Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-01-11

And rearing Lindis backward
pressed
Shook all her trembling bankes
amaine;
Then madly at the eygre's breast
Flung uppe her weltering walls
again.
Then banks came downe with ruin
~ and rout-
s> en- beaten foam flew round
n out
ThehAS he mighty floods were out.
So far, $ the eygre drave,
The heal had hardly time to beat
Before a shallow seething wave
Sobbed in the grasses at oure
feet;
The feet had hardly time to flee
Before it brake against the knee,
And all the world was in the sea.
The distinction of having been
born in locality which gave birth
to so many persons of note can only
be equalled by that other one which
has become so prominent in recent
years. l refer to the coming of
titled foreigners TO this country to
secure American girls as their wives.
Nor do l condemn this growing Gus
tom, as the manner of some is, but
rather look upon it as one of the
ways by which Providence is to
eventually bring the nations of the
earth together, in the bonds of CON-
ity, peace, and mutual good will. If
God made of one blood all the ma
tions of men, surely 1t was never
intended that they should hold each
other by the throat, the stronger
seeking the destruction of the weak
er, or, at best, holding themselves
aloof from each other and striving
by every means in their power to
enlarge and enrich themselves at the
expense of their weaker and less
favored neighbors. No, do not so
read the Sermon on the Mount, nor
do so interpret the Golden Rule.
If it be objected that some Of these
marriages do not turn out well, why.
the same thing, in view of the alarm
ing extent to which the divorce
courts are beseiged, may be said as
against any marriages at all in these
United States of America; for it is
an alarming fact that divorces are
becoming notoriously frequent and
the sacredness of the marriage rela-
ton is being cheapened to woeful
extent.
AS a foreigner, coming to the
United States, / became enamoured
of an American girl and in due time
laid siege to her heart and hand.
only, between the alleged European
fortune hunters and myself there
are a few differences, which l will
take the liberty to point out, lest
my wife, after living with me for
nearly fifty years, might come to
think that my motive in seeking her
Land was of no loftier character than
that which is so freely ascribed to
these so-called fortune hunters" of
the present time. If, like them, /
married an American girl, it was not
en- account of her wealth in houses
Or lands, or gold, or stocks, or bonds,
but because of her personal worth,
her great wealth in those womanly
virtues which are the chief adorn-
ment of the best type of woman
hood, the world over; and which
constitute the only true and lasting
foundation of good citizenship, here
and everywhere. Besides, l had no
title from the Queen. I was not a
Baron, or a Lord, or a Duke, or
even Knight. l had no coat of
arms to give in exchange for money,
nothing of the sort. had the arms
right enough, also the coat, such as
1t was; the arms were in the coat,
not on 1t, making a shield and an
encircling buckler which may be sup
posed to constitute reasonable pro-
lection, against which nothing can be
said.
But. as the novelists say, of this,
more amen.
When had reached my sixth year
the family bid adieu to Elsham, and
taking ship at Hull. set sail for
London; passing down the river
Humber, out to the North Sea and
down the east coast of England, we
entered the river Thames, and sail
ing up that noted stream, we passed
among the many places of historic
interest, the city of Woolwich, which
contains one of the finest dockyards
In the world, where the greatest
ships are launched. Woolwich is
also the seat of the chief arsenal OF
England. A little farther up the
river, you come to Greenwich, well
known as the seat of The rova1 oh