Litchfield enquirer., 1854-06-15
The Marriage Relation.

The following sound. clear. and chris tian views of the marriage relation, are taken from popular wolk. entitled the Martyria. a Legend" published in this city few years ago, from the pen of gifted clergyman :-
 Of earthly relations, those of husband and wife, parent and child, friend and neighbor, master and servant, constitute much the larger portion of man's happi- ness; and are more important, any of them. than all others together. IL is in in the observance. the refinement, the strengthening of these commonest, these greatest, these primal relations that hap- l piness is increased. and not in the inor. dinate accumulation of money. the ac- quisition of empty fame. or in luxurious indulgences. \
 Happiness is to be attained in the ac> customed chair by the ireside, more than in the honorary occupation of civic office; in a wife's love. infinitely more than in the favor of all human bengs else ; in children's innocent and joyous prattle, more than in the hearing of tlattery i; in. the reciprocation of little and frequent kin1nesses between friend and friend, more than in some occasional and dearly bought indulgence: 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 circImstancesa; in full, firm trust in Providence, more than in hoping for fortune's favor; in agrowing taste for the beauties of nature, more than in the fee simple inheritance of whole acres of land; in ths observance of neatncss and regularity, household virtues. rather than in the means of ostentatinns, and the'e~ fore rare, display in hand maiden's cheerfulness, more than in the improved tone of politics; and in the friendship of our next door neighbor, more than in the condescending notice of my lord duke.
 Happiness. then, must be sought for in simplicity, and not in cos,liness; in the perpetually recurring, more than in the rare in abiding peace, rather than in temporary rap.ures; and, next after the well of living water which springeth up into everlasting life. in no source else so seduously, as in those fountains which are fed by the never failing love of rels. tives and friends.
 Again he says :-- as ss8 ...s,.. M There are some persons who have their imaginaiions SO excited by the possibility of some distant good as to lose all taste for the little delights which husband and wife, master and servant. parent and child may devise and reciproca@ hou,ly. al- most. Which isihe luckier man, De that can be happy in the smile of bis wife or he that must wait, wait, waitfo the smile of fortune, and wait in vnin. perhaps ? In this world. there is nothing of such value as affection: and the mnst tritiing expression of it. even though it be but single word of endea, ment, is in the best ears pleasanter sound tLan that of gold pieces.
 "The price of virtuous woman is far above rubies." :" Solomon says. Were there allotted to any one femals figure of so- lid gold, as a companion for life. who is there but would beg that it might be of silver. only that it might speak ? and then of an inferior metal still, # it might only feel and then. that 1t might be. like him self. of earth, might it only accompany him about? And yet. O. human incon' sistency husbands be many of them needless of home joys, as not being an increase of wealth. N! #
 Man is created to be a living soul. and not to be an alchemist: and the real want of his heart is sympathy, affection, love. and not the philosophers stone. It would not be more unreasonable 10 transplant q favorite flower out of black earth into gold dust, than it is for person 10 let money getting harden his heart into con tempt. or into impatience. of the little at ten,lons, the merriments, and the caress> es of domestic life. .. @ as