Litchfield enquirer., 1862-06-26
IT THE s4 EVENING V MING BEFORE SE MARRIAGE, IA AF

l THE EVENING BEFORE MARRIAGE. "
 TRANSLATED, AN FROM THE GERMAN OF. szcHokxE. ! We shall certainly be very happy together sad Louise to her aunt, on the evening before
 marriage, and her cheek glowed with a .deeper req ana her eyes shone with, delight. When "a bride says sce, it may be readily guessed whom of all persons in the world she means thereby. : 2l do not doubt it, dear Louise,' replied her aant 3y see only that you continue to be happy to-
 Oh who can doubt that we shall continue e. so i! know myself. I have faults, indeed. hut mv love for him will correct them. And SO lonp ,as we love each other we cannot be unhappy. Our tiove will never grow old.'l ss.l D st@aTts sIH
 Alas! sighed her aunt, tthou dost speak like maiden of nineteen, on the day before her mar rage, In tho lntoxication of wishes fulfilled. of Ialr hopes and happy omens. Dear child, re- member this--euen he heart in time q7o,cs old. Days will come when the magic of inc scene snan fade. And when this entertainment has lied, then it first becomes evident whether we are truly worthy of love-. When. custom has made familiar lar; the charms that are most attrac tive, when youthful freshness has died away, and with the brightness of domestic life, more and more shadows have mingled then, Louise, and not till then, can the wife say of the husband, He is worthy of love ,, then first the husband say of his wife, She blooms in imperishable beauty But truly, on the day before marriage, such expressions sound laughable to me- .s3
 ., 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 am to belong-for of myself can boast nothing but the best intentiens-is he not the nobiest worthiest of all the young men in the oIfv Y = | Il tends to make life happy2' s., .s
 C My child replied her aunt, q grant it. vir- tues bloom in thee as we'll as in him; can say say thus to thee without fattery. But, dear heart, they bloom only, and not yet ripened meath the suns rays and the shower. No blossoms de. ceive the expectations more than these. We can never tell in what soil they have taken root. Who knows the concealed depths of the heart ? An, dear aunt, you really frighten me?'
 So 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. I am not as yet an old aunt. At seven and twenty years of age one looks forward into life with pleasure-the world still presents a bright side to us. l have an excellent husband. 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 a young and pretty maiden, one, indeed, which does not greatly occupy the thoughts of a young man, and still is of the utmost importance in ev- cry household :; secret from which springs last ing love and unalterable happiness.'
 Louise seized the hand of her aunt in both of hers. Dear aunt! you know believe you in everything. You mean that enduring happiness is not insured to us by accidental qualities, by 6eeting charms, but only by those virtues of the mind which we bring to each other These are the best dowry which we can possess; these nev- er become old.' .s 4 F.s- s- s, ft As it happens, Louise The. virtues, also, like the beauties of the body, can grow old, and become repulsive and hateful with age.' '7s~' , ''. | How, dearest aunt what is 1t you say ? Name me virtue which can become hateful with years.' ,-..--... ..-.... -. .- ~'When they become so, we no longer call them | virtues, as beautiful maiden can no longer be called beautiful, when time has changed her to an old and wrinkled woman.' ta.:a1 gs2 .f9s But, aunt, the virtues are nothing earthly l ' Perhaps ., r.a.'.ls ...' ..-- .'5h>
 How can gentleness and mildnesss become hatefuf?' ,,
 So soon as they degenerate into inspid inso- fence and istessness.' ! .'' ri'a't A"' '-. -'' And manly courageT s-~,s
 Becomes imperious rudeness.' -. .a--t
 And modest difidencer .,.,...
 Turns to Awning humanity
 ( And noble pride P ? a; '@'-@
 'To vulgar haughtiness.' e.-a.r . aa.r
 .And readiness to oblige? ....s- s..-rs.st -
 ''' Becomes habit of too ready friendship and
 servility.' 'J@]- 7!' '--"+
 Dear aunt, you make me almost angry. My future husband can never degenerate thus. He
 has one virtue which will preserve him as he is
 forever. A deep sense, an indestructable feel.
 ing for every thing that is great and good, and
 noble, dwells in me also, hope, as well as in
 him. This is the innate pledge and security tor our happiness sBut if it should grow old with you if it
 should change to hateful excitability; and exci- liability is the worst enemy to matrimony. Ton both possess sensibility. That l do not deny
 but beware lest this grace should degenerate in- to an irritable and quarresome mortal. ,,r q 2. sAh. dearest, if I might never become old
 Vert thou as fresh and beautiful as to-day, still thy husbands eyes would by custom of years be.
 come indifferent to these advantages. Custom
 is the greatest enchantress in the world, and in the house of one of the most benevolent fairriers
 She render that which is the most beautiful, as
 well as the ugliest familiar. The wife is young
 and becomes old it is custom which hlnders
 the husband from perceiving the change. On the contrary Qld Sne reuidiu youhS "Ai.0 ne grew old, t might bring consequences, and ren der the man in years jealous. It IS better as kind Providence has ordered it. Imagine that thou has grown to be an old woman, and thy
 husband were blooming youth, how Woulds'
 thou then feel?' 2 .'
 Louise rubbed her chin, and replied, Il can : not tell Her aunt continued: But I will call thy at ! tention to secret which ,st -t-
 That is it, interrupted Louise, hastily, that !, is it which I long so much to hear. Her aunt said Listen to me attentiVely , What now tell thee have proved: It consists of t,eo parts. The first port, of the means te
 render marriage happy, of itself prevents eve
 ry possibility of dissension, and would even al F last make the spider and the fly the best o1 friends with each other. The second part IS the i: best and surest method of preserving feminine 7 attractions ... '..4 -a5 .,s'@ @s'9' ' 2 sAh, exclaimed Louise. 7,aFI, .. The former half means, then in the hrs solitary hour after the ceremony, take thy br1de !, groom and demand a solemn VOW ot hlm, ano give him a vow in return. Promise one anothe, sacredly. erer, not eren ID jest to aorafgie aoun , coch otber never to bandy words or indulge IT tbe least i'll humor. Neper! 3I say; nevei wrangle in jest, and putting on an air of ill-hu nor merely to tease becomes Vliest Dy Prac"oe r Mark thatl babsa5 5C ,4jae., sI Nextpromise each other sincerely and soiemnis } neper to Aare secret from each otaef unae -l whatever pretext, with whatever excuse It naJ ll be. You must continually, and every moment : see clearly into each others bosom. Even wher | one of YOU have committed fault, walt not al lx fnnr