In the choice of companions for your children in the
parlor, look to the ornaments of the heart rather than to those of the
body. Be not allured by the parade of circumstance and position in life: Be
not carried away by that which may intoxicate for a moment, and then leave
the heart in more wretchedness than before. Ever remember that the future
condition of your children, their domestic character and happiness, will
depend upon the kind of company you admit in your parlor. This leads us to
the consideration of the part Christian parents should take in the marriage
of their children. This we shall investigate in our next chapter under the
head of "Match-making."
CHAPTER XXIII.
MATCH-MAKING.
SECTION I.
THE RELATION OF PARENTS TO THE MARRIAGE CHOICE OF THEIR CHILDREN.
"Youth longeth for a kindred spirit, and yet yearneth for a
heart that can commune with his own;
Take heed that what charmeth thee is real, nor springeth of
thine own imagination;
And suffer not trifles to win thy love; for a wife is thine unto
death!"
One of the most affecting scenes of home-life is that of the bridal hour!
Though in one sense it is a scene of joy and festivity; yet in another, it
is one of deep sadness. When all is adorned with flowers and smiles, and
the parlor becomes the theater of conviviality and parade, even then hearts
are oppressed with sorrow at the thought of that separation which is soon
to take place.
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