Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-02-28
Marriage.


all heroic. 1t certainly narrows and
damps the spirits of generous men. In
marriage a man becomes slack and self
ish, and undergoesa a fatty degeneration
of his moral being. 1t is not only when
Ladgate misallies himself with Rosa
mond Vincy, but when Ladislaw mar
ries above him with Dorothea, that this
may be exemplified. The air of the
ffreside withers ont all the fine wildings
of the husbands heart. He is so COM
Portable and happy that he begins TO
prefer comfort and happiness 10 every
thing else on earth, his wife included.
Yesterday he would have shared his
last shilling; to-day ''his first duty is
TO his family" and is fulfilled in large
measure by laying down vintages and
outstanding the wealth of an invalua-
ble parent. Twenty years ago this man
is equally capable of crime or heroism;
now he is fit for neither. His soul is
asleep, and you may speak without con-
straint; you will not wake him. 1t is
not for nothing that Don Quixote was a
bachelor, and Marcus Aurelius married
ill. For women there is less of this
danger. Marriage is of so much use to
woman, opens out to her so much
more of life, aud puts her in the way
of so much more freedom and useful
ness, whether she marry i'll or well, she
can hardly miss some benefit. 1t Is
true, however, that some of the merriest
and most genuine of women are old
maids, and that those old maids, and
wives who are unhappily married, have
often most of the true motherly touch.
And this would seem to show, even for
the women, some narrowing influence
in comfortable married life. Bnt the
rule is none the less certain; if you
wish the pick Of men and women, take
good bachelor and good wife. l am
often filed with wonder that so many
marriages are passibly successful, and
so few come to open failure, the more
so fail to understand the principle on
which people regulate their choice. /
see women marrying indiscriminately
with staring burgesses and ferret-faced
white-eyed boys and men dwell in con-
tentment with noisy scullions, or taking
into their lives acidulous vestals. 1t is
a common answer to say the good peo-
Pile marry because they fall in love;
and of course you may use and misuse
a wor.l rs much as you please, if you
have the world along with you. But
love is at least a somewhat hyperboli-
cal expression for such lukewarm pre-
ference. 1t is not here, anyway, that
Love employs its golden shafts; he can
not be said, with any fitness of lam
guage, to reign here and revel. Indeed,
if this be love at all, it is plain the poets
have been fooling with mankind since
the foundation of the world. And you
have only to look these happy couples
in the face to see they have never been
in love, or in hate, or in any other high
passion, all their days. When You see
a dish of fruit at dessert you some
times set your affection upon one par
ticular peach or nectarine, watch It
with some anxiety as it comes around
the table, and feel quite a sensible dis
appointment when it is taken by some
one else. | have used the phrase of
SINGH passion" Well, | should say
this was about as high a passion as
generally leads to marriage. One nus
band hears after ma riage that some
poor fellow is dying of his wife's love.
.'What a pityv' he exclaims; ''you
know | could SO easily have got an
other." And yet that is a very happy
union. Or again: A young man was
telling me the sweet stories of his loves.
Il like it well enough as long as her sis
tiers are there, said this amorous swain;
"but | don't know what to do when
we're alone" Once more: A married
lady was debating the subject with an
other lady. "You know, dear" said
fhs nrst, alter ten years Os marriage,
- he y nothing else. our hu.banl Is
always an Odd friend. !" 1-i have many I'D
friends. 4" returned theethCg "but Ipre-