Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-10

\ MORNING.,
placed. Almost all society depends upon
opportunity. HE fact that man removes
from one street to another D counle of
miles of, has nothing to do with his per-
sonal titles to regard and intimacy but it
constantly makes the difference between
intimate friendship and casual acquaint-
ance. In Just the same manner, if people
born in easy circumstances choose to live
upon terms which involve great poverty,
OF at least close economy. they fall out of
the way-Of their old aequaintances and con-
nections, and must expect, without any loss
Of good will or any intentional unkindness,
TO be forgotten by them. To this extent n
marriage involving what must be described
| in reference to the parties concerned as
comparative poverty, may be said to imply
loss of social position, but there is another
and more important sense 10 which the
same thing is true. Not only do the less
\ intimate friends of the persons contracting
such marriage lose sight of them, but
they lose the opportunity of making many
other CONNECTIONS, which; If they had re-
mained single, they probably would have
made. A young man entering a liberal
pro upon Independent terms is held
in very different estimation, and has much
greater opportunities of advancing in his
profession and otherwise, though he has
fewer motives for doing so, while he re-
mains single, than after he is married. 1t
Is far from being a mere question of luxury
and enjoyment. A single man can enter
tain schemes and run risks which in mar
ried man would be unjustifiable. People
risk less in helping him, and commit
themselves to less by associating with him.
In these and other ways, which readily
suggest themselves, an early and poor mar
riage involves great loss of personal So
cial consideration.
THE COST OF GENTILITY.
Whatever may be said to the contrary,
it does cost great deal of money to be n
gentleman, and q great deal more to be
lady. Where the mistress of the house
has to be nurse and domestic servant as
well rs u wife, she will be sure to sink the
last character in the first. Unless wo-
man has extraordinary health and vigor,
her husband will enjoy very little of her
/ society if she is always looking after her
children or the dinner; and if both he md
she are forced TO spend great deal of
time and thought in coutriving ways to
make their income cover their expenses,
their minds will be very aptt to assume n
petty cast, and to be fixed for the most
part on small and somewhat sordid though
important objects. The obscure difficult
! ties and struggle of such a mode of life
are, in plain truth, great enemies both to
refinement and to high aims in life. \
couple to whom every sixpense is an OBJ
iect have to think and talk great deal
about sixpences. Although it is perfectly
right that they should do so, it would be
better for them both to be free from the
obligation.
1t follows from this, that the desire to
keep up appearances is neither an empty
nsr a vulgar one, for the appearances SO
kept up cover substantial realities. 1t is
quite true that the first and perhaps the
most obvious result of the sort of mar
riage which is so warmly advocated, is
loss of social station; bnt the reason why
that loss is incurred, is, that such mhrria-
ges almost always render possessions of
great Importance extremely precarious.
They endanger the independence and the
refinement of those who contract them,
and they make 1t probable that they will
become the parents of children who will
hold n position in life altogether different
from their own. This simple account of
the matter will! continue to be the trueOne
so long as tue average energy and self-re-
straint of mankind continue substantially
unchanged. Whether or no such risk is
worth running, and such aprice worth
paying for the qualification of affection. is
separate question but tits of great i'm.
portance to understand rightly what the
price reallyis
The.price is not really, says the Cornhill,
question ofluxuries, fne clothes aud ex-
pensive amusements hundred pounds
a year gives a man much solid comfort,
but unless his marriage brings him an in
ereasing income, his one hundred pounds
will 20 but little toward furnishing COM
forts and necessaries for wife and chill
dren. =.ssas 7
SOLID COMFORT. al
Thereal reason why marriage is so ex-
pensiye is that the educated part of COM