Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-05-01

thy husband were blooming youth, how
woudst thou then feel ?"
Louisd rubbed her chin and replied, Il can
not tell
Her aunt continued: "But will call thy at
tention to a secret which,
THAT is it, interrupted Louise, hastily, "that
is it which long so much to hear"
Her aunt said "Listen to me attentively.
What now tell thee / have proved. 1t CON
ssts of two parts. The first part, of the means
to render marriage happy, of itself prevents
every possibility of dissenson and would even
at last make the spider and the fly the best of
friends with each other. The second part is
the best and surest method of preserving iemi-
nine attractions"
"Ah," exclaimed Louise.
"The former half means, then: in the first
solitary hour after the ceremony, take thy BRIDE
groom and demand q solemn vow of him, and
give him vow in return. Promise one onoth-
er sacredly, never, not even in Jest, to wrangle
with each other; never to handy words, or in
dulge in the least ill-humor. Never l say
never wrangle in jest, and putting on an air
OF ill-humor merely to tease, becomes earnest
by practice Mark that Next promise each
other sincerely and solemnly, never to have a
secret from each other under whatever pretext
with whatever excuse it may be. You must
continually, and every moment, see clearly into
each others bosom. Even when one of you
has committed fault, wait not an instant, but
confess it freely--let it cost tears, but confess
it.. And as you keep nothing secret from each
other so on the contrary, preserve the privacies
of your house, marriage, state and heart. from
father, mother, brother, sister, aunt and all the
world. You two, with Gods help build your
own quiet world; every third or fourth one you
draw INTO 1t will form party, and stand be-
tween you two. That should never be. Prom
Use this to each other. Renew the vow at each
temptation You will find your own account
in it. Your souls will grow as it were together,
and will at last become as one. All if many
young pair had on their wedding day known
this secret, how many marriages were happier,
than, alas, they arew
Louise kissed her aunts hand with ardor.
al feel that it must be so. Where this conf
dence is absent the married, even after we'd
lock, are two strangers who do not know each
other 1t should be so without this, there
can be no happiness. And now, aunt, the best
preservative of female beautyP"
Her aunt smiled, and said: eve may not
conceal from ourselves that a handsme man
pleases us a hundred times more than an ill
looking one, and the men are pleased with us
when we are pretty But what we call beauti-
full, what in the woman pleases the man. is not
skin and hair, the shape and color, as in pic
ture or a statue it is the character, it is the
soul that is within these, that enchants us BY
looks and words, earnestness, and Joy and sor-
row. The men admire us the more they sup
pose those virtues of the mind to exist in us
which the outside promises and we think a
malicious man disagreeable, however graceful
and handsome he may be. Let young maid
en-, then, preserve that purity of soul, those
sweet qualities of the mind, those virtues
in short, by which she first drew her lover
to her feet. An the best preservative of vir.
tue to render it unchanging, and keep it ever
young, is religion-that inward union with the
Diety and eternity and faiths piety, that
walketh with God, so pure, so peaceful, so ben
Efficient with moitals."
"See, dear heart, continued the aunt, there
are virtues which arise out of mere experience
These grow old with time, and alter, because
by change of circumstances and inclinations
prudence alters her rules of action, and because
her growth does not always keep pace with thai
OF our years and passions. But religious vir.
tues can never change these remain eternally
the same, because our God IS always the same
and that eternity the same which we and al
who love us are Fastening to enter. Preserve
then, mind impartial and pure, looking fol
everything from God thus will the beauty o
soul remain, for which the bridegroom to-da,
adores thee. l am no bigot no fanatic, an
thy aunt of seven and twenty. l love all in
nocent and rational amusements. But be
Christian, and thou wilt as mother, yes as grand
mother, be still beautiful"
Louise threw her arms about her neck, an(
wepS in silence, and whispered, " thank thee
| Angel ~