The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-12-04
A PLEA FOR WORDS.
ny MRS. c. II. elLDEnsLEEvE.

We have not been rs happy as we ex-
pected to be, Mr.. Overton and |, though
neither of us acknowledged it to the other.
We loved each other as devoutly, though
seriously and properly, as most married
people do. We were not better than the
generality of civilized humanity, and, il
the truth must be told, we thanked God
that we were no worse. We were tri-
f1e romantic in Our natures, though both
strove, for very shame, to hide this little
fault in our mental construction. Yes, it
must be fault, else why should the blood
tingle up to the roots of my brown hair,
and TO the edges of Mr. Overton's whisk-
ers, and over his broad white forehead,
when somo sudden event made us let
down the Aoodgates of feeling, and per-
nit unawares the expression of emotion
to flow forth in a sweet quick stream of
words. MIR. Overton said "my dear "
sounded very well if spoken 10 a child,
but it was excessively mawkish if address
ed to husband or wife; and so for " my
love-" and other appelatives, they were
simply detestable. If he thought so, and
said so, why Of course l said so, and
thought so too. | insisted that true af-
fection could not be heightened, or the
counterfeit made to have the true ring by
keying it to pet names, and / was right !;
but then-never mind, I'll go on with my
talk.
Let me SEQ our golden wedding comes
at Michaelmas, just six months from now,
and it don't seem so long to look back to
the first one, except over that stretch of
days when we were parted at heart, and
that is more TO sec across than all the rest.
remember when Daniel Overton first
asked me to marry him, but l cannot re-
member thc time when l was to be his
wife by signs, and not by an expression of
words. In fact he never syllabled any
love for me but showed me simple and
commonplace attentions which, by the
customs and usages of our undemonstra-
tive New Englanders, meant to show
forth preference for any society, that
should be perpetual. l am content, be-
cause, except in the few novels | have
read, either surreptitiously or under pro-
test, l did not know what the word WOO
ing meant. Sometimes, il is true, rath-
er wished | might have been one of those
mythical heroines, but l would as soon
have expected to possess the mill and
pumpkin from which Cinderella's cash
sprung when she was iu need Of it.
Ny father had never kissed me since l
was in long clothes, and my mother, GER
tainly not after my second teeth, and yet
| never doubted their affection, nor could
| have done so, had / striven ever so hard.
l said remembered when Daniel asked
me TO marry him; but j meant only when
he enquired what day and month the GER
emony should take place. l suppose l
blushed, but | did not do as modern and
perhaps wiser girls would under the cir
cumstances, hide the rose color in lis
buff vest. Of course l fixed The date a
couple Of years in the future Of the ques-
tion, and compromised with six weeks,
because Daniel had purchased house,
and it was empty, and ought to have an
occupant TO care for it. No other reason
was urged, and none was needed. We
were practical and had puritanic blood,
and were simply severe in our styles of
expression. BY severe, mean just what
artists do by that word.
l did sometimes dream what he might
have said if we had been poems instead
of people, but never once fancied il pos
sible to say such things with everyday
tongues like ours. TO be sure, on very
dark nights, when | lay awake planning
the troussedu, which New England girls
always get up themselves, and which are
prepared from year to year from the time
of expertness with the needle, as long as
there is any reasonable prospect of an Of
fer of marriage. But as l said on very
dark nights, when the new pattern was
decided upon, l held imaginary conversa-
tions with Daniel, during which the sweet
est sweetness | had ever drained from
deep draughts from my two books of po-
etry were made to pour from his lips into
my ears. always felt little awed at
myself for this, and accused myself Of
sacrilege in n higher degree, but neverthe-
less it was common and intense enjoy
ment.
"Well, we were married, and our
friends kissed us because il was the GUS
tom, and wished pleasant things for US in
terms which varied not in words, but in
tones; there was thrill and pathos
easily distinguished by ears eager for love