Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-05-01
THE EVENING BEFORE MARRIAGE.
Translated from the German of Szchokke.

ave shall be certainly very happy together"
said Louise TO her aunt, on the evening before
marriage, and her cheeks glowed with deeper
red and her eyes shone with delight. When
bride says we, it may be easily guessed whom
of all persons in the world she means thereby.
81 do not doubt it, dear Louise" replied her
aunt, 'see only that you continue to be happy
together"
"Oh who can doubt that we shall continue so.
/ know myself have faults. indeed, but my
love for him will correct them. And long
as we love each other we cannot be unhappy.
Our love will never grow old"
"Alas ~ sighed her aunt, "thou dost speak
like maiden of nineteen, on the day before
her marriage, in the intoxication of wishes full
filed, of fair hopes and happy omens. Dear
child, remember this-even the heart in time
grows old DAYS will come when the magic of
of the scene shall fade And when this en-
chantment has fled then it first becomes evident
whether we are truly worthy of love. When
custom has made familiar the charms that are
most attractive, when youthful freshness has
died away, and with the bitterness of domestic
life, more and more shadows mingled, then,
Louise, and not till then, can the wife say of
the husband, He is worthy of love-; then first
the husband says of his wife, She blooms in
impershable beauty. But truly, on the day
before the marriage, such expressions sound
laughable to me-"
81 understand you, dear aunt. You would
say that our mutual virtues alone can in earlier
years give us worth for each other. But is not
he to whom l am to belong-for of myself |
can boast nothing but the best intentions-is he
not the nobest, worthlest of all the young men
in the city Blooms not on his soul, every
virtue that tends TO make life happy P"
On - bnr
Virtues bloom in thee as well as in him; l can
say thus to thee without fattery But, dear
heart, they bloom only and are not yet rpened
meath the suns rays and the shower. No bios.
SONS deceive the expectations more than these.
We can never tell in what soil they have taken
root. Who knows the concealed depths of the
heart P"
"Ah, dear aunt, you really frighten me-"
$50 much the better, Louise. Such fear is
right such fear is as it should be on the even
ing before marriage. love thee tenderly, and
will therefore declare all my thoughts to thee on
this subject without disguise. | am happy.
Therefore have the right to speak thus to thee,
to call thy attention to a secret which perhaps
thou dost not yet know, one which is not often
spoken Of to young and pretty maiden, one,
indeed, which does not greatly occupy the
thoughts of young man, and sli is of the ut
most Importance in every household; secret
from which alone springs lasting love and I'M
alterable happiness"
Louise seized the hond of her aunt in both
of hers. "Dear aunt you know believe you
in everything. You mean that enduring hap
piness is not insured to us by accidental quail
ties, by fleeing charms, but only by those vir-
tues of the mind which we bring to each other.
These are the best dowry which we can posses
ahese never become old"
"As it happens, Louise. The virtues also,
like the beauties of the body can grow old, and
become repulsive and hateful with age"
"How, dearest aunt what is it you say
Name me virtue which can become hateful
with years"
"When they become so, we no longer call
virtues, as beautiful maiden can no longer
be called beautiful, when time has changed her
to an old and wrnkled woman"
"But aunt, the virtues are nothing earthly"
"Perhaps."
GLOW can gentleness and mildness ever be-
come hateful ?"
$50 soon as they degenerate into inspired in
science and listlessness."
"And manly courage?"
"Becomes imperious rudeness"
"And modest diffidence P"
"Turns to fawning humility"
Sand noble pride?"
"ro vulgar haughtiness"
Sand readiness to oblige P"
"Becomes habit of too rea DIV triendsbip and
servility."
"Dear aunt, you make me almost angry. Nv
future husband can never degenerate thus. He
has one virtue which will preserve him as he is
forever. A deep sense, an indestructible feel
ing for everything that is great, and good, and
noble, dwels in me also, hope, as well as in
him. This is the innate pledge and security Of
our happiness"
"But if it should grow old with you; if il
should change to hateful excitability and ex.
.ctability is the worst enemy of matrimony
You both possess sensibity. That ! do moi
deny but beware lest this grace should de
generate into an irritable and quarrelsome
mortal"
"Ah. dearest, if might never become old
Vert thou always as fresh and beautiful as to-
day, still thy husbands eyes would by custom
of years become Indifferent to these advantages
Custom is the greatest enchantress in the world
and in the house OF one of the most benevolent
farriers. She renders that which is the most
beautiful, as well as the uglest, familiar. The
wife is young and becomes old it is custom
which binders the husband from perceiving the
change On the contrary did she remain young
while he grew old, it might bring consequences,
and render the man in years Jealous It's bet
ter as kind Providence has ordered it. Imagine
that thou hast grown TO be an old woman, and