The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-05-27
A Few of the 90 False Steps,"

After writing very eloquently about
wrong love" an English magazine writer
goes on to say:
And many f~lon at"r hoo h-"-
made IL marriage as well as in love. 1t was
fal>r step when Sophia, proud, ambitious,
and woldly, let herself be stayed at the ar
lists couage-doo,, persuaded that she could
play Ruth among the corn, with a penniless
painter Tor her Boaz. 1t was a false step
when EIgenia, brought up in France-whose
norors Of country simplicity were taken from
the BJ.s de BouIogne, and whose deepest re-
ljgiOus exercise was to listen to florid SER
mon al the Madellne-t was false step Ill
her when she bound herself for life to a
handsome, enthusiastic north-country mis-
siouay, who would have accounted it sac
rtice Il princE.e If he had lalored in any
held more Cultiya'ed or accessible than the
rlIJs Of Central Africa, or the Polynesan
Islands. And !. was a f&lse step in the mis-
sog.ry himself when he allowed his zeal e
ould his Judgment, and chose tug"ni and
-rr private foftunt-Uhich wouIl come il. so
vel. rs NorAiug capital for his dusky converts
TO that poor, little, patient, energetic
sc5ooI-goyerntss Of bis, who had NJ more
substantial dow4y than her faith and love,
and who would have lone to the ends Of the
earth with him, if she might have aided in
his work, and have ninistered to his life.
For the love Of him, and the spread Of Cal
vansm, size would have brayed even seal p
ing knife above her head, or contemplated
her future id as 4 mea. for hungry men with
.ortitude ard-courage. He saw it all when
= was too late NEen he was standing alone
au he deck Of the emigrant ship, poorer
than when he married, while his wife drove
down the Boulevards to her old home in the
Champs Eysees, and the poor little govern
eSS was wrnging her hands on the shore,
PRAYING wildly Tor his safety, and for her OWL
forgiveness for loving him tco well. Once
he sto dion a pinnacle, whence he might have
stepped down to either side. He made &
false step, came down Oh the wrong side, anC
SET his foot on the happiness OF three live:
forever
1t was false step when my young friend
the author OF work on human nature il
SA voIumes-to be had halt-pfice uncut
married woman he did not love, and a tort
night older than his mother, becauae she lik
Cd the same books that he did, and held th
same doc,rlnal views concerning original sin
ana ne thought marriage OF brains high
er AiHa OF thing than one Of only hear
anu iee!Ing, and what soul striving to groy
greater than the body should prefer. H
found out his mistake, like the missiunar
and so many more, when too late. and whe
it was OF no use 70 r truth and feeling TO lit
up their heads ani cry aloud in the wilder
ness of his life. He had accepted as hi
portion field of straw, neither rich wit
corn nor beautiful with flowers and of wha
good to make now his moan that the tende
grass-lands were green and luscious, and tn
l~s:y woods full of song and scent, while HI
"Itaered palm had no flowers and no shad
and was fit for neither food nor beauty? ID
shoua not have held false principles, an
then he would not have believed that bog
moss was solid ground, or that youth an
age could ever go well in hand together.