True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-04-21
LITERARK.a
The worth Of a True wife.

AAS W OAbA Va ~ S~N w AAN'
The man that asks no love is mon
ster. The man who erpects none is a
child of despair. There may be hearts
so frozen by sel6shness, or ossifed by
pride and egotism, or paralyzed by disap-
pointment, as 10 be Indifferent to affection.
But these ale icebergs, drifting in dark
ness, on Polar seas; cold, barren, desolatG.
In them no tree or shrub plants root
no flower sheds its fragrance there. No
melody Of living JOY is chanted there
God found that it was not good for man
to be alone, chiefly because he needed the
conscious affection Of female heart 10
soften the asperities Of his own, and thus
give completeness 10 his being. In the
deep, full affection Of wfe's heart. the
husband finds that appreciation and inter-
est which every soul covets. This slim
uIates his enterprises. This makes him
brave in peril. This cheers his hard
labor. This comforts him under irritation,
slander, r,aud reproach in the outside world
To meet .his craving Of man, woman
is adapted. She is not ambitious of
wealth or fame. She shrinks from great
changes and great perils. She is not fit
ted for the struggles of The forum, the
conflict of arms, or The labOrS of the field.
Her home is her earthly heaven; and she
holds a loving heart to cheer him, to
whom God has given loflier ambition,
a deeper craving for earth's wealth, a
stronger arm, and higher courage
Subjected by the ordinance Of God and
the laws of tue land, to abide sterner
will than her own, she is furnished with
wealth of affection which makes hel
burden of subortination light, and melt'
and moulds to tenderness, the controller
of her destiny.
The treasure of a wife's affection, lik'
the grace of God, is given, not bought
Gold is power. II can sweep down for
ests, raise cities, build roads, and decl
hs Ises. Ii can bribe silence, or can pur
chase noisy praise. II can collect troop
of natterers, and inspire awe and fear
But, alas wealth can never purchase
love. Bonapartc essayed the subjugatiol
of Europe, under The influence of genu
almost inspired--an ambition Unsuitable
and backed by millions of armed men
He almost succeeded in swaying his sceE
ter from the straits of Dover TO the Med
iterranean; from The Bay of Biscay t
the sea of Azof. On many blood
field his banner Aoated triumphant. Bu
his greatest conquest was the unbougt
heart Of Josephine, his sweetest and mo:
priceless treasure, her outraged but ur
changed love. If any man failed
estimate the affection of true hearte
wife. he will be likely 10 mark the valu
in his loss, when the heart which love
him is slilled BY death.
In the true wife, the husband finds NJ
affection only, but companionship =
companionship with which no other ca
compare. The family relation give
retirement without solitude, and societ
without the rough intrusion of the worl
1t plants in the husbands dwelling,
friend who can bear his silence wtho
WEAKNESS who can listen 10 the detail
his interests with sympathy who ca
appreciate this repetition Of events, on
importan, as they are embalmed in Il
heart. Common friends are linked to
by slender thread. We must reta
them by ministering in some way,
their interests, or their enjoyment. VIII
luxury it is for man to feel, that
his own home there is true and affe
tiona,e being, in whose presence he mi
throw off restraint, without danger to
dignity: he may confide without the fe
of ,reachery and be sick or nnlortuna
without being abandoned. lf,in the o'
ward world, he grow weary Of hum
selfshhess, his heart can safely trust
one whose soul yearns for his happlne
and whose indulgence overlooks his {
fecis.
Nor, in the matter ofpersonal comic
in the thousand things which combine
shed happiness upon mans pa'hw
through life, is the vile less precc
gift Of God. Who is it that gives CT
to the nealness, order and tidiuess Of {
dwellings, our halls, our parlors. our b.
chambers Who is il that consults {
taste, our afini,ies, our repellances; Q
SO regulates our tables, our couches,
apparel, as 10 minister TO our comic
who is ilthat supplies our lack Of I'M
est in ordinary things, and sends US
into society prepared TO meet the cial
Of decency, taste, and proprle'y! W
caters for our appeli.es, and swelter'
heated kitchens for our indulgence
often, unthanked and unbessed, plies
needle, in the lone evening, for our be
fit! Who is it that schemes, by Il
economy, to get the most elegance
comfort from the leas. tax on our inco
Who furnishes the ready pin, the nap
the bandage for our wounds, the cup
our thirst, the friction for our aching /
the medicine for our painsl What
gel Of mercy is it that watches by
sick pillow, bears all our complaints
irritations, and moves with muffied
when we are slumberiugl
The iassidnilies Of asfaiIhlul wife