Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-11-14
TERMS 81 90 PER YEAR.
NO. 81

the old familiar room as if to say
Farewell, my home, ] must forey
er leave thee" and theWsoftly steal
away. With the widest excitemen
she passes the worn threshold o
her old home. She pauses at thu
gate All Is as still as death. No
thing is heard save the wild throb.
bings Of her heart. All Of Earth
is wrapped in the mantle Of dark.
ness The bright stars of Heaven
remind her Of God, Who has been
her comfort in 50 many hours oi
care, and upon the chill night air
she breathcs the words, "My God
protect mt" I" and then hastens to
meet her lover. The conveyance
stands waiting, and in a moment
they are fleeing. Soon the village
lights behind them grow din. She
casts long, lingering looks back at
a single light. She knows it CLEANS
from her parlor window, for she
had left the light burning upon the
table. But soon Hfades from view.
1t is then she feels that she is run
ming off. It is then she feels that
she is leaving the scenes of her
childhood, and the companions of
her youth. 1t is then she feels that
she has no protector in the wide
world but the one who is fleeing
with her, and she draws nearer his
side. How her young heart aches
when she thinks If he should prove
untrue. The rattling Of the buggy
sounds so lonely, and the fire from
the shedden hoof startles her. Soon
her anxious ride is over, and with
her lover she stands before the min
ister They take upon them the
solemn VOWS of wedlock, and the
man of God pronounces them man
and wife. And here the scene ends.
The step is taken, and if wrongtI
who is to blame if the young girls
life proves miserable. Sad must be
the fate of the one who. with kind
words enticed her at the dead Of
night to leave home and friends,
and go with him. And those busy
bodies who are always match max
ing, or else tools to assist in elope-
ments, let them, too, beware lest
their skirts are also stained.
Before us we have the histories
of five elopements. Three couples
ont of this five have already pro-
cured divorces; the fourth live to-
gether, but are unhappy; the fifth,
SO far as we know, are perfectly
happy. Thus out of five elopements
only one couple are happy. Facts
are stubborn things; and it would
be well for those who will and must
run off to get married, to be guided
by the experience of others. Those
who enter the marriage relation BY
eloping, have at least four chances
of being unhappy, to one of being
happy. This Is no idle speculation,
hut is an Inference drawn from
things taken in their natural chan
mel or course. Then what we de-
duce from this is, that those who
elope and marry, should be very
mindful of duty, lest their lives
prove a wreck.
It often happens that when al
lady does not marry to suit
her friends, many of them turn
against her, and perhaps disinher:t
her, if not entirely, they deprive
her of a considerable portion of
her property. Now this is certain
ly wrong. If a young girl ever
needed friends or encouragement,
it is when she enters the married
life. 1t is then a new field Of duty
opens up before her, and it is then
she needs the warm friends Of her
youth to still cling to her. A kind
word, or a kind act has often buoy
ed many a timid heart. And when
a girl marries of her own free will, |
is it not supposed she marries him
she loves? Would il not be better
for all to do this ? Then why de-
priye her Of the property she is
Justly entitled to2 Some might
say that owing to the disposition Of
her husband, it might prove ruin
ous. But look at both sides, and
rather say in cutting the young
couple off in this cold world, that
this might prove ruinous. Give
them their rights, and let them be
happy the best way they can.
Il