Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-08-14
The Wise Choice of a Wife.

lie that tlndeth a true wife, hndeth q
| treasure whose beauty and lustre not even
| the shadow Of death can dim. 1t has often
seemed strange to me that men are so blind
| in their choice of companions. In this
| they sometimes seem to be the weaker sex,
for they yield to deliberately planned
schemes, and in the face of an unhappy
lot, take painted dolls or artful women to
share the "better or worse.n
And yet, after all, as the responsibility
rests more ON him, it may be a harder
thing than we are aware of, to find one
whose price is above rubies. There exists
such an artificial state of society. Beauty
is ranked so high, and the graces are 50 in
dispensable, that homefy, indoor life loses
its chiefest charm, and woman becomes a
creature of waywardness and prettiness,
that must be dressed up and petted, in or
der to keep her in smiles and decent
humor.
Most young men think of san establish
| ment, y and somebody mast preside of
whom they are proud. They love to hear
their friends say: "Well, L. has a
fine wife-a woman worth having she
plays and sings, she talks agreeably, and
| altogether, makes a sensation"
But when trouble comes, where is the
strong helper-the courageous spirit p
Those modest home bodies, who seem so
timid and backward-who oversee the
humble household. and ask no praise but
that of the husbands heart-who shine
but little at parties, but who are the stars
of home-these are the wives for the trials
of earnest life. Their love is the rock
never shaken by the tempest.
NOT BY CHANCE.--Perhaps in some iso-
lated instances a man may become wealthy
through a series of circumstances very
much resembling ''luck." but, as a rule,
those who would enjoy success must work
hard for it. Twenty clerks in a store,
twenty hands in q printing office, twenty
apprentices in ship-yard, twenty young
men in village-all want to get on in the
world, and expect to do so. One of the
clerks will become partner, and make
fortune; one of the compositors will own
a newspaper, and become an influential
citizen one of the apprentices will become
| a master-builder one of the young villag-
ers will get handsome farm, and live like
| patriarch-but which one is the lucky
| individual? Lucky! There is rarely any
luck about it. The young fellow who will
distance his competitors is he who masters
his business, who preserves his integrity,
who lives clearly and purely. who devotes
his leisure to the acquisition of knowledge
| who gains friends by deserving them, and
| who saves his spare money. There are
some ways to fortune shorter than this old
dusty highway but the staunch men Of
the community, the men who achieve
something really worth having, good for
tune, good name, and serene old age, all
travel along in this road.
BEAUTIFUL. TRIBUTE-At the Wash
ington and Lee University, Lexington,
| Virginia, says the Savannah ''Advertis-
err a student is each day detailed to
watch beside the tomb of General Lee
Every morning one of the students is post
ed at the tomb in the memorial room of
the chapel. built under the supervision OF
Lee. He is styled a watcher and his
duty is to remain there during the day
and receive visitors, showing them the
proper courtesy and attention. AS there
are nearly three hundred and fifty stu
dents, no one is on duty more than once
wear. Thus the entire Southern people,
through their representatives in the Uni
versity are watching at the tomb of Lee,
and their sons improved in manners and
bearing by the sacred duty they perform,
and their minds and hearts benefited by
| thoughts of the noble dead.