Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-09-29
FLIRTING, THE
NATIONS PERIL
haywood Preacher Says
COquetry Is Door to d.
VOrCe Court
DEADENS POWER OF
LOVE, PARSON DECLARES

CHICAGO. ILL.,, Sept. 29-If the true
life story OF 16,S3s Chicagoans di-
vorced in the last ten years we're
written, Il would be found that the
first station which led toward the d.
vorce court was frequently a romantic
Irritation at an amusement park or
fashionable summer resort"
This was one Of the Introductory
comments made by the Rev. Percival
II. Barker I'm a sermon on THE Pace
That Kills" at the First Congre CATION
al Church. haywood
Flirting Is a potent cause OF that
which is doing so much at present
10 impair the beauty and diminish
( the power OF American home life. de-
! grading marriage to the low level Of
a convenience and 10 still lower level
OF sensuality. Flirtations foster the
social evil" he continued.
Issues Warning 10 Mothers.
The mother who permits her
daughter to sail about the city IN an
automobile until 2 O'Clock IN the
morning with a counterfeit sport OF
weak jaw, and weaker morals, opens
the front door to grief and disgrace
II you don't know what company your
daughter keeps or what time of night
she turns in, your roar when gossips
get busy will sound about as pathetic
as the wheeze from iewsharp.
This is the time for the modern
minister TO shun idle and toothless
generalities and speak in unequivocal
language. There is something al
most criminal in the blank ignor-
ance Of parents concerning the where
abouts of their children during the
evening hours
1T Is more difficult TO marry of a
girl who has been paved over by
every chap I'm the community than Il
is to fatten sheep on pineapple ice
And should they come TO Hymen's
altar, they assume the responsible
ties of wifehood with the enthusiasm
OF a one legged man at a society club
dance, for they have fiirted away their
hearts until they are incapable of
truly loving their husbands
Danger CODfrOntS Whole Country.
The flirt is likely TO discover af-
fnities I'm other homes and put his
discoveries into practice. Thus fiirt-
ing undermines the home: and when
home life with its sanctities, its calm
and deep joys and sorrows, ceases to
have fits charm for us I'm America, the
greatest breakup and catastrophe in
history will follow
I'm respect to this menacing evil,
good rule for youth is: Resist the
beginning OF flirting. Filtration Is the
FIRST step toward self-degradation.
Man or woman who nirsts Is hatch
ing a aerpent's brood that will one
day wake into life to hiss and string;
he Is rearing wild beasts OF prey that
afterwards win turn upon him and
rend him. Shake Il at It's birth
Fllrtations dwarf mans Wow OF If
far more than they broaden them.
Chance 10 Acquire Character.
"The young men and women 10
whom ! fear most I'm big city arr
those who have nothing 10 do Will
their leisure hours. Would that oui
young peopla realize that while wha
they earn during the day goes into
their pockets that which they carr
during the evening hours goes intC
their character
! TT our youth cares for nothing bet.
ter thaus lounging idly about the
streets, If they have no high ideals
toward which TO strive, the devil IL
likely 10 find them an easy prey. But
let them acquire a passion for books
filling up their life with high and holy
interests, binding them by thous-
and ties TO the true, the beautiful, the
| good. and they will be successful IN
their moral struggle.