Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-12-02
Ladies Correspondence.
An Excellent Letter from Sophronia!

count time by events, and not by
hours. You in your secluded, quiet
home, are yet in the very morning
Of life, and are as sportive as fawn;
while ], who am, as you know, not
quite two years your senior, am all
ready at twenty, as grave as your
maiden aunt Mary, at forty-fve.-
Such has been the influence Of events
upon me.
I am 10th to own, even to myself,
that l am prematurely old-amF I'M
willing to boast unjustly, as I ac-
knowledge it would be, that am pre-
maturely wise-and yet feel that ]
am no longer ffkethe- laughing. jocund2
companion Of your school day romps-
My health, nevertheless, is excellent;
and I may reasonably expect, if ]
continue to take my wonted exercise
to live TO a good old age.
My protectors her are, eyen now,
in the 'sear and yelloW " Leaf and /,
my swe et friend, may be left soon to
wrestle with the undergraduates Of this
world, alone and unprotected. Is it
surprising then, that I should desire
to be provided in uth an exigency
| with a companion Of the other sex?
frankly ayow to you, Amanda,
that l do entertain thoughts of mat
rinlony; and ] freely aver that it is
my well digested intention to marry
whenever a man to my mind shall
offer himself Start not, my dear,
nor deem me bold and unmaidenly
| seriously mean 'wh at I have said;
and l think you will agree with me,
when ! shall have described the man
| would approve, and shall have, also,
portrayed his opposite.
] The man l woull choose, then.
must possess good So nse as the first
IL
requisite. He must be healthy
| free from organic disc ase. He must
,tbe unaddicted to the use Of profane
Or low vulgar language. lie must
be sober, Industrious, honest, coura.
geous, polite, in the I rue meaning O.
the word, confiding, and just. On
i such man I could ID an for support
and could look up to for counsel il
every trying scene Of life. And
could and would love him, and honor
and obey him with true, steady, and
heartfelt devotion. All This / could
do without considering or. knowing
the color of bis hair or eyes; and
without thinking or airing whether
he be in possession Of any more Of
this worlds goods than a mere com
petence.
| Now, | look upon him who reviles
the God whom christi ans worship as
devoid of good sense, and shall, there
fore, rejectal III such--preferring, rather,
to remain a placid m member of the
gentle sist erhood, as indeed I am,
This | shall do, dear girl, in til e.abidihg
confdenEe that lie VIII suffers not a
sparrow to fall without his notice, will
also care fof me. In few words, nag
mind is ma DE up to suffer even scorn
and contumP ly--to drudge if need be,
and DO anoth hers bidding--to do any
thing and e erything, however disa-
greeable, provided it be honest, sooner
than subject myself to the control Of
one who SCOTS at the blessed religion
Of Christ Jdsus our Lord.
| The fop-lim who, because he lives
in some city. town, or village, looks
with disdainl upon the honest, manly
tiller of theEseil ! likewise eschew.I
The loitei' er-him who, having no
thought of character or settled pur-
pose, makes no effort, but preys upon
them who DO work, and keeps up
the appearance of gentility by I'M
worthy subterfuges, l shall spurn
with loathing.
In short, will not place my hap
piness in the keeping of any other
than one pos Bessing the qualities and
endowments I mentioned at first
A - L -.