The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1861-01-12
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Married Life.

These passages of Holy Scripture, APP.
pointed so appropriately to be read at the
soiemnization Of marriage, set forth author,
itatively the relative duties of man and
wife, That only can be happy union
where the rules thus laid down are reduced
to practice. Very little consideration will
show how true are the remarks of recent
writer. The happiness of society, he says,
depends on just views of the marriage re-
lation. 1t is true, the world over, that the
views which prevail in regard to this re-
lation to determine everything Interference
to all other relations of life, and to all
other sources of enjoyment.
1t is not best that there should be the
least exercise of authority in family
When commands begin in the relation OF
husband and wife, happiness flies; and
the moment husband is disposed to com
mand his wife, or is under a necessity of
doing it, that moment he may bid adieu to
domestic peace and joy.
A wife, therefore, should never give her
husband occasion to command her TO do
anything. His known wish except in
cases Of conscience, should be law to Eer.
The moment she can ascertain what his
will is, that moment ought to settle in her
mind It's to what is to be done.
a husband should never wish or expect
anything that it may not be perfectly
proper for wife to render. He, too should
consult her wishes; and when he under
stands what they are, he should regard
-l,o4
he should command. The known wish
and preference of wife, unless there be
something wrong in it, should be allowed
to influence his mind, and that which he
directs III the family.
There is no danger that husband will
love his wife too much, provided his love
be subordinate to the love Of God. The
command is to love her as Christ loved the
Church. What love has ever been like
that How can a husband exceed it,
| What did Christ not endure to redeem the
! Church So should husband be willing
to deny himself to promote the happiness
of his wife; TO watch by her i'll sickness,
and if need be, TO peril health and life to
promote her welfare. Doing this you will
not 90 beyond what Christ did for the
Church. He should remember that She
has social claim ofjustice on him. For
him she has lft her fathers home, for
saken the friends Of her youth, sunk her
name in his, confded her honor, her char
acter and her happiness to his virtue /; aud
the least that he can 90 for her is to love
her and strive to make her happy. That
was what she asked when she consented to
b,cone his aud a husbands love is Whit
she still asks to sustain and cheer her i'll
the trials Of life If she has not this,
whittier shall she go for comfortt
We may see, then, the guilt of those
husbands who withhold their aft cti rs from
their wives and forsake those to whom
they have solemnly pledged themselves at
the altar; those who neglect to provide for
THEN wants, or to minister to them in sick
ness and those who become the victims
of intcmperance, and leave their wives to
tears. There is much, much guilt Of this
kind on earth. There are many, many
broken vows. There are many, many,
hearts made to bleed. There are many 4
pure and virtuous woman, who was once
the object Of tender affection, now, by no
fault Of hers, forsal,cn, abused, brokers'
hearted by the brutal conduct OF hua-
band.
Wives should manifest such character
as to b. worthy Of love. They owe this
to their husbands. They demand the con-
fidpncc and affection Of man-and they
should show that they are worthy Of that
coniidenccpnd affection. 1t Is not possible
to love that which Is unlovcIv, nor to force
affection where it is mleserved; and rs a
wife expects that 4 husband will love her
more than he does any other earthly bong,
it is right that she should cvincc such Il
spirit as shall make that proper. \ wife
may easily alniate the affections ct her
partner in life. If She Is irritable and
ialtlt-fnding, if noneof his ways please her,
if she takes 10 interest in his plans and III
what he does, if she forsakc her home
when she should be there, and seeks hap
piness abroad, or if at home she never
grocts him with a smile, if she Is waste
til with his earnings and cNtleyagant in
her habits, it Will be impossible to prevent
the effects If such course Of life on his
mind.
TO secure mutual love, therefore it is
necessary that there should be mutual
kindness andmutualloy,lmcss Dfchar er.
Whatever seems to be painful should be
ut once abandoned. Nj the Iittle pcculi-
aritics Of temper and modes Of speech that
are observed to give pail should be for
-aken; and while one party should endea-
yor to tolerate them, and not to b. offend
ed, the other should make it Il matter Of
conscience to remove them.
The great secret Of conjugal happiness
is in the cultivation ola proper t"mprr.-
1t is no. 80 much in the great aud try
ing scenes Of life that the strength of vir-
tue is tested; it is in the events that are
constantly occurring; the manifestations
in the things that are happening every
moment the gentlennss that flows every
day, like the stream that winds through
the great landscape, noiseless but useful,
ditfusins fertility by day and by night
Great deeds rarely occur. The happiness