Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-08
Husband and Wife.

y
never know cloud nor shadow more
as as Husband and Wife,
In his chapter on the relations OF. .hus-
bands ana wives, Mr.. Alger has passage
so admirable, and introduces also quo
taton from Chaleaubriand, which has al
ways seemed to US SO unrivaled for truth
fulness, thatswe quote aifew passage.
Let q husband be the true and pure
guardian of his family, laboring always
to adorn himself with The god-likc gems
of wisdom, virtue, and honor; let him
bear himself in relation TO his wife with
gracious kindness towards her faults, With
grateful recognition Of her merits, with
steady sympathy for her trials, with
hearty aid for her better aspirations, and
she must be Of arvilea stock if she does
hot revere him and; minister unto him
with ell the graces and sweetness Of her
nature. (
Let q wife in her whole intercourse
with her husband try the efficacy of gen
tlcncss. purity, sincerity, scrupulous truth,
meek and patient forbearance,,; mn nvaria
blcetone and manner Of defcrc,iSe, and if
he is not a brute he cannot help respect
ing her and treating her kindly, and in
nearly all instances he will end by loving
her and living happily with her.
But if he is,vuIgar and vicious, dcspo,
tic, reckless, so as to have no devotion
for the august prizes and incorruptibe
pleasures of existence; If she is,an un-
appeasable termagent, or petty warrior,
so taken up with trihing annoyances that,
wherever she looks 'thc blue rotllnda of
the universe sinks into q housewitery
room-::n if the presence OF. each acts as
a morbid frfitant on the nerves Of the
other, to the destruction of comfort and
the lowering of selfrespect, ard the drain
ing away Of peace and strength, their
companionship must inlalibly be COM
panionship in wretchedness and loss.
The banes of domestic life are little.
ness, falsity,vulga garity, harshness, scold-
ing, vocferation, an inccssant issuing Of
superAuous prohibitions and orders, which
are regarded as ilnperlinent interlerences
with the general liberty and reposc, and
arc provocative of ranking or exploding
resentmcuts. The blessed antidotes that
sweeten aud enrich domestic life are re.
Gnement, high aims, great interests, soft
voices, quiet and gentle manners, mag
unanimous tempers, forbearance from all
unnecessary commands OF dictation, and
generous allowances of mutual freedom.
obedience lighter than liber-
ty. Mau wears Il noble allegiance, not
as collar, but as Il garland. The Graces
are>never so lovely as when seen waiting
on the Virtues; and where they thus
dwell together, they make heavenly
home.; e=r7s 49,
: No affection, save friendship, has any
sure. eternity in it. Friendship ought,
therefore, always to be cultivated in Hove
itself, as its only certain guard and pre-:
servative, not less than as the only suffi-i
cling substitute in its absence. A. couple
joined by love without friendship walk
on gunpowder with torehesin their hands.
Shall venture to depict, the sad decay
which love.naturalIy suffers, andsthe re-
demptive Transformation which it some
times undergoes? Twill do it.by trans
lating q truthful and. eloquent passage
from Chateaubriand :.szss- 2. y;s sss $50.
/. cat first our letters are long, vivid,
frequent. The day is not capaciousl
enough for them. We write at sunset;
at moenr;ie westracc few moro lines,
charging its chaste aud silent light to
hide our thousand desires. We watch
for the first peep of dawn to write what
we believe we had forgotten to say in de-
licious hours of our meeting. A thou.
sand vows cove. the paper, where all the
roses of Aurora are reflected a thou
sand kisses are planted on the words,
which seemaborqi from the first glance of
the sun. Not an idea, an image, rcvc
ric, an accident. "a disquetude, which has
not its letter. 10! one morning, some
thing ALMOST imperceptible steals on the
beauty of this passion. Like the first
wrinkle on the front of an adored woman.
: s'The breath and perfume of love eS-
-pire in.thvse pages of youth as an even
ing breezesdies upon the flowers. We
feelait, but are unwilling to confess it.
Our letters become fewerand shorter, are
filled with news, with descriptions, with
foreign matters; and, ii-al:, thing hap.
pens to delay them, We are less disturbed.
On the subject of loving and being loved,
we have grown reasonable. We submit
to absence without complaint. Our former
vowsprolong themselves; here are still
the same words, but they are dead. Soul
is wanting in. them. | love you, is mere
ly an expression of habit, necessary
form, the have the honor to be of the
love letter. Little by little the style
freezes where it irAamed. The post day
no longer eugefly ahticipated-is rather
dreaded; writing has become fatigue.5a
eve blush TO think of the madness
we have trusted to paper, and wish we
could recall our letters and bnrn them !