Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-05-24
M A r r | A G. E .
BY MISS LEE.


which are bad. Whatever, therefore,
would mend these methods would rem.
der the state of marriage more happy.
What is required3 Only very sim.
pie thing, but which has not vet been
tried; viz: to accustom US from our
childhood to all the thoughts and sen,i
ments which are to fill up our lives. |
would wish, after all, to fix the atten-
ton of young girls on the choice of
their husbands; educate them for this
choice; impress deeply in their souls
the character of true love, in order that
they may not be deceived by whatever
has only its appearance.
Arethey not made for lovingl Should
not this happiness extend selfthrough.
out their whole life7 Is it not, at the
same time, their supremacy, their DOW.
er, and their destiny? And yet the old
conventional prejudices which abhor
love, still exist in families. Mothers
forget, in the presence oftheir children,
the perils with which this narrow edu
cation surrounds them, the illusions TO
which their ignorance gives birth, and
the weakness which follow these illu.
sions. To open the soul of young girls
to true love is, to arm them against the
corrupting passions which usurp its
name; and here, the advantage is two
fold, for, by exalting the loving facul-
ties of the soul, you in some measure
paralyze the tumulluous passions of
the senses.
Examine the first choice of a young
girl. Amongst all the qualities which
please her in lover. there is perhaps
not one which would be suitable in a
husband; and, in fact she frequently
sees little more Of him she loves than
the beauty of his form or perhaps the
elegance of his dress. Is not this, then,
the most complete condemnation of
our systems of education? From an
apprehension of too strongly affecting
the heart, we conceal from women all
that is worthy of love, we allow the
sense of the beautiful that exists in
them to be lost among utilities; the
outside pleases them; what is within is
unknown. When, therefore, fter hav-
ing been united for six months they
look for the delightful young man whose
presence charmed them, they are often
very much surprised to find in his place
only an impertinent fellow or a fool
Yet this is what is commonly termed in
the world marriage of inclination.
1t is true, that in the present state of
our manners, young girls are seldom
called upon to make their choice; their
Imagination is occupied, not with the
husband but with marriage. So it re-
suits that most girls have marriage for
their object, without thinking much
about the husband. On their part, the
parents seek to match the fortunes;
their aim, they say, is to secure the fu-
turity of their children, and absorbed
in this idea, they treat of marriage as
an affair of commercials of a thing
which gives position in the world for.
getting that il is likewise a thing which
causes happiness or unhappiness. Thus
our foolish wisdom has succeeded in
detaching love from marriage: we have
made bargain by which girls purchase
the power of regulating the expenses
Of their household, of going out alone
and of seeking in the circle around
them that half of their soul, that idea
being which youth dreams Of, and will
possess.
For, how much soever our educa
ton may succeed in suppressing ou
inclinations, they cannot destroy them
man and woman are the same being
whom nature unconquerably tends L
unite by love.
The actual system is then but de
ception, it removes the danger from
the paternaI roof to transport it tc
that of the husband.-Singular educa
ton! the chief aim Of which is 4
throw upon another The heavy load 0
our want of foresight.
Thus, in the present state of matter.
young girls are unable 10 make a pro
per choice for want of experience, an
the choice of parents is almost Away
3 bad for want of the recollection of wha