Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-08-05


can help loving the father of her children.
Children, on her side, are a bond of union,
and though she may appear, for them, to
neglect those little attentions which men
seem naturally to expect, it is only because
the child is the more helpless being of the
two, and the true woman always takes the
side of those who are the most feeble. 1t is
a strange but melancholy fact that when
young girls fancy themselves in love, they
are seldom if ever happy, if they marry
the object of their choice. The fact is,
in most cases, they find the husband they
have chosen quite a different person, as an
individual, from the imaginary object he
appeared as lover.
The imagination of most girls is stronger
than the judgment; and as soon as the first
idea of love is awakened in the female
heart, the imagination is set to work to
fancy a lover, and all perfections are as
sembled together in the young girls mind
to endow the object of her secret idolatry.
The first man whose appearance and man
ners attract o girl on her entrance into So
ciety, is generally invested by her with a
halo of these secret thoughts, and she fan
cies herself violently in love without the
least real knowledge of the man she sup
posed herself in love with. No wonder,
then, that if she marries she is miserable.
The object of her love has vanished never
to return, and she finds herself chained for
life to man she detests, because she fancies
she has been deceived in him.
On the other hand, the man who, with
very pardonable vanity, fancied himself
loved for his own merits, and who was per-
fd ctly unconscious of the secret delusions
Of the girl, becomes, when he finds her
changed after marriage, quite indignant t
her caprice. The friends and relatives on
both sides share in the same feelings
"what would she have?" they cry-"she
married for love and for the consequences.
The consequences are, indeed, in such
cases, generally sad enough. When the first
delusion is dissipated, and the truth, in
oil its hard and stern reality, comes forth
from the veil that has been thrown around
it, both parties feel indignant at the false
position in which they find themselves. Mu-
tual recriminations take place, each accu-
sing the other of deceit and ingratitude,
whilst the apparent injustice of those accu-
sations, which is felt by each party alter
nately, first wounds the feelings, and then,
if repeated, rankles in the wound until it
becomes incurable.
THE Docs AND THE RoBBERs.--A trag-
ical story is told Of an adventure that
happened to the monk Of St. Bernard in
the days when their dogs were at their
full perfection. No less than Thirty
robbers. to ~hom the supposed posses
sions Of the monastery offered a rich
booty, had by degrees introduced them.
selves into the retreat, arriving in par
ties at intervals, and were always re-
ceived in most friendly manner. AS
soon as the whole band was assembled,
they threw off their concealmeat, and
summoned the abbot to produce the
keys Of the treasury. The monk was
fortunately man Of more resolute
character than usually occurred in these
places of seclusion, and did not lose
his presence Of mind. Hs observed to
them mildly that their conduct was
unworthy, aud an i'll return for the hos
pitsble attention they had received
The robbers, as may be supposed, were
| deaf to this appeal, and continued their
demand.
''lf it must be so." said the superb
or, "as we have no means of defending
! ourselves, must submit follow me,
therefore. to the spot where our treasure
is kept"
He led the way, and was ultuous-
ly attended by the eager band. He
placed his hand on a door, but before
he turned the hey he turned back and
made another appeal; he was answered
with execratlons, and no choice being
left him. he threw the door wide open.
II was the den in which the dogs were
kept he raised his voice, to which a
loud yell responded, then gave rapid
signal, and in an instant the powerful
animals bounded forth upon their prey,
tearing some, strangling others, and
sending the few Of the robbers who es-
capped their attack Aging for their lives
headlong down the mountain, in frantic
terror, to be dashed to pieces over the
precipice which yawned before them.
FAMINE IN IHDIA.-A late number OF
the Bombay Times says:-
1--WE have famines occurring almost
decennially, some Of which, within our
time, have swept their millions away.
In 1888. $4,000 persons perished in the
month of September in LucKnow at
Khanpoor 1900 died Of want and
E5O0, 900 were subscribed by the boun.
,iful to relieve the destitute. In Gun
toor $50. 900 human beings. ~, 900 bull
LOCKS, l59. 900 mich cattle, and SOC, 1000
sheep aud goats, died Of Starvation
| Fifty thousand people pershed at Mar
war; and in the Northern Provinces,
81, ,OG0 human lives are supposed to
have been lost. The living preyed upon
the dead; mothers devoured their chill
dren and the human Imagination could
scarcely picture the scenes OF horror
that pervaded the land. In twenty
months time. 100000 persons must
hive died Of hunger or Of its immediate
consequences.
The direct pecuniary loss to the gov.
ernment by this single visitation
exceeded $4,000, 900 sterling--a sum
which would have gone far to avert the
calamity from which il arose, had i
been expended in constructing thor.
oughfares to comes ct the interior with
the sea coast. or districts where scarcity
/ prevailed with thoae where human fooC