The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-10-15
CHOOSING WIFE,
| SERMON 5 THEME
Rev. Elmer Smith Lays Down a
Few Rules and Praises
Old Maids.
(FrOm Monday Advcrtiser)

forceful sermons with that most impor-
tant subject, "Choosing a Wife, Rev.
Elmer Smith last night delivered in the
Methodist Episcopal Church his advice
TO single men. This advice was founded
not only from study of psychology and
its relation to the sexes, but on good
practical everyday Judgment. A large
and well-pleased congregation gathered
to hear the Rev. Mr.. Smith make his in
itial talk on subjects concerning home
and the private life of men and women.
Following is the text and sermon:
Whose findeth wife, findeth a
good thing.-Prov. 1922. ga prudent
wife is from the Lord.-Prov. 1914. ~
81 have no apology to make in dis
cussing the subject which has already
been announced from this pulpit. The
4 home is the foundation of all civiliza-
4 ton. 1t is the most sacred place on
4 God g earth. just to the extent that
our homes are good, sweet, pure, whole
some-will society be good, sweet pure
and wholesome. Anything, therefore.
which affects the home, should be dis.
cussed in every Christian pulpit. l can.
not conceive how any preacher can dis.
cuss any theme more of vital interest
than the one now before us. This is
the first of series of sermons which
I propose to give on the general theme,
'The Home' The next sermon will be
based on the theme, Choosing a Hus.
band This will be followed by 9TH
ers on Husbands and Wives and
''Nives and Husbands. This evening
our theme is Choosing a Wife.
Marriage the Ideal State.
Marriage, when two persons are
4 properly mated, is not only the normal
+ state of men but it is the ideal state
of man. Of course when people are
not properly mated marriage is far re.
moved from the ideal. All people find
4 that love is bliss, but alas, some PEG.
pie find that marriage is blister.
Some one has defined matrimony as
that state which is a blessing to a
4 few, curse to many and great un.
certainty to ALL Another cynie de.
clares that the only difference between
4 honeycomb and honeymoon is that the
former is lot of little cells while the
latter is great big SELL
4 &tBecause marriage oftentimes does
result in a partial or total failure and
ends in a divorce suit, it is clearly the
duty of the Christian pulpit to point
out the dangers of hasty marriages and
suggest some remedies.
"And first of all, want to say that
there are many male beings of the hu.
man race who are masquerading under
the name of men who have no right
whatever to choose good, pure, noble
woman for wife. They have forfeited
that right by their own hard, lustful
ideals and practises.
"The most terrible tragedy imagin
able is that of pure, beautiful woman
innocently sacrificing herself on the al
tar of diseased and depraved manhood
Such man who folds in his slimy EN-
brace such woman, is guilty before
God and men of the most heinous
crimes. Any punishment in this world
or the next is too good for him. ANY
true man would rather see his daughter
go into the Jaws of man. eating shark
or into the treacherous arms of a giant
octopus than into the matrimonial arm,
of a well.dressed, but rotten man.
Honor to Old Maids.
"The term 'old maid is no Longer
a term of reproach among thoughtful
people. There are an increasing mum
Der of women who would rather remain
marry mere thing dressed in men 4
clothes. All honor to the splendid army
of so called old maids who have brains
enough to take care of themselves and
who have backbone enough to spur
every unworthy man. Someone has
asked the pointed question, What right
have you, of masculine beasts, whose
life has been loose, to take under YOU
II L.. q g
in the sanctity of respectable homei
Will buzzard dare to court dovei
"Blessed be the old maids in this
workaday world! They are the hero
ines bearing many burdens. They are
writing the world Is letters in ten thou
sand Offices; they ara waiting on the
world e customers in ten thousand
stores; they are teaching the children
in ten thousand schools; they are nurs
ing the sick in ten. thousand bed cham
bers. They are to be found in every
walk in life, doing their work in q
quiet, devoted. heroic manner. Oul
debt to the 'old maid is simply tire
mendous She deserves the gratitude
of the world. But the majority of mer
and women marry, and because this is
true, address a few words to good
men who are vet unmarried. This Is q
problem which every man must solve
for himself.
"'Ccprtino' said an Irishman, SIS
like dying Shure a man must do it fol-
himself.
"But in solving the matrimonial
problem. any sensible man will welcome
light and counsel of the right sort. In
the Orient the whole affair is arranged
by, the parents. In the occident the
whole affair Is in the hands of children
Neither method is ideal. A sane com
bination of the two produces the best
results.
"I venture to make few kindly sug
gestions concerning Choosing Wife.
81 would be untrue TO my eonvie
tions unless ! suggested first Of all
the Importance of divine direction In
thus choosing. IL the old Bible is true
u there is any virtue in prayer. II God
has any interest In the vital things Of
our lives. then surely Il il In order "a
seek God = Guidance IN reference IA
such an important matter In life.