The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-13
pfRllS OF MARRIAGE
As TOLD BY A
BAPTIST MINISTER

This weeks Florida Baptist WIZ
ness contains very interesting d"
Gle on matrimony as it apples "
minister. and as it contain some IN
teresting ideas We reproduce 1t mere
with. the article being from the pen
of Rev. l. E. Gates:
believe every preacher souna III
mind and members ought 10 naii'
7 have no regard for selibacy as
have been married almost all ms
conscious life. and expect. il my "iie
lives to remain married to the emu
| am not going to tell you how 10
choose a wife, for it would 40 no
good Consult an old bachelor OF
have your head chronological anu
then 90 on and fall in love, when i
an inward Observation-Disclosures and an
outward alloverishness and some
thing to be thought over seriousl! al
ter it is done. You can think more
seriously about your second MARI
age, if you have a chance. and reason
il all out and then go and make
worse mistake. All this mating ac-
cording to rule, including the Color
of hair and eyes and size and ances'
try won't work on double-Jolnted
young preacher when a talcumpow-
dered red-ribboned, dimple-cheeked,
faxen-haired pearly-teethed, humpty-
dumpty casts her dreamy eyes in his
direction at a candy pulling, or plays
upon the organ in the old-fashloned
parlor that good old tune that caught
me:
THE moon is out tonight love,
Meet me with a smile,
I've something sweet to tell you
Sitting on the stile;
Kiss me when you meet me,
Kitty of the Glen.
And when go to leave you,
I'll give 1t back again.
Now. all the man-made rules in the
world, and all the higher laws OF
eugenics, nor all the psychologists
have ever written nor the advice OF
all the professional match makers,
nor the experiences good or bad of
all the parents who have gone before,
could keep young preacher from
acting crazy like all other folks,
when conditions meet like that over
which he has no control. II is like
a cyclone-it is bound to happen.
When matches are made under con-
ditions like that, they usually are
good-sized family of robust, hap.
lpy children. who are an honor to
/ cid age and joy forever When
marriage is based absolutely upon
love. when two hearts blend in az
: lection and two minds discover
eternal fitness in hopes, in desires
and in companionship, they can trav-
ell together to the end Of the Journey
of life singing;
"Sweeter as the years go by"
But If marriage is based upon the i'm
pulses of the body famed into pas.
sion by joyrides and the seductive
charms of cosmetics and Partisan
dress, look out for the divorce courts
or suicide.
No many marriages are contract
ed now at the good ld-fashioned So
cial functions nor in the parlors of
the home. but are entered into hasti
ly at some fashionable health resort
while boating or drinking champagne
on joy-ride or while witnessing
some vulgar vaudeville But YOU saw
no preacher would visit such places
trust not But many young preach.
ers are choosing their wives from
This crowd. and either through igno.
rance of their habits, or from a lack
OF sense are just attracted TO these
social butterflies like a bee is To ba
beautiful petals of the deadly Upas
tree.
II is the delight of the devil to nav
young preachers off in sorry wives
In my judgement there is nothing
more calamitous to any preacher
than to be yoked up for life with a
little nervous, high-tempered world.
ly. cold,hearted, society.going face.
painting hair-curling, big-hated, white
silppered. silk-dressed, novel.reading
and club-crazy woman. II amuses
even the devil, the little sense Soma