The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-22
Written for the Sunday Crescent
LOVE
Love is a curious thing, you know,
Makes one feel all over so.


The other evening some friends called IN, and
we were chatting over different things when in the
idle vagaries of the conversation the subject OF
love came up. and we discussed it in its several
bearings. The company engaged in talking 1t
over being male and fe male, married and single,
a variety Of opinions were expressed, no two
thinking alike upon the master-passion. After
they left sat before the fire tracing pctares in
the glowing Goals turning to ashes, and train OF
thought engendered by the comments made upon
the subject would keep running at cross purposes
through everything else wished to think over,
iotted down my ideas upon love, and here they
are, very much at your service:
Love an undefnable something that sezes
upon all Of The human race at some period OF their
existence early OF late, and makes them more or
less worthy Of pity according as they have IL bad
or not, feeling not under the control or regnla-
ton of good sense, calm judgment or even your
own will but il takes hold upon you as the whoop-
ing cough, measles, or small pox does. without
asking you yea or nay, and often selects the very
persons that either good sense or calm Judgment
on yonr part would say not suitable, and places on
them the whole amount of affection you have to
spare. 1t makes one slave, abject and humble
70 the will of the loved one-ever seeking TO please,
content even with being allowed TO pour out the
treasures of the heart at the feet OF the IDOL ana
that may be thiown in return. Aud the willtni
and proud of heart are more liable to an attack
OF this description than other TEMPERAMENT are
There is a false sentimental feeling profaney
| called love, that is amusing to the locker. on,
thoueh not 20 pleasant 10 the recipient of It,. lis
| when a person, protesting TO love to idolatry,
| does rot put his affection to any PRACTICAL use,
| and while singing love songs or spoutiog love
| poetry by the yard, will let the loved one go
| hungry for more substantial diet.
| knew man who married pretty young girl
| for love-. real love match - il was called-and
| really, 10 hear him talk, you would think be
would work wonders for her comfort and pleas
ure; that like Puck. he would put girde
/ about the earth in forty minutes" But he TOOK
| her 70 his mothers house, filed with young SIS
| ters and his mother Of a naughty overbearing
disposition, and left her there depencent, subject
to The whims, caprices and unkind tire itmens they
| saw fit TO use What his love really worth! !
In the name of the prophet, figs mot that even.
have known fathers spout poetry by the hour
| expressive of parental snechon, ard YET neltner
| see, nor seem 10 care, that the niue " tootsles
footsiesr were bare. or the little body cold from
| want of warm clothing; have heard wives talk OF
home duties and wtey love, and gro" quite
pathetic over il in poetical way, whose husbands
hed TO sew on their own shirt buttons or go WIN
| ont and wear heelless and toeless socks. and who
laid sbed and let their worshiped lords get a
comfortless breakfast. solitary and alone, while
they still wooed the god Of sleep
have known men 10 marry young girls, take
them home. and then expect from their inexpe.
riepced heads the forethOught and Judgment OF
mature women and while swearing, by the
| gods love thee" and such nonsense, did not
see that they had wood or coal TO make nre
with or, except when their own comfort woulo De
touched have anything more than the bare neces-
sites of life in their houses, and not seem ~, 20
uuderstsnd the meaning OF home comforts, or sne
reed on their part OF securing pleasure ano nap
niness for their families. There was no duty
Incumbent on them, no responsibility on them
all must come from the other side.
Now this is not love. nor even a good plncn'
heck imitation of il. Love can only be truly
described by saying it will hope all things
/ believe all things, endure all things, SUI
| fer all things for the beloved one. Let u
see what the great minds of the world have
thought nr written about the ruling pas
sion: Shakespeare, the best delinestor OF low
that ever fried a pen or made sweet eyes u
woman, saws it is all made OF fantasy, passion
wishes alteration, duty, observance, humbleness
pstierce, impotence, purity and trials that low
locks not with the eye, but with the MUD; thar
is both slave and conqueror, and that you wou,a q
soon attempt TO kinde fire with snow as seek Y
ouenchloye Addison tells us that love Is not TO
reasoned down or lest in ambition, bns as a 81
coud life that warns every velD grows into IN
soul and beats in every pulse. Spencer says ID
all made of gall and honey, the gall being ia
the larger part; but guess true love run estra
with him. Otway says that il is yrant atteude
| by guard of furious wishes, fears and nice susp
| cions, U shouldn't have liked 0twsy for love
myselfl while Rowe says il is, or ought to be, on
greatest blessing, since every joy, however deal
| gives way TO that. Scott, that love Is heaye
!, an1 heaven is love and Anthony gave up
world for love and Cleopatra. All what a roy'
lover be was-well might woman die for one lik
him. But there are but few men of the preser
age who would follow his example, and not man
| women who would rather die with. than live Will
| out their lovers especially when tempted by sue
. offers as were made to Cleopatra lOSE.