The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-03
; Love and Matrimony.

The name of the Divinity is not Of
tener blaspbemed by the vulgar and
! thoughtless than is the so-l,ttle- under
stood word of "love" by the millions
VINO think they enter matrimony under
Its pIlotage. 1t has been wisely but
sadly said, that years are necessary TO
cement a. friendship, but mouths and
sometimes weeks and DAYS are con-
s'acred enough to prepare for that
."i'er state of, matrimony. From
false regard to public opinion, or as a
matter of convenience, or Tor the mere
purpose OF securing home and being
settieu III lite, thousands enter into the
most sacred of human relations, with
no such feelings toward each other as
VIII lead them to "bear and forbear. 81
There is popular feeling that it il
somewhat disgrace TO woman TO
pass through life unmarried; and
shrinking from that obloque, multi
tudes marry according to the forms OF
law when they are not drawn together
by any qualities of mind and soul, and
there is no true marriage of heart.
what wonder, then that discomfort and
misery arise?
Those who thus regard love as a
fiatne that comes as flash of gunpow-
der, must not feel disappointed if the
oiackness and desolation that succeed
ca gunpOwder flash is all that is left
after brief infatuation is over. Alllove
before marriage should be a study for
love after marriage. Ifnot well under
stood, Its power is apt to become ex-
liausted. Love and courtship is to
welded love what horticulture in books
is TO horticulture in garden. The
power Of love must be measured not by
its intensity but by it's effects; by its
benefcence in bringing into play a
higher range of motives, by the facili
ties it unfslds, by its skill in harmonic
ing different natures. One grand mis-
take is in suppOsing that love begun is
love completed. The orclardists
knows that blossoms are not apples {:
but the lover often thinks they are.
The clergyman marries but marrying
is not mating. Not once in dozen
times do two natures brought side by
side, harmonic in every part. OF
nothing arespeople more ignorant than
of human nature. Very rich and fruit
very barren ones noble ones with sor-
did ones; exquisitely sensitive with
intensely tough. And this all results
from the want of forethought evinced
10y people when about to marry. Nine
ont of ten look upon marriage much as
they look upon a lottery bag at fan
cy fair--something from which to
snatch an article at venture; and the
prizes are not much more numerous in
the one than in the other. When there
are fewer secret manGuvres and tricks
of courtship before marriage, there viii
be less unhappiness after.
Many council the young not to expect
too much of love. That is an evil
philosophy, which, advises to modera-
ton by undertaking the possibilities
of trne and glorious love. Happiness
in this life depends more on the capaci
ty of loving than on any other single
! quality. If men lose all the treasure
OF love, it does not prove that the
treasure is not to he found, but that
they have not sought Alright. Many
men dig for diamonds in love, and only
find pebbles in welded life. The dia-
monds are there, however, only they
know not how to dig them. In love,
there are many apartments; but not to
, selfishness, sensuality, or arrogance,
will love yield its full treasure. True
love is social regeneration. IL is a
revolution ending with a new king and
with a reconstruction of the soul. The
way of the animal is self seeking; that
of man, sacrifice. 1t is not what we
get, but what we give, that makes us
happy. IL is not self-seeking, but
benevolence, that pleases. 1t is the
steady continuity of love that alone
can prove all its worth and blessed
ness. Our advice to the young, then,
10, to love, but not love blindly. JUS
tice is represented as not blind, to Or
der that under no circumstance can she
swerve one hairs breadth from the
right, from personal favor or prejudice /;
but Love, on the contrary, should use
her eyes to their fullest extent that in
days of courtship no stumbling blocks
should be left to be an annoyance after
marriage.-[Ex Exchange.