The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-04

would invoke you to beware Of the example OF
Adam, who, through his eredulous, conhding,
noble and generous nature was won upon by the
seductive charms of the woman, until lie had for
feited his glorious inheritance, and was driven
forth from the spontaneous luxury of Paradise, a
very slave, TO toll and TO suffer, aud by the sweat
OF his brow 10 earn the pitiful prerogatiye, the
poor privilege, to live.
would invoke you, my fair hearers of the gem
tier sex, daughters Of the sinful Eve, to beware of
the temptations that surround you. Since the
transgression of your first mother, the willy SER
pent has grown more cunning in sin. He will
tempt you not alone with golden fruit He will
assail you with the promises OF life of luxury
and ease--with the qualification, of every within
and fancy that AIT can supply, or fashion furnish
or, it he finds that you are not TO be tempted by
the ambition of worldly show and display, if he
discovers Il at you OF sentimental disposition,
he will ul you with music and poetry--he will
paint to you in the most vivid colors the joys and
delights of "love in cottage" or some unostenta.
tious city home, where you may dwell in state
of beatitude, loving and beloved--the centre of
atfection-the nucleus of all the tender assidui-
ties--the recipient of all the homage that poor
deluded man can pay to the earthly object OF his
alteration; or he will picture to you some rural re-
treat where besides all these the richest of fruits
shall cluster around you-fowers spring up in your
path, and blooming bowers WOO you to their shady
recesses; but, 6e,oare charge you, 6ssoare, for
The slime of the serpent is over them all. 49,
Wealth, spendor and fashion may fade like a
dream-your city home with all its allurements
may be knocked into fragments by the hammer Of
the auctioneer--your cottage of love may fade
into q rustic farm house-your fruits and flowers
into beets and cabbages-the objects Of your en-
dearments into COWS, poultry and pigs-all of
your sentimentalty may vanish, and you become
slipshod housewife, knitting and darning socks
sewing rips in your husbands unmentionables and
buttons his shirts, milking cows, churning but
ter feeding pigs, and surrounded by crying evils
nursing the last responsibility last, hopeful
promise of your dsllded marriage--and this, the
gentleman on the other side tell us, constitutes
the happiness OF the marriage state, for which
they have SO earnestly labored
The season of coWtship, sir, is a season of de-
light, because it is period of promise and hope.
"Hope springs eternal in the human breastr-
Man never IS but always TO BE blest"
When we have obtained possession of long
desired object, it loses value in our estimation.
Man is never contented He never attains happi-
ness, but is always in pursuit of it. That which
he thinks will assure it ia no sooner in his posses
sion than he feels disappointment, and longs for
some other object which he thinks will crafty his
cravings--and that he aspires TO obtain--or deem
ing it beyond his reach, sinks into dependency
and despair. In ssch manner is he lured by the
wiles and articles Of woman into the marriage
state where he fondly hopes to obtain happiness
but only sinks into dependency, and hypocriti-
cally endeavors to seem whdt he is not-a happy
man. 1880
Women in similar manner are lured BY their
own fancies and imaginations, and the tempter be-
comes the tempted. The Imagination of the maiden
pictures married life to her as an elysum in which
To- AZ, ha L. Al
summer landscape, and little dreams of the win
ter clouds and storms that are to shadow over it,
Experience dearly bought will alone teach her to
see and appreciate her own folly She begins
that experience very soon after marriage Its
lessons commence with the A @ of matrimonial
life, and take her through all the gradatons of its
annoyances, its anxieties, troubles, cares, per-
plexities and miseries. The commencement of
her grievances is illustrated in the anecdote of the
good lady who had enjoyed single blessedness un-
til she had arrived at certain or very uncertain
age. She had refused all the offers, good or bad,
that she ever had; at length, in an evil hour she
married. The young ladies of her acquaintance
knowing that she was experienced as maid and
matron, applied to her for advice on the impor-
tant subject of matrimony. "Ah, girls, !" said she,
"you had better beware of the men; you don't
know EN- as well as / do. When we were first
married, my husband could not be too fond of me; ;
red two months, before one night he scolded me
right hard only because put my cold feet to
his'n."
Such, sir, is the commencement of conjugal in
felicity which goes on through all the catalogue
Of veaa.ions and grievances, annoyances and mis-,
fortunes, to end only in death, separation, or
divorce. Most true is the maxim that those
Who marry in haste repent at leisure" t.s
Yes, let them marry as they will, repentance is
the inevitable consequence. For my own part,
even though ever so dearly loved some beautiful
Desdemona-
81 would not my unhoused free condition
Put into circumscriphon and confine
For the seas worth" .....
After what have proven, Mr. President, of the
horrid condition of married life let fools marry, il
they will, and endure the evils and responsibilities
Of matrimon, but, for my single self" 80 long
as remain contented bachelor shall never
cease to consider matrimony lure, snare, a
trap set to catch the liberty and happiness Of man !;
and sir shall continue to denounce il until attain
that . contamination most devoutly to be wished"
the partner OF my choice" to share with me all
the cares and the joys-the endearments and the
responsibilities Of happy married state. Sir,
have done. i.n t'f