The Arkansas advocate., 1831-08-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
MATRIMONY.

The number of respectable young. men who are daily falling victims to matrimony, is really alarming. There used to be a fine aristocracy of genious, careless, free spirits, s,always ripe forany pleasant mischief. Societies were form ed for the promotion of good fellow ship, for the discussion of knotty ques- tions and oystersuppers We had pc destrian excursions in the summer, to fsi., shoot, ride, swim, and seek plea sure i'll her widest and most delightful
 haunts. Now, these merry associations are all broken up. Look for our chois-
 est and rarcst fellows; the drollest. the
 ircest, tie most daring and reckless. and
 you shall find them taen of families, es- tahlished in business. They have stores and offices; they have degenerated into brokers, doctors, merchants, auction eers, and lawyers. They are getting economical. You shall hearthem grave ly talk of smy eldest boy,'' and sssn1y little girl" till you can scarcely credit that these are the untrammelled com panlons of our earlier and happier days.
 II IS interesting to look around upon the crowd of our youthful playmates, and trace them in their various and often deeply contracted paths, from the 2 green meadow and shaded pond where we esported together, up to thelr present stations in society. To count over the @Billso and the "Bobs,'' the "Toms,' 5 and the "Harrys," of old times; 10 re- member the eclear, uncovered foreheads 1: the smooth voices, which leaped with the stirring ofboyish feeling-the frank hand-the happy heart; and to mark how they have ali been born along by their unshunable destinies; some to an early grave; some to wealth and fame; others to poverty, dark misfortune, blasting guilt. All as they advance losing some precious gift of youth, and discovering a greater or less degree the impress in mind and body which time is forever stamping upon the child. ren oflife. And then to see how inc. vitably they slip into the matrimonial moose; and with what quiet submission with what resignation and christian for titude they allow themselves to be har- messed up in the various appendages oI married men. As for me, hold 1t q dangerous thing for man of warm feelings to marry, unless independent of the world. it may do for those wine are distinguished rather by strong com mon sense than feeling; and the latter ss much more frequently met with thar the former; but fora youth, nhblesses with wealth, and at all inclined to De Tomantic, to fall into the flowery trap is almost certain disappointment. Yet notwithstanding common sense ane sage maxims, is there a man who ha
 not in certain moments, under peculia
 circumstances, experienced desperats temptation to take the plunge "com' what come mayf' l have also observed that the very persons whose susceptible feelings most easily betray them int sudden and warm attachments, are oi ten the last to marry, or perhaps di
 bachelors, while your plain quiet youn' men. who attend to business, and wh
 would not step across the street togaz
 on the loyeliest face under Heaven, 1T the very ones most likely to disappoir general expectation by silently chosin
 some soft voiced companion, whose q