Marriage

11 Marriage is a lottory," tlio saying goes, and there are plenty who believe it, and who act accordingly, and for such it is well if they do no worse than draw a blank, if they do not draw life-long uiisery and paiu. But marriage is not necessarily a lottery, either in the initial choice, or in the months and yeara after the marriage day. One can ehut hiseyes and draw, or one can open them and choose. One can choose with the outward eye alone, or with the eye of intellect and conscience. Says Jeremy Taylor, speaking of marriages where physical beauty is the only bond : " It is an ill band of affections to tie two hearts together with a little thread of red and white. But let ns choose ever so wisely, ever so deeply, and not we oursolves, n-jt the minister, can niarry uo completely on the wedding day. " A happy wedlock is a long falling in love." Marriage is very gradual, a fraction of ua at a time. And the real minister that marry people are the slow years, the joys and sorrows which they bring, our children on earth and the angels they are transfigured into in heaven, the toilsand burdens borne in company. Thesa are the ministers that really marry us, and, compared with these, the ministers who go through a form of words some day, when heaven nnd earth seein to draw near and kiss each other, are of small account. And the real marriage service isn't auything printed or said ; it is the truo hoait service which yields to the other, year in and year out, when the bridal wroath has long since faded, and even the marriage ring is gettiug mtdly worn. Let this serviiíe be perforiued, and, even if the marriage was a lottery to begin with, this would go far to redeem it and make it a marriage of co-equal hearts and minds.