The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-02-27
NO. o.
McFcesaasy Marriages,

Talk of f. oli~h fanvirs as yon like. RI
d''uI" romance, snepr at "love matches, ~
y"n can never bring these things to the
level of merc'nary marriages. "Loye is
neither Tread nor honey perhaps but
neither are bread and honey love. Now
have something to say that makes nv
heart ache, because Lam a woman. 1t
is woman who marries oftenest for other
things than love. Woman who goes in .
to the market, adorned in all her beauty,
saying to those who read her smiles
Alright "Htre | am to be married; some
body offer" Woman, whose love should
be her life
1t is true that woman may not choose,
but must be chosen but can it be that a
girl can coolly think of marriage in the
abstract, forgetting all individual prcfe-
renee.
never knew youth who did not say
at least. My wife must BE- blonde or
brunette she must be tall or short, CAV
or quiet" who had not some ideal.
But have known girls innumerable
who have only said, Il will marry" with
no more thought of love or admiration,
OF respect or tenderness, before marriage
could be than though such feelings were
not. 10 marry-to have marble fronted
house, carriage, diamonds; to marry
(tor ambition has its grades)-to have a
kitchen and make pies in it; to marry
to escape work to marry-so that no
one may utter the epithet, .'old maid
when there is such thing as love in the
world, one who knows it would rather
die
Once there was a girl who loved her
fathers coachman, and married him.
People We're Mortified but, if she loved
the man, why the union was holier one
than that Of Miss Belle--with old
Guineabag's son, who was to her Just so
much bank stock.
Do they hope for happiness, these wo-
men ? DO they dream that they can play
a part through life, and feign love amidst
oil the daily scenes that bring truth to
the surface? 1t is shocking,a a terrible
thing to talk of when man marries an
heiress for her gold but everyday wo-
men do the same thing, and are applaud
ed as having made good matches.''
Oh, the cold, cheerless fresides. the
complies who care not it seas roll between
'hem the men to whom home offers no
attraction Amidst all woman's wrongs
men have theirs, and this is one-that
some men must have horrible consci-
BUSINESS that, at the altar. their wife's one
hought must have been that she had se-
'ured some one to pay her bills for her.
And womans want of independence has
lone this. The shame it is to her to la
9or for her own support; the half-pay
euchsafed to her, in many cases, when
he does toll : far be it from me to deprive
he clinging reliance upon her husband,
which makes woman's love so beautiful,
7hen she is true woman. But when dau-
'hters are taught to fill their places in the
7orld as men are when women are all
ble TO win for themselves home and raj
1ent, the time will come when the female
ortune.hunter will be as rare as the male
ne, and when the preference of an ear
est, honest heart will be given where
1e hand is; when, at least, only mean
nd wicked women will offer themselves
} the highest bidder, and not, as often
appens today, girls meant by Heaven
be pure, and good, and noble, to love
nd to be loved truly. M.
=. Y. Ledger.l