The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-04-13
aTuR THE GtKeIsTAa.
OLD BACHELORS.

hlend / honP'on.
II is too much the custom of that useless
race, who, either lrumsehoiee VI necessity ,
lave embraced life OF c.libacy, 10 exam
ilc only the gloomy side al Tie maifm0aI
IL picture, draw mlayorable iidrrcnees
iherclrnn, and indulge Ia hitter sarcasms
aganstthe marriage state They siioct 10
feince 1t being free from what they term
The " sbackles Of matfilnony,' whilst they
arr ever boaslns thr rleasGres and ENJOY
IucnIs " of single blos,,-dncss.' They seem
In have adopted the idcawhieh Shakespeare,
the master spirit al bis agc, has Pnt INTO the
mouth of one of his characters, that we'd
lock is
but n he'll +,
m nc OF dscord aud continual sirle.
| am a bachelor myself, Mr.. Editor, aud
my head is whitening nnder the snow OF
many winters, which may truly say
have passed ~ cherries solitude. How ],
nho eotcrtain the most profound respect
for -" heaycn'shcst gift To man. and who
tilll gaze with admiration upon Their ET
forms IS the, hit before me M the cltellns
anazes nf the dance, became bachelor, II
is unnecessary to detail, Let II suffice that
! am bachelor, aud | most sincerely Ia
meat tlle circH,nstances that paade me one.
Whilst have felt, yea, most sincerely FELL
the nliseIes of such state, have not
been an inaltcntl"e observer al It's ELECTS
upon others of the saint class. 4 haze
i1askGd their icclinss and observed their
conduct, and, notwithstanding then appa-
,reu eaety and happiness IN public, have
EVER found them gloomy victims oi d'seon-
tent when retired from the world. On the
contrary, my Intercourse with mankind,
and my acquaintance with many families,
have not only taught me 10 regard with
high generation the marriage state, but also
h.te convinced me thai no situation la this
world, no pleasure this lectlng and tfansl.
tory existence diurds, can equal that con
dilion where domestic happiness rcgns,
where two kindred souls are united in
"-hymer's charms.n frequently exelaim
with Langhorne,
= y bliss beyond What lonely life can know,
The sonl-ielt sympathy oljoy and Noc
1hat magic charm which makes cen sorrow
dear,
And turns 10 pleasure the pOriakers tear -
Nature points ont the union of the sexes,
aHd tt.e ordinances of God command it
IN the garden of Eden, Adam WAS com
manded to take Eve To vile, because ii
Was moi good lor man 10 be alone
q His soul was sad, fair Eden WINS wild,
And man, the hermit, sghed'tlll woman smi-
led
Ii it WAS not good for man H. he alone Ia
thebeghning oi the world, nhen he WAS
surrounded hr all the charms at Paradise.
il cannot he So nov, when the cares and
vrSations of life are greatly increased by
the Introduction of sin into the world
Every bachelor who is candid like myself
Nsill readily assent Ia this proposition, and
acknowledge its truth. Cclhacy too often
sours the temper, makes man pceHsh,
fretfu and discontinued, corfupts aud de
stroys the good dispositions of his nature,
and too often, alas leads him lnia habits
of vice and the haunts of dissipation.
In ancient times, cclihacy was not MS
highly esteemed as NJ picsent, but was at
tended with many political Inconvenience.
The Romans wonld not administer an oath
To, OF receive rs witness, any person Who
was not married. julius Cesar, when he
swayed the sccptrc, bestowed iaHors only
on the fathers of families, aud Augustus m
ficted puhishments On the unmarried. In
Sparta, where II prlmeval simplicity of
manners prevailed, a bachelor was consld-
cred as entirely useless aud a barthcn On
the state, and the seNere laws of Lycurgus
hu.nbed and otherwise punished single
mcN. Ia this free and enlie httucd country,
bach, lors labor under na political lnconNe-
ntenCes or restrictions, bat are free 10 ru'e
Nhithcr they list without mourning any
ptnalty, not even the contempt oil the ialr
Eow, Mr.. Editor, | am decidedly of opln
ion that the legislatures OF the different
states should pass laws To compel them To
marriage. The Interest of Ihc country
would he promoted by increasing the NUM-
Der of its defenders, aud tine happiness of
tire fair enAai ced by furnishing them with
protectors. No man who viii sahrrly re-
feet ON the state of society, can ftli TO al
rRit that marriage greatly contributes 10
our happhrss wpintn = made with mo c
soft aud tender dispositions Than man--she
Is designed by nature 10 he his companion,
to share his Joys aud his SORROWS, and to
rrmoye tho,e asperites which often besct
his path and obstruct his way 10 r,lieve
bis rares when tue business aud vexations
OF the werld harrass aud perpIex hm. He
who Gao. after the business OF the day i.
pasi, return Ia his family and hold "swert
converse with the wife Of his bosom, i.
IN my opinion ~ happy as is a,tMnablc il
this sinful world. Where does the bachelor
SEX relief from care ? Where does he fin,
real njeynrnt Seek him IN his Office
his shop or his rounting room, and all i
dark, Dire nv aud eomforless. The path
oil ,i,i.it 4Ne afford no consolation IN III
hour Of distress aud sorrow--they rattle
plaii; additional thorns in his way. II
eply in the society oil wife, i'll The bosom