The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-14

ul0 is no Tedooh VIZ
man should take such FISK. IL Wv
not mean to say that the fauiure VI
all the preachers are due 10 'ne"
wives. for it is not true ooho
preachers fail before they beglh' anu
in some cases many good women are
handicapped by marrying SOFT!
nreacher: and a good woman hhkeu
ND for life with sorry preacher ue
serves the sympathy of all mankihu'
good woman has hard enough tllhe
TO live with and care for sure
enough preacher, but the yer!
thought of spending her time anu
care on a shiftless parson VINO tra'-
els about eating at other people
tables and leaves her to provide at
dome is a tragedy | am not discuss
ing in this article the dement's OIL
preachers wives, and holding up the
preacher as a victim of fate, Dut
am trying to show that as the respoh-
sibility of preaching the truth is al
together on the man. he ought 10
use good sense, as far as possible IN
selecting wife whose habits OF HE
and temperament would fit in, In
measure at least. with the work both
must do to succeed 1t would be
folly for a young preacher. just be-
cause he might be good looking TO
marry beautiful young society
belle. knowing he had nothing to Of
fer her except hard time, and in
additions, could not buy her hats and
hosiery on his meager salary she
no doubt would have made an excel
lent wife for a banker or doctor
making good money, with servant
help, but for Rev. PoorhOuse she in
all probability would be miss-fit,
leaving room for misunderstanding
leading sometimes to a general fam
lily fuss on the part of all connected.
She might not want travelling preach
ers, book-agents and the preachers
poor kin-folk to come just at all
hours of the day or night for her to
cook for and care for. have known
this to cause the preacher embarrass-
ment after they were gone
| Now, sure enough made-tO-the-Or-
der preachers wife expects the unex.
pected to happen, and is ready for all
emergencies at all hours, and meets
every travelling tramp with a smile
and a handout thinking she might
. entertain angels unawares, though
they do not look like angels. OF
course, the real preachers wife
knows that her home must share a
good many transient visits on the
American plan, free. When a preach
er seeks a wife and presses his
claim, she may raise good many
objections to him, and he may reply:
Il have good many plausible OBJ
jections to marrying you, but | waive
them all. And after thorough un
derstanding life glides on placidly and
sweeuy and heavenward, until the
heavenly city comes in sight, to wei
come the Lords hard worked, faith
full servants to rest and plenty
! Another question might be asked
When should a preacher marry? Not
before he completes his education
and is ready for the real work of life
unless he is thick-headed and cannot
graduate or too lazy or too impatient
or too old. 1t does not seem exact
| ly right for young man preacher
to marry and then permit his wife tc
sacrifice and suffer most while he at
tends college, and if his wife marries
him before he is preacher, as mine
did me. then the best that can be
done must be done My advise is
and | am an expert, marry early
Marry the one YOU just can't keer
from marrying. Take your wife into
all your plans. Be partners. Dc
your best to make the best preacher
you can and | will guarantee thai
your wife will soon think you are
about the best preacher in all the
land, and will do more to helm vo,
IN your work than you will in wash
ing dishes or in sweeping floors tc
relieve her. | salute all the goo,
faithful wives of the preachers an,
assure you, | meant you no harm /
this discussion. and what | had +,
say in order to write on this subjec