The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-10
The Moral Of n Pair of Stockings.

u, ~ - -
. The following waawrltten by d dis
tinguished literary lady, Mrs. W,
Of Troy. New York, md sent to a
learned Judge Of Naw Haven, Oh tho
eve OF his marriage :irn
DEAR CouslH: Herewith You will
receive r present OF pair OF woolcn
stockings. kni, by my own hands: and
be- assured. dear cor that my friend
ship for you Is warnP as tho material.
active as the iiugcrwork. and generous
as the donation. Dnt'I conSilur this
present a. peculiarly appropriate Oh
tho OCCASION OF yoifr marriage. You
will remark In the" first place, thai
there are two individuals united into one
pair, who arc to walk !sid0 by side,
xuarding, sSainst q asssDess, aud giving
comfort Ms long ~ they last. The
thread Of their texture IS mixed. and
SO, alas is the thread OF Me. In these,
however. the white is made 10 prcdom-
mate, rxprcssin. my desire and conf
dcncc that thus il will be with the col
or Of your existence. No black l. used,
for believe your lives will be wholly
free from tho black passions Of wrath
and jealousy. The darkest color here
is blue. which is excellent when we do
not make il too blue. Other nppr"pri-
nle thoughts arise in my mind regard
ia. these stockings.
The most indifferent subjects. when
viewed by the mind in Il suitable frame
may furnish Instructive inference. ~
saith the poet:
"rhc iron do.s, the fuel and ;onsS,
The bellows that have lcathcrn lun"S;
The tiIrwood nShrs AMI the smoke,
Do all to righteousness provoke"
But to The subject. You will per-
ccivc that the tops o! Ir stockings (hy
which suppose c"urt>hlp I" bcr"prc'
scntrd.) are scanned. and by means "I
sralliu. are drs wm into Il snarl; but
afterwards comes time when I'll"
whole is inadc plain. and continues :"
TO the end, and lima! t"cin% on By
this | wish To take occasion ln con-
praiulntc Yourself that You are now
through with Scuming. and have come
10 plain reality.
A.a;n, rs the whole Of these rnmrly
stockings WAX not made at once, but
hv the addition of one little stitch after
another. put in with skill and diScrc.
tion. until The whole presents The falrand
equal piece Of work which you see, so
lite does no, consist OF ono @r9al &C
ton. but millions Of little ones com
binrd; and 30 it may be with y"ul
lives. 80 Stitch dropped when duties
are to be performed; 40 widening
made where bad principles are I" hc
rcprnr"d. or economy to he preserved
neither scanning nor narrowing where
truth md generosity are in question.
Thus. every stitch Of life mad" ri2 tat
AM, sci in tie right pIarc. non" either
too lar"r or too small. too tight or too
lnn,r: that YOU may Keep on r"u,
smooth aul even course, max in" exist
rllrr one iair and ruI-i>trn, piece, un'
Ill. together, having passed The heel
rOu cone to :hr very toe OF life. aud
here, in the final narrowing of and
dropping OF the evil OF this clnbicInat'
ical pair ct companions and COM
roriiug associates. nothing appears hu,
white, the token Of innocence and
peace. Of purity and light. May you
like these stockings. the final stitch be-
ing dropped and the work completed
20 together from the place where YOU
were formed, to Il happier :iatr OF en-
i,truCr--a present from earth [" h"av'
Ell.
Hoping that these stockings and adj