The Washington herald., 1910-05-09
MARRIAGE MISHAPS
MisfOrtunefor Woman to Err,
Says Rev. DR.. Shannon.
PARENTS COUNSEL IS NEEDED
Pastor of Metropolitan Methodist
Church Declares She Who Weds
Up TO Find Herself HouseI<ecDer
and Not Wife-Promise Not Kept.

True marriage is the closest Of earthly
unions When husband and wife are
matched and mated. their natures blend
as do the dewdrops on the blossom Of
the flower" declared Rev. Or. John Reid
Shannon. in a sermon, Marriage not the
end of woman's life; the young woman
at the altar" at Metropolitan Methodist
Church last night He said. in part:
THE love Of man for woman and the
love of woman for man-thls Is as old
as the breath Of the worlds first morn
ing. and yet as new as the rose that has
just opened its leaves. This divine pas
sion keeps the world fresh and young.
Il is a greater misfortune for a young
woman 10 make a mistake in her mar
riage than for a young man; for
woman lives moro in her affections than
does a man.
when II comes TO engagement and
marriage, a young woman should be in
confidential relations with her parents.
She should listen 10 the voice Of their
counsel as well as to the voice of ro-
nance. II she does not as a rule. she
comes TO a heritage Of woe. As a rule,
]
spread their wings over the young woman
who, when she stands at the marriage
altar. has the smiles and approval Of her
parents.
Becomes HOusekecpcr.
'The woman who marries upon a basis
other than love wakes up 10 find herself
! a housekeeper, not a wife; a lovelcss
! mo 2
/ folly I'm all the world is that of which q
woman is guilty who marries a man for
what he has. rather than for what
he is; she sells herself ia the matimo-
niol market as truly as ever slaves were
/ sold in cur Southland
I'm the deepest depths Of our heart We
pity the young woman. who. In the in
/ experience Of her young womanhood. is
made the victim Of marriage arrange
ment in the interests Of money or in the
! interests Of a foreign title, Sooner or
| later she finds the orange blossoms OF
/ her marriage altar blasted by the cold
/ frosts OF domestic wretchedness.
! "A religious woman should not marry
/ o man who is without reverence Tor the
/ church and the Bible. Moral sensitive
ness cannot be happy with moral hard
/ ness or moral refinement with moral
! coarseness. Even love is not vine 20
/ De let alone, 20 Chamber, as II pIeases,
over stones or upon tangled shrubs OF
around the rotten trunk Of some tree.
Promise Not Kept.
However much she may love him. no
young woman should marry a man of
dissipated habits. He may promise refor-
nation; but not once in a thousand times
does such a man Neep his promise. A
young man addicted 90 strong drink pro-
posed 20 a young woman, and said %
her: II you will marry we, IA reform;
YOU are the only power on earth that
can save me from a drunkards grave.
The young woman wisely replied: I am
not running a Kelley cure
A young woman should qualify herself
10 earn her own support. then she need
never entertain the mercena-y idea OF
marrying in order TO have some one sup
port her. Then she can look the stipend.
Gus question Of marriage I'm the face and
say: III not marry unless I can find IN,
man that I can look up 70 and respect
and love-
Universal Marriage Impossible.
| Universal marriage Is impossible, be
cause Of the unequal distribution Of meT
and women. Massachusetts has 5000
more women than men. England has
Il.oolo00 more women than men. Statistic.
show that far more girls are born into N,
world than boys.
In the human sisterhood some Of tn,
sweetest and most heroic women stanJ
! alone in life The Bible says: Tt IS no
good for man 10 be alone Nowhere dOe
the Bible say that Of woman. To sal
that woman is destined TO find in mar
her end and aim is a pagan conception o.
, woman. We repudiate the doctrine tha
, marriage IS the one prize in a womant
I life which. If missed. makes her If
manned and broken and in any sense
failure Woman IS created for God an,
for herself; the end Of her life is sweet
pure, Christian womanhood. That is tn
grandeur Of wOmanly existence. that Fl
, the divinest thing under the stars. tha
, is wOmans destiny. Wifehood and moth
5 erhood may be denied her but her des
tiny remains unforfeited"