Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-12-12
From the Ohio Farmer.
BRIDAL PRESENTS.
by MRS. SARAH A. wENTz. AUTHOR
OF AMY DENBRoK, ETC.


the bride with gifts that come from
loving hearts. sacred gifts that have
a speech and language all their own,
irrespective fany mercenary value.
Such gifts are pure in their sugges
tions, as the little shoe which the
mother weeps in secret over, after
her darling has gone beneath the
daisies to find her way to heaven.
Bnt we lift up our yoicein behalf
Of a great army,-and this great
army quakes with the fear Of being
thought mean,-mark, not always
with the fear of being stingy, but of
seeming 80. This vast army is
composed of a thousand different
characters. Let us illustrate them
| A lady is TO attend a wedding; she
purchases a silver basket for a
bride whom she cares little about,
and then says to her sister " !
can't afford to make Biddy a present
Of five dollars, as / intended to, be-
cause this cake basket has cost so
much" And so Biddy, who is the
truest object Of charity, is neg
Ilected, her mistress saying to her
self" Everybody will see my pres
ent to the blide, and 7 cannot, Of
course, give anything that would
look cheap or shabby"
Is not this the reasoning of a
shabby spirit, and would it not he
more royal to do ones actual duty :?
We owe duty to society which is
as imperative as patriotism. When
we see, after some careful obserya-
ton, that a custom is beautiful, it is
right to protest against it. Our
American society is living more
and more in reference to what 9th
ers think, rather than in reference
to the cultivation of noble indi-
viduality. 1t is notpleasant to step
aside from the beaten track, and re-
ceive blame therefor, but would to
| God there were more who would be
true to themselves who would
measure in Gods light all that they
are, and that which they can best
do-and then keep steadfast ire
spective of outside voices. Every
family has its secrets; almost every
family has some secret drain upon
its charity, and costly bridal gift
are often made with signing look
towards some aged relative, who
needs the oblation far more than
the happy new wife. Many a gen.
erous bride would repel someof hel
offerings with shock of pride
: could She know their history, 4
pale girl sat stitching far into the
night for many weeks to earn her
self a merino dress-a dear frienr
r who was in better circumstance
was to be married, and chose tn
2 seamstress for a bridesmaid; be
side the expense Of her toilet, whicl
S consumed her merino dress, sh
}, feels that she must make presen
0 becoming to her position poo
n girl she cannot live above the woH
o more than others-she tolls harde'
/ she goes in debt a little, and buy
0 some pretty trifle that is earned ou
Y of her tears and llife-blood; atte
+ the wedding, she works to make U
e the deficit, and the lack Of morf
Y courage and independence whic
made her decline saying, " | can
not afford to be your bridesmaid!
plunges her into fresh sacrifices TO
show-she loses her health TO
d show, whereas, had she been truth
e ful and strong, the good tides 9
e her life would have poured forth
better type of living for Others
follow. a H-ir at gfIHl.
l, A mother made the remark, +"
l. had an evening wedding for m
Catharine, because knew she woul
. be apt to have a great many pre-
- . ents." This is the gist of the ma
= ter it is not the presents that v
= y war against, but the display Of the
% with prices attached, that peop
"a may be deferred from getting sm'
y Gifts. We know that there are tho
- sands ofinstances where the thoug
OF ~ does not enter. a rich, generol
= = poetic nature would look upon Il
,e = fair offerings with heartfelt emotio
~ ~ and would treasure them merely +,
~ the association sake-loving be
le the little token that indicated
. great love. But the world is n
~ made up of rich, generous poet
y natures. The fashion of displGyii
y, nf wedding presents is oppression
y the poor; every bride has poor !
y lations who would enjoy the we
9c ding, if not tortured to get t
le wherewithal to buy a gift--and tn
~ =. these poor relations find that t
% . cake will not digest, when with sc
n n rowful eyes they see how inconsi
u u ersble their token looks beside OF
4 + ers. Why is it SO necessary to
\ ~ people knoc how munifcent we ar
y, il it were not the custom, we shot
y blush at the childishness of t
,,s ,r' thing. A great grandfather give
u - farm 10 the bride, but he cam
~ ~ possibly get it into the house a
w W lay it on the table or piano;
m ns does not exactly like to rap for
2i !ii lence, and make a speech, sayil
~ ~ +" Friends, I gave a farm it as
~ ~ solemn fact, though you do not {
%, y: it herep' What does he do 2
~ must be told; why, he puts the d(
on the table where the guests