Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-08-13
LEyA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER,
Preserving Welded Love.


Ausouius, a Latin poet ofthe fourth century,
wrote the following poem, entitled "Ad Ux-
orcm," on the manners that ought ever be OBJ
served between man and wife. We have never
seen translation Of these beautiful verses IN
the English language; and presume 1t Will be
entirely new 30 our readers:
Love as we iov'd, still to each other new,
And use those names nuptial evenings
knew:
LIE. the same smiles within our cheeks he red,
That frightened them before one hope had
fled.
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,
thy young man, and thou girl to me:
''To others, though | seem as Nestor old
And thou more years may count than Cume
Times snow we will not see, though it ap-
pears
IT'S good to know our age, not count our years"
We're the spirit of this beautiful poem care
fully observed in married life, how much of
the safety and unhappiness which too often
visit the connubial Eden would be avoided?
Among virtuous and intellectual people the
heart need not grow old with the body. The
love of parents for their children does not fiat
strength beauty, and rational fondness as life
wears away What sublime evidence that the
soul possesses attributes that fed not the raw.
ages of physical decay The vision may grow
dim with the age OF the organ of sight, but the
heart still retains the divine impress of all that
fresh aud eplivening beauty which made thcdawn
of married life so enchanting, aud still beholds
the beloved object with eyes of the immortal
SOUL more than with the failing optics. What
a triumph over the inroads Of time and the
crushing experiences of the world 1t is to be-
hold an aged couple totterlng on the couhnes
of three score and ten, with hearts as fresh
with the bloom of affection and tenderness as
when they made their VOWS of love at the altar
of Hymen 70 see such pair, after having
lovingly crossed the continent Of life together,
still hand in hand approaching the main land
of eternity, is enough to give new reverbera-
tinns to the sublime trumpet tones OF Faith;
go grave. where is thy victory . death where
is thy sting !!
How many such pairs have We seen! And
is it possible to look upon this holy sight with
out shedding tears OF delicious tenderness?
That is the tribute which the heart ever pays
to purity and goodness. Did any man or wo
man ever read that exquisite poem OF Burns
john Anderson, my 10, without molsten-
ed eve aud a sweetly throbbing heart? We
will quote the two 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 acquent;
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonny brow was brent,
But now your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the snaw,
But blessings on your frosty pow,
John Ande son, my 10.
"John Anderson, my 10 John,
We clamb the hill thegther,
And mony canty day, John,
We've had VII ane anther, ..--
Now we noun totte- down, john
But hand in hand we'll go;
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson, my Jo.'
Old as this song is, it is ever fresh, ever new,
and will be read and sung thousand years
hence with the same emotion as now. 1t strikes
an endless chord in the human heart. and Its
music vibratcs through all ages, breathing the
which humanity is capable. As Langhorne has
expressed it
"Oh, married love each heart shall own,
Where two congenial souls unite,
Thy golden chains lnlald with down,
Thy lamp with heavens own splendor bright"
How honoraby, how beautifully does such a
sentiment contrast with the corse, low and de-
moraIizing doctrines in relation to marriage
which have recently been put forth by some te--
male lecturers Well may all womankind blush
at this horrid proclamation of Hymen's holy
alrarS Well may the city blush which could
furnish an audience for such God od-detylng and
woman-degradng harrangues! Ii, as the poet
says, ian undevout astronomer IS mad, What
language can paint the madness OF woman who
proianey strikes at the sacred altars OF wedlock!
She is more to be Stunned than Medusa, whose
hair was turned into snakes that every one
might flee from her.
IIymen, the god of marriage, was represent
Cd by the figure of young man with crown
Of roses ON his head, holding torch IN one
hand and marriage veil in the other. called
fammeum, from its blushing color. The crown
Of roses represented the bloom and sweetness OF
the matrimonial union; the burning torch Its
chcertu|ness and vivacity; the veil, Its modcsty
and purity All these, we may say, represent
the conditions on which the happiness OF mar,
ried life alone can be preserved. SWeetness VI
temper, cheerfulness OF spirits and modesty ol
hammers will secure life long reign OF the ny
menal god in every household.
The poem of Ausonius, with which We began
this article, contains all the rules necessary Tor
preserving the sweets of married life to It's very
close, Ifthe married pair would take but hall
the pains to keep each others love that they
did to win it. discord would never enter 10 de,
spoil their home of happiness. 10 rogers
Human Life there is a beautiful passage
representing the brides divine mlssoa at tne
hearth altars
Across the threshold,
And every tear kiss'd off as soon as sheo'
His house she enters, there to be q llgnt,
Shining within, when al without is night;
\ guardian angel Ger his lite presiding, :,;u ),
Doubling his pleasures, and mis- cares dividing
-Jourmul Of Fine ArtS.
DISCOVERY. We are Informed by Mr.. Jos,
sph Sampson Of the discovery near Semms ana
diamond and which was sold for a very talr
Price The news of this discovery having been
spread abroad, a number of persons have been
\ In several davs past securing the country