The Weekly register. (Ponola [sic] Panola, Miss.) 1843-1844, 1843-10-28
MISCELLANEOUS
A Fathers Advice 10 his Daughter.

to remain single. Your mother and !
would have you happy, because our
happiness depends on yours. The hap
piness Of a virtuous young woman, is 10
make an honest man happy. we must
think of this betinfcs, for your fate
through life depends on your marriage:
and we cannot think too much upon it..
Nothing, perhaps, is more difficult
than the choice OF good husband, ex-
cePt perhaps the choosing G good wife
You, Sophy, will be this rare woman;
you will be the pride of cur lives, and
our happiness in old age. But however
great merit you may have, there are
men who have still more. There is no
man who ought not to think il an honor
to obtain. Among this number the bu-
slness TO ind one suitable to you, to get
acquainted with him, and to make him
acquainted with you.
The greatest happiness Of marriage,
/ depends on SO many points Of agree
ment, that it would be a folly to think
to find them all; the most important
must be made sure CT, preferably to the
rest; if the others can be procured too,
SO much the better; if they cannot, they
must be overlooked. Perfect happiness
is not 10 be found in this world; but the
greatest OF mIslortuncs, aud that which
may be avoided, is to be unhappy by
ones own fault.
There is a suilabIcness which may be
called natural; there is also q suitable
ness arising from the institutions of men,
and d sultableness that depends wholly
on opinion; Of the two last, parents are
the proper Judges; Of The first, the
children alone car Judge. In marriages,
made by AUTHORITY Of parents, these
suitabenesses that arises from civil in
stitutions and 1piaion are alone minded,
the matches ero re. between the per-
sons, but between their rank and fortune !;
but both these are subject 10 change: the
persons alone remain the same, in all
Fpiaces, and eIl,;imes; the happiness
or unhuppiness ofth marriage state de-
ponds, in spite Of fortune, on personal
sutableness.
:: Your mother was woman Of family
! had large fortune; these were the
sole considerations that influenced our
parents to join us together. | have lost
; my fortune, she has lost her rank; for
get by her family: what doth it signify
: to her that she was born lady? In the
midst Of our distress, the union Of ouI
hearts made up for every thing; the
conformity &C our tastes made US choose
! the retirement. We live happy in oul
. poverty, each to The other friend anc
companion. SoPhy is our common lrea
Sure; wethank the Almighty for giving
y her, and taking away every else.
| You see, my dear child, whilhei
j Providence hath bought US. Those con
siderations which occasioned our mar
, riage are vanished, and that which wa
accounted as nothing makes all our hap
!, piness.
II is for man and. vile TO suit them
selves Mutual inclination ought to b
: their first tie; their eyes their heart
G ought to be their first guides for a
:, their primary duty, after they are JOIN
e ed together, is to love one another, so a
to love, or not to love, doth not Away
2 depend upon US; this duty necessarh.
h implies another, namely, to begin wit
u loving one another before marriage
/ This is law Of nature which cannC
- be abrogated those who have restrlcte
$ it, By civil laws, have = more regard
y the appearance Of order than to tn
( happiness or the morals Of the people
" You see, my dear, that the morality W
preach to you, is not difficult; II tend
+ only to make you your own mlstres
I and to make US refer ourselves entifel
IS to you for the choice of your husband.
After giving you our reasons for lea'
ing you a. full iinerty to make YOU
own choice, it is proper to mentlo
= those which ought to.induce you to Us
$, it with prudlnce. Sophy, you have g
at good nature, and good sense, much i
in ;.u ,,d those cualific