Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-14
A Bachelors Complaint Of Married People,
BY CHARLES LAMB.

| sell for those superior pleasures which they
tell me have lost by remaining as am.
cannot say that the qnarreIs of men
and their wives ever mlde any great I'M
preston upon me, or had much tendency
to strengthen me in those anti.social reso-
lutions, which took up long ago on more
substantial considerations. What oftenest
offends me at the houses OF married per
sons where 1 visit, is an error of quite a
different description--it is that they are
too loving.
Not too loving, neither; that does not
explain my meaning. Beside, why should
that offend met The very act of separa.
ting themselves from the rest of the world,
to have the fuller enjoyment of each
others society, implies that they prefer one
another TO all the world.
But what | complain of is, that they
carry preference SO undisguisedly, they
perk il up in the faces OF US single people
SO shamelessy, you cannot be in their
company moment without being made
to feel, BY some indirect hint or open avow-
al, that y0a are not the object of this pre-
ference. Now, there are some things
which give no offence while implied or ia
ken Tor granted; but expressed there is
much offence in them. If man were 10
accost the first homely-featured or plain
dressed young woman Of his acquaintance,
and tell her bluntly, that she was not hand
some or rich enough for him, and he could
not marry her, he would deserve 10 be
kicked for his ill manners; yet no less is
implied in the fact, that having access and
opportunity of putting The question to her,
he has never yet thought fit TO do it. The
young woman understands this as clearly
as If it we're put into words; but no rea.
sonable young woman would think of ma
king this the ground Of quarrel. Just
as little right have a married couple to tell
me by speeches, and looks that are scarce
less plain than speeches, that | am not the
happy mantle lady's choice, 1t is suf-
ficient that | know | am not: | do not
want this perpetual reminding.
The display of superior knowledge or
riches may be made sufficiently mortiiy.
ing but these admit of palliative. -
The knowledge which is brought out TO
insult me, may accidently improve me I;
and in the rich mans houses and pictures,
his parks and gardens, have temporary
usufruct at least. But the display of mar.
ried happieess has none of these pallia-
lives; il is throughout pure, unrecompen-
sed, unqualified insult.
a
Marriage, by its best title, is monopo-
lily, and no. Of the least nvidious sort. 1t
is the cunning Of most possessors of any
exclusive privilege tc keep their advanta-
ges as much out of sight as possible, that
their less favored neighbors, seeing little
of the benefit, may be the less disposed to
question the right. But these married
monopolists thrust the most obnoxious part
of their patent into our faces.
Nothing is to me more distasteful Than
that entire complacency and satisfaction
which beam in the countenances Of a
newly married coupIe--in that OF the lady
particularly; il tells you that her lot is
disposed of in this world that you can
have none nor wishes either perhaps !;
but this is one of those truths which ought
as | said before, TO be taken for granted,
not expressed.
The excessive airs which those people
give themselves, founded on the ignorance
Of us unmarried people, would be more
offensive if they were less irrational. We
will allow them to understand the myste-
ries belonging TO their own craft better
than we who have not had The happiness
to be made free Of company; but their ar
rogance is not content within these limits.
If single person presume to offer his
opinion iu their presence, though upon the
most Indifferent subjects, he is immediate
ly silenced as an incompetent person. Nay,
a young married Of my acquaintance, who,
the best of the jes, was, had no, changed
her condition above fortnight before, IN a
question on which | had the misfortune tn
differ from her, respecting the properest
mode 10 breed oysters for market, had the
assurance TO ask how such an old bachelor
as could pretend 10 know any thing about
such matters
But what | have spoken Of hitherto is
nothing to the airs these people give them.
selves when they come, as thev generally
do, 10 have children. When consider
how little OF a rarity children are-Ihat
every street and blind alley sSarms with
them, that the poorest people generally
have the most Of them, that there are
few marriages that are not bles' with Al
least one Of these bargains; how often
they turn out i'll, and defeat the fond hopes
of their parents, taking to vicious courses
which end in poverty, disgrace, the gal
lows, &c.--l cannot for my life tell wha
cause for pride there can possibly be Il
having them. II they we're young phenlx
es that were horn bul one IN an age, lher'
might be pretext But when they are
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