Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-30
The Marriage Relation.

The following sound, clear and Christian
views of the marriage relation are taken
from popular work entitled "Martyria, a
Legend, published in this city few years
ago from the pen of gifted clergyman
Boston Journal. ,.
"Of earthly relations, those of husband
and wife, parent and child, friend and
neighbor, master ant servant, constitute
much the larger portion of mans happi.
ness; and are more important ANY of them,
than all others together. 1t is in the OBJ
servance, the refinement, the strengthening
of these commonest, these greatest, these
primal relations, that happiness is increas-
ed, and not in the inordinate accumulation
of money, the acquisition of empty fame, OF
in luxurious lndulgences.
"Happiness is to be attained in the &C
Gu toned chair by the freside, more than
IN the honorary occupation of civil office:
in wife's love, infinitely more than in the
favor of all human beings else; in chill
drens innocent and Joyous prattle, more
than in the hearing of fattery; in the re;
ciprocation of little and frequent kindnes-
ses between friend and friend more than
in some occasional aud dearly bought in
diligence in the virtue of contentment,
more than in the anxious achievements OF
wealth, distinction and grandeur; in change
Of heart, more than in change of circum-
stances in FULL firm trust in Providence,
more than in hoping for fortunes favor; IN
growing taste for the bea ties Of nature,
more than in the fee-simple inheritance Of
whole acres of land; in the observance Of
neatness and regularity household virtues,
rather than in the means of ostentatious.
and therefore rare, display; in hand
maiden's cheerfulness, more than in the
improved tone ofpo!tics and in the friend
ship Of our hext-door neighbor, more than
in the condescending notice Of my lord
, duke.
"lIappiness, then, must be sought for in
simplicity. and not in costliness; in the
perpetually recurring, more than in the rare;
in abiding peace, rather than in temporary
raptures; and next after the well of living
water which springeth up into everlasting
iite in no sources else so sedulously, as in
those fountains which are fed by the new
er-failng love Of relatives and friends"
Again, he says: ~
There are some persons who have their
so excited by the possibility
Of some distant good, as to lose all taste for
he little delights which husband and wife.
master and servant parent and child, may
devise and reciprocate hourly almost
Which is the lncaier man, he that can be
happy in the smile of his wife, or he that
must wait, wlit, wait for the smile of for
tune, and wait in vain, perhapsl
'ln this world there is nothing of such
value as affection; and the most triAing
expires. ion Of it, even though it be but
single word of endearment, is IN the best
ears pleasanter so'lnd than that of gold
pieces.
The prce of virtuous woman is far
above rubies, Solomon says. Were there
allotted to any one female figure Of solid
gold, as a companion for life who is there
bat would beg that ii might be Of silver on.
", that it might tpeak and then of an in
feror metal still, if it might only feel ; and
then, that it might belize himself Of earth,
might 1t only accompany him about' And
yet. o human Inconsistency husbands be
many of them needless of home joys,as not
being sn Increase of wealth.
Man is created to be living soul and
not to be an alchemist; and the real want
,of hls heart is sympathy, Affection love.
and not the philosophers stone. 1t would
not be more unreasonable 10 transplant a
iavorite flower out Of black earth into gold
dust than it is for a person to let money
getting harden his heart into contempt, or
into impatience of the little attentions the
merriments, and the caresses of domestic
life."