Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-12-27
WOMEN AND MARRIAGE.
BY N. P. WILLIS.

| have speculated great deal upon mat
rimony.-I have seen young and beautiful
women, the pride Of gay circles, married as
the world says-welll Some have moved
into costly houses, and their friends have all
come and looked at their fine furniture and
splendid arrangements for happiness, and
they have gone away and committed them
to their sunny hopes cheerfully and without
fear. 1t is natural to be sanguine for the
Young, and at such times l am carried away
by similar feelings. love to get unobserv-
ed into corner aud watch the bride in her
attire, and with her smiling face and soft
eyes moving before me in their pride Of life,
weave waking dream over her future hap
piness, and persuade myself that it will be
true. | think how they will sit upon the
luxurious sofa as the twilight falls, and build
gay hopes, and murmur in low tones the
now forbidden tenderness and how thrilling
the allowed kiss, and the beautiful endear-
ments of welded life, will make even their
parting joyous, and how gladly come back
from the crowd and the empty mirth Of the
gay to each others quiet company. L pic
ture to myself that young creature, who
bushes even now at his hesltatng caress,
listening eagerly for his footsteps as the
night steals on and wishing that he would
come; and when he enters at last, and, with
an affection as undying as his pulse, folds
4 her to his bosom, can feel the-Eery tide
that goes flowing thro' his heart and gaze
with him on her graceful form as she moves
about him for the kind Offices OF affection,
soothing all his unquiet cares, and making
him forget even himself in her young and
unshadowed beauty.
90 forward, forward for years, and see
her luxurant hair put soberly away from
her brow, and her girlish graces ripen into
dignity, and her bright loneliness chastened
with the gentle meekuess Of maternal affec-
ton. Her husband looks on her with a
proud eye, and shows her the same fervent
love and the delicate attentions which first
won her, and fair children are growing up
about them, and they go on full of honor and
uniroubled years, and are remembered when
they die!
4 say | love to dream thus when go to
give the young bride Joy. 1t is the natural
tendency of feeling touched by loneliness,
that fears nothing for ITSELF and if ever
: yield to darkened feelings, it is because the
! light Of the picture is changed. / am not
, fond Of dwelling upon such changes, and
: will not infinitely now. allude to it only
because trust that my simple page will be
read by some of the young and beautiful be-
! ings who daily move across my path and
would whisper to them, as they glide by Joy
> ousy and confidently, the secret of an un-
clouded future.
: The picture have drawn above is not pc
e culiar. 1t is colored like the fancies of the
bride; aud many, oh! many an hour will she
sit, with her rich Jewels laying loose in hel
!: fingers, and dream such dreams as these
/ She believes them oo-and she goes on TO
y while undeceived The evening is not to,
y long while they talk of plans for future hap
piness, and the quiet meal is still pleasan
= and delightful novelty Of mutual reliance ant
= attention. There comes soon, however,
O time when personal topics become bare ant
e wearisome, and slight attentions will no
T. alone keep up the social excitement. Their
are long intervals of silence, and detecte'
symptoms of weariness and the husband first
in his manhood, breaks in upon the hour
they we're wont to spend together. can
not follow it circumstantially. There com
long hours of unhappy restlessness, and tel
rible misgivings of each others worth an
affection, till, by and by, they can conce'
their uneasiness no longer, and go out ser
aratey to seek relief. and lean upon the no
low world for the support which one VIII
has promised to be their lover and frieno
could not give them
p Heed this, We who are winning, by you
:, innocent beauty, the affection of high-mint
" ed and thinking beings. Remember thu
: he will give up the brother Of his heart wit
whom he has had even fellowship of min'
ne the society of his contemporary runners IN
), race Of fame, who have held with him
- stern companionship and frequently in h
! passionate love, he will break away fro
st The arena Of his burning ambition, to con
and listen to the voice of his character
Y. II will bewilder him at first; but it will n
IT. long. And then, think you that an id
i, Establishment will chain the mind that h
Ir been used for years to an equal communio
as Think you he will give up for weak di
!, lance the animating themes Of men, sI
~ search into the mysteries of knowledge
" Oh, no, lady believe me, no Trust n
q your influence to such light letters. Cree
not the old-fashioned absurd,ty, that woman
- is secondary lot, ministering to the neces
9. ties of her lord and master Ifyour immc
tality is as complete, and your gift OF mil
as capable as ours, ] would charge you
~. an water the undying bud, and give it healt
&c - culture, and open its beauty 10 the sun a
se- then you may hope that when your life
are bound with another, you will 60 on equal
ng and in friendship that will pervade eve
* earthly interest.