined to rashly turn aside to some
other alliance, which entangles and
imprisons forever.
When the hour of loving courtship
has come, and one pays court to the
other, and the other yields uneondi- !
tionally, it is time for love and trust /
to rule supreme regardless of the tenn. |
porary revulsion of highly wrought /
feelings and fancy. Stand still, and |
long enough, to see the salvation Of /
God.
Patient Waiting.
Between the bethrothal and the 1
wedding there is a time of waiting: /
and the call, prompt and persistent, Is
for patience. In some respects this
is the charming spring-time of ths
soul. when the flowers bloom and the
birds sing 1t is the time of sweet
love and OF joyous hope.
But it may be otherwise, If pro-
longed. and the heart may become
sick with delay To wait for marriage
very long after engagement is usually
both unnatural and dangerous. II the
to marriage has been nat-
ural and gradual the bethrothed will
be about ready for marriage when the
takes place. While the
delay may be necessary. on account
Df varying circumstances. it should
not be delayed long enough to risk
he peace and safety of the marriage.
A little seIf-denial will usually set
le all difficulties of finance; and
when the two are ready in spirit. it
S usually wise to set up housekeeping
IN whatever income may be at hand.
The time that necessarily elapses
between engagement and marriage
.aIls for the exercise of the entire
took Of patience and good judgment
N the part of them both. A gooi
took Of common sense IS one Of the
,est possible friends. Learn TO make
ne best of circumstances. Love AMI
rust each other. Endure all things
lope all things.