Litchfield enquirer., 1835-10-29
A WIFE'S DUTIES.
By Mrs. Sfnnkord.

may perhaps stsrtse you, Eta, by say
ing that the first year Of young woman's
welded life is generally the most unhappy,
and the most trying one she experiences.
However intently we may have studied the
! character of our aGianced, however we'll
we may imagine we know it in all its mar
row windings, still shall we find, when we
become wives, that we have yet something
to learn. By actions is the affection on
either side shown, and though it is in the
power and nature Of a woman to manifest
her devotedness by thousand little attcn-
! tlons, she must not repine if she receive
not the like. The feelings of the other
sex are not so soft and exquisite as those
of our own; il they were, we might pos.
sibly be happier, and we may, for mo-
ment, wish that they were so but we shall
restrain so selfish desire, if we reflect
how much more unfit they would be, by
such constitution Of heart, to bear the
| crosses and Bullets Of the world; and we
shall rejoice that they do not possess our
keener sensibilities, and rest content with
our lot, refusing to increase, at their OK.
pense, happiness, which, If not quite
meeting our ideas Of perfection, does so
sufficiently to make US unblest.
1t is said that lovers quarrels are but
the renewal Of love ; but it is not so in
truth. Continued differences and bicker-
ing will undermine the strongest affection,
and wife cannot be too careful to avoid
disputes on the most trivial subjects; in
deed, it is every day occurrences which
try the love and tempers in the married life
great occasions for quarrels can seldom
occur. Every wish, every prejudice must
meet with attention, and the first thought
of woman should be the pleasing and
providing for her husband. 1t is impossi-
bic to enumerate all the little incidents
which frequently annoy married men, or
the little obtrusive pleasures which it is in
the power Of wife to give; but through
out her life, ia her employments and in her
amusements, she must ever bear his pleas
nre in her mind. She must act for him, in
preference to herself. and she will be ann
| ply rewarded by witnessing his delight in
her and in his home. To woman who
loves her husband with all the devotedness
of her nature, this will DO pleasure, not
task and to make him happy, she will
never grudge any sacrifice Of self.
The greatest misery woman can ex-
perience. is the changed heart and the ALI
enated affections Of her husband but even
in that painful case she must not relax in
the performance Of her duties; she must
not upbraid, she must bear with fortitude
and patience her great disappointment; ;
she must return good for evil to her ut
most, and her consolation will be the con-
sciousness that her trials have not their
rise or continuance in any dereliction Of
affection or duty on her part.
Some women, in order to win back
husbands wandering love, have recourse
to the attempt to arouse his Jealousy; but
they are much mistaken in pursuing such
method. A man, however debased may be
his conduct, never entirely forgets the love
he once bore to the bride Of his youth !:
there are moments when feelings of tender
ness for her will return with force to his
heart and to reap the benefit ofsuch mo-
menls, the injured but forgiving wife, must
still be enshrined in the purity Of former
times. A husband will excuse his fault to
himself, and in some measure also stand
exonerated to the world, il his wife relax
in the propriety Of her conduct while on
the contrary, The gentle forbearance, the
accomplishing patience, and unobirusive
rectitude Of the woman he Injuries, will
deeply strike his heart, and do much to
win him back to his former love, and to
the observance of tho vows he breathed at
the altar, when his heart was devoted to
the being from whom il has wandered. A
kind look, an afectionate expression halt
uttered, must bring his wife to his side, and
she must with smiles and tenderness en-
courage the returning affection. carefully
avoiding all references to her sufforings. or
the cause Of them. ...... ..a.aI
This will not be difficult for virtuous
woman to perform. Our love, which Le-
fore marriage is constrained by the modes
ty and reserve naturalto our sex, increases
in fervency and depth afterwards II ena-
bles us to bear untelt the worlds scora
all is swallowed up in it; an affectionate
wife will cling to her husband through good
report and evil report-through poverty
and riches-and the more the world re.
cedes from him, the more firmly will she
stand by him-she will be his friend wher
none others come near him-she will be
his comforter when all other worldly CON-
fort has slid from him-her devolednes.
will be his rock when he has no other sup
pOrt-she will smile at the frowns Of the
world, she will not heed it's censures be
is her all, and in her love are all other feel
lings forgotten or absorbed. No sacrifice
will be too great, the faintest smile will not
Ia a. lsssl~ ~s,s~k 49, naEow ,,u