Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-28
anta Has Mature CupdHe Has Tied Thousand Marriage Knot

spalding. "For instance, there was the young
man of my acquaintance who was very nervOus-
Trying to follow the clergyman, he blurted orts
"'With all my goodly words thee endow.'"
-And sometimes, when a young man Of no
great wealth or no wealth at all declares he
gives his bride all his worldly goods, there are
filters or open laughs in the audience. The
circumstance has happened often"
DR.. Spalding's ceremony entails no necessity
for either party to repeat phrase for phrase
after the clergyman. He scorns that e11gency
Of the usual ritual. AS he outlined it, his sim
pie ceremony is a thing to be desired by nervous
brtdegrooms He has his own ideas about ths
ring, too.
81 merely tell them that the ring is the gym
Dol Of another union, and is not to be regarded
as the actual agency of marriage"
DR.. spalding believes in early marriages a.
a pretty good proposition.
Not too early" he qualified "1 don't think
I should marry a sixteen-year-old boy b . girl
fourteen. But few years later It f. wen that
they marry; that is, If their parents are will
ling. and they are aware Of their responsible
ties An early marriage settles a man, # keeps
him from many a temptation. It is good for
them both, because It admits Of their adapting
themselves to each other at period when
their personalities are pliable and easily mold
ed. Married couples are something hike oxen.
They must be fitted and broken to a YOKE, and
must be taught to wear that yoke we'll"
out Of all his experience, DR.. Spalding has
framed no particular advice for the young peo-
pie who come before him.
For one thing" he said. mo one wants 20
listen to n sermon or to instructions at such
time For another thing, have no advice
for them. except that they be all the world to
one another"
His voice rolled out the words with a tender
emphasis, and he repeated them:
"An the world to one another"
Dr. Spaldng became unconscousy eloquent
more than once when he talked to the reporter
about this matter of Love and Marriage The
subject, It Is very plain, is fraught with an
element of the marvellous to him.
"There is something OF Providence about It."
he said over and again. ut is not haz-
ard or chance that brings a man and a woman
together and that causes q flash of recognition
to come to them both that they would be well
mated"
Then he continued with his talk of the Ad-
vice he has to offer or the lack Of advice.
"Let them love and try to understand enc
another, and to be all the world to one ancesRer
The marriage relation can be made sweet
and fine and happy, II only they would obey
the one injunction. There is much to endure
they will find. 1t is wonderful how much the
wedding tie will endure, If and wife are
all the world to each other"
Most wonderful Of all about DIR. Spalding's
work is that all his marriages seem to be hap
by marriages,
'T don't know of single divorce obtained by
a couple I married." he said. Probably there
were some, but Of them have not heard.
zone thing know, though, is that some WON
en- whom have married want their daughters
to come to me for marriage when they Grow
up"
Since 1854, when he married his first couple,
Dr. spalding has received voluntary gifts from
many of the bridegrOoms, his marriage fees
And sometimes comes a young couple to him,
Just starting in life. and plainly in need OF
money. Then he always finds opportunity to
slip the fee into the hand of the bride, and
whisper to her that It is for the home.
All this bespeaks sympathy and human UNI
derstanding. Perhaps it is Just this that has
drawn men and women TO DR.. Spalding to b
married. His own words bear out that.
I'm just a man." he said, when someone
mentioned his unaffected marriage ceremony
and the sympathy which he has for the young
people who come to him.
I'm not a parson. I'm just a man" :