Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-08-22
SELECTED READING.
feservipg Welded Love.

Preserving welded Love.
Au.onius, Latin poet Of the fourth
century. wrote the following poem, entitled
"Ad Uxorsm," on the manners that
ought ever 10 be observed between man
aud vito. We have never seen a tran sla-
ton of these beautiful verses in the
English languages; and presume 1t will
be entirely new to our readers:
Glove as We lev'd, still to each ether uew,
And use those names eur nuptial evenings
Let The same smiles within our cheeks be red.
Thar frightened them before one hope had
fed.
"That day must never COME to see the change
When either time or age can make US
strange;
But, as we first met, let US ever be,
I thy yeung man, and thou girl to me:
ITO others, though seem as hester old
And thou more years may count than Cuuas
told, -
Times snow ne i'll not see, though it ap-
IT'S good to know our age, not count our
years"
Were the spirit Of this beautiful poem
carefully observed in married life, how
much Of tho safety and unhappin esq
which too often visit the connubial Eden
would be avoided? Among vir.uous and
intellectual people the heart need not
grow old with the body. The love Of
parents for their children does net fat
ten and become insipid with age, bu.
grows in strength, beauty, aud rational
fondness a. life wears away. What a
sublime evidence that the soul possesses
attributes that feed not the ravages Of
physical decay! The vision may grow
dim with the age Of the organ OF sight,
but the heart still retains the divine i'm
press Of all that fresh and enlivening
beauty which made the dawn Of married
life 80 ench Anting, and still beholds the
beloved object with eyes Of the immortal
soul, more than with the failing optics.
What triumph over the inroads Of time
and the crushing experiences of the world
it is to behold an aged couple lettering
on the confines of three-scors and ten,
with hearts as fresh with bloom Of affec-
ton and tenderness a. when they made
their VOWS Of love at the altar Of Hymen !!
To 500 such pair, after having lovingly
crossed tho continent Of life together, still
hand in hand approaching the main land
Of eternity. is enough to give new revsr-
be.atioss to the sublime trumpet tones Of
Faith; 20 grave. where is thy victory !!
O death where is thy sting!"
How many such pairs hsve We seen !
And is It possible to look upon this holy
sight without shedding tears Of delicious
tenderne.s2 That is the tribute which the
heart ever pays to purity and goodness.
Did any man or woman ever read that
exquisite poem of Burns, "John Ander"
son, my Jo," without moistened eye
and sweetly throbbing heart We will
quote FIRST verses which were all Of the
song That was written by Burns, the rest,
as it is generally sung, having been
added by some other hand:
"John Anderson, my 10, John,
When we were first acauent;
Your locks ere like the raven,
Your bonny brow was brent,
But now your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the shaw,
Bat blessings on your frosty pow,
John Ande son. my 10.
"John Anderson, my 10 John,
We clamb the hill thcgither,
And mcny carty day, John,
We've had wi ane snither,
Row we noun totter John,
But hand in baud wen 60;
And sleep thsghither at the foot,
John Anderson, my Jo."
Old as this song is it is ever fresh. ever
new, and will be read and sung thous-
sand years hence with the same emotion
a. now. It strikes an endless chord in
the human Heart. and its music vibrates
through al ages, breathing tho deepest,
the profoundest idea of happiness Of
which humanity is capable. A. Lang
horne has expressed it
"Oh, married Lowell each heart shall own,
Where two congeniel souls unite,
Thy golden chains inlaid with down,
The lamp with heavens own splendor
bright"
How honorablj, how beautifully doe,
such sentiment contrast with the COARSE
low and demoralising doctrine in relation
to marriage which have recently been put
forth by some female lecturersl Well may
all womankipd blush at this horrid pro-
fanation Of Hymen's holy altars! Well
may the city blush which could furnish
an audience for suSh God. defying and
wolnan-degradiDg harrsngues If. as
the poet says. an undevout astronomer il