The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851, 1851-08-07
NUMBER 10
Marriage and Stockings.

The following letter is said to have &C.
companied the present of a pair of stock
ings to young bride. 1t is quite apropos
Dear Cousi@,-Herewith you will re-
ceive present Of pair of woolen stock
ings knit by my own hands; and be as
sured dear COZ, that my friendship for you
is as warm as the material, active as the
finger work, and generous as the donation.
But l consider this present as peculiarly
appropriate on the occasion Of your mar
riage. You will remark in the first place,
that there are two individuals united in one
pair, who are to walk side by side, guard
ing against coldness, and giving comfort so
long as they last. The thread of their
texture is mixed, and SO, alas is the thread
Of life. In these, however, the white pre-
dominates, expressing my desire and con-
idence that thus it will be with the color
of your existence No black is used
for l believe your lives will be wholly free
from the black passions of wrath and jeal-
ousy. The darkest color here is blue,
which is excellent, where we do not make
it too blue.
Other appropriate thoughts rise to my
mind respecting these stockings. The
Indifferent subject when viewed by the
mind in q suitable frame, may furnish in
structive iuferences. as saith the poet -
"The iron dogs, the fuel and the tongs,
The bellows that have leathern lungs;
The firewood ashes and the smoke,
Do all to righteousness provoke"
But to the subject. You will perceive
that the tops of these stockings (by which
suppose courtship to be presented) are
scanned, and by means of scanning are
drawn into a snarl, but afterwards comes
a time when the whole is made plain, and
continues so to the end and final toeinr
off. BY this, wish you to take occasion
to congratulate yourself that you are now
through the scanning, and have come to
plain reality.
Again as the whole of these comely
stockings were not made at once but by
the addition of one little stitch after an
other, put in with skill and discretion, un-
til the whole presents the fair, equal piece
ofwork which you see, so life does not
consist of one great action, but millions of
little ones combined and so may it be
with you. No stitch dropped where du-
ties are to be performed-no widening
made where bad principles are to be re-
proved or economy is to be preserved; or
neither scanning nor narrowing where truth
and generosity are in question.
Thus every stitch oflife made right and
set in the right place-none either to large
or to small, too tight or too loose; thus
you may keep on your smooth and even
course, making existence one fair and con-
sistent piece, until together, having passed
the heel, you come to the very toe of life,
and here in the final narrowing off, and
dropping the coil of the emblematical pair
Of companions and comforting associates,
nothing appears but white, the token of
innocence and peace, ofpurity and light ;
and may you like these stockings, the f.
nal stitch being dropped, and the work
being completed, so together from the
place where you were formed to happier
state Of existence, present from earth to
heaven. Hoping that these stockings and
admonitions may meet cordial reception,
/ remain in true blue friendship seemly,
without seeming. vours. from ton To foe