Marriage is very like the bringing together of two instruments of music. The first thing is to get them keyed to the same pitch. Before a concert begins, you hear the musicians striking chords and keying their instruments, until at length they all perfectly accord. Then they come out and play some rare piece of music, without a discord or a jar in any of its parts.

No two lives – however thorough their former acquaintance may have been, however long they may have moved together in society or mingled in the closer and more intimate relations of a ripening friendship – ever find themselves perfectly in harmony on their marriage-day. It is only when that mysterious blending begins after marriage, which no language can explain—that each finds so much in the other that was never discovered before. There are beauties and excellences that were never disclosed, even to love’s partial eye, in all the days of familiar closeness. There are peculiarities and blemishes which were never seen to exist—until they began to make themselves manifest within the veil of the matrimonial temple. There are incompatibilities that were never dreamed of – until they were revealed in the abrasions of domestic life…

And yet there is really no reason for discouragement. The marriage may yet be made happy. There is only a need for large and wise patience. The two lives require only to be brought into harmony, and love’s sweetest music will flow from two hearts in tender unison…

Perfect mutual confidence is an element of every complete marriage. Husband and wife should live but one life – sharing all of each other’s cares, joys, sorrows and hopes. There should not be a corner in the nature and occupation of either which is not open to the other. The moment a man has to begin to shut his wife out from any chapters of his daily life, he is in peril; and in like manner, her whole life should be open to him. There should be a flowing together of heart and soul in close communion and perfect confidence. No discord can end in harm, while there is such mutual inter-sphering of lives and such inter-flowing of souls.

Husbands and wives, is “perfect mutual confidence” an essential element of your marriage? Do you share every one of your cares, joys, sorrows, and hopes? Pray that the Lord may work in your lives so that your hearts may flow together in close communion and love, so that none of your discords can end in harm.

photo by Lydia Bennett on Lightstock.com