Take Care Choosing A Wife; Can't Trade Her For Poodle Dog, 1918

I came across an interesting looking monthly newspaper called Good News from Boomer, N.C., published June 1, 1918. I thought. In the banner, underneath the title it reads “(Formerly the Fool-Killer)”.  And on the front page there’s a little paragraph: "I am not 'preaching' in this paper, but merely talking and reasoning about things. Preaching is all right for those who can do it, but I am not a preacher. My job is not to work people up into a frenzy of emotion, but to convince them by cool-headed, common-sense reasoning." James Larkin Pearson was the editor, the newspaper meant to be “A Monthly Message of Warmth and Counsel and Comfort to a Stricken World.” Here is some advice on marriage from an article entitled “Let Us Reason Together.”

Ever hang around a livery stable and see a man purchase a horse? Doubtless you notice how careful he was in the selection. That’s business.

Ever see how carelessly a man selects a wife to become the mother of his children and perpetuate his name? That’s love, so folks say; but somehow, I feel that it is business too. If a man gets a horse that does not suit his needs he can trade for another, or sell him for cash. If he gets a wife that is ill-tempered and ugly in her demeanor and wholly unsuited to be the mother of his children, the man is not allowed to trade her off for a poodle dog, even if he so desires.

Which do you think he should be more careful in selecting, a wife or a horse?

A few observations and a little reasoning will convince you that many inconsistencies are rampant in this world. Did you ever question yourself and try to find out if you really believe the creed you profess to follow? Try it and see if it harmonizes with the scriptures, and if it doesn’t, then read, study and reason out the thing yourself and you will e surprised at the things you have stumbled over for years. Listen carefully and it will be only a little while before you hear somebody quoting Webster’s old Blue-back speller for real scripture. It says “Our bodies are mortal and will soon die; our souls are immortal and will never die.” Ever see such an assertion anywhere else? Well, not in the Bible, if anywhere.

The Holy Book does say that God only hath immortality. Adam did not possess it before he ate the forbidden fruit. God sent an angel to drive him from Eden lest he should partake of the Tree of Life and live forever. Immortality would make a man equal with God and nothing could destroy him, not even God Himself.

To read more of James Pearson’s thoughts, you can search for issues of Good News online at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov