r to your happiness there must be a spirit of

FORBEARANCE.

In the weeks, the months, the years that you were planning for each
other's conquest, only the more genial side of your nature was
observable, but now you are off guard, and the faults are all known
the one to the other. You are aware of your imperfections, unless you
are one of those self-conceited people who are quickly observant of
faults in others, but oblivious to faults in yourself; and now having
found out all of each others imperfections, forbear.

If the one be given to too much precision, and the other disorderly in
habits; if the one be spendthrift and the other oversaving; if the one
be loquacious, and the other reticent, forbear. Especially, if you
both have inflammable tempers, do not both get mad at once. Take turn
about! William Cowper put it well when he said:

"The kindest and the happiest pair
Will find occasion to forbear;
And something every day they live
To pity, and perhaps forgive."

V. Again: in order to your happiness, let there be no interfering with
each other's peculiar

RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS.

If you are a Baptist and your wife a Pedo-Baptist, do not go to
splashing water into each other's faces! If you are a Presbyterian and
your husband is a Methodist, when he shouts "Hallelujah!" do not get
nervous.

If you have strong denominational proclivities, one of you had better
go to one church, and the other had better go to another church; or,
surrendering some of your intensity on that subject, as in hundreds of
cases, come to some such church as the Brooklyn Tabernacle, where,
while we adhere to the fundamentals of the Gospel, we do not care a
rye straw for the infinitesimal differences between evangelical
denominations--putting one drop of water on the brow, if that is
enough baptism, and if not, then plunging the candidate clear out of
sight, if that is preferred--not caring whether you believe you have
been foreordained to be saved or not, if you are only saved; nor
whether you believe in the perseverance of the saints or not, if you
will only persevere; nor whether you prefer prayer by Episcopal
liturgy or extemporaneous supplication, if you only pray.

Do not let there be any religious contests across the breakfast table
or the tea table. It makes but little difference from what direction
you come toward the riven heart of Christ, if you only come up to the
riven heart. Yet, I know in many famili