The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-07
ABOUT BRIDES.
A VERY INTERESTING SUBJECT.

woman's Day OF Triumph-An Event
which often CoIors Her Whole Future
Lifc-Thc Different Traits of Character
Discussed.
From the I.ady's Journal
In NIL ages and in every state OF society
brides have been the objects OF peculiar in
tercst. Even in countries where women
are held most cheaply, the bridal-day has
been always assigned TO them as their one
day of triumph; while here in the Western
world, where they are honored more or
less throughout every relation OF life, it is
their hour of supremacy par erccltcncc.
Through all the ceremonies of the we'd
ding.day the bridegroom is only the half
humiliated assistant, while the bride is the
honored principal; and how she looks and
bears herself is a matter OF supreme i'm
portance to the watching crowd, with
whom her feelings and emotions do not
count us worth the trouble of noting.
Yes: it is the day OF her triumph, the day
of her glory; and she knows it. To many
women, more vain than wise and more
eeotistical than loving, quiet marriage,
without the formal bridal encourage, would
he misfortune emitting them to pity now
and the privilege of grumbling for ever
after. 1t is not like marriage, she pouts,
wanting the regulation white dress and
the symbolic vail, the bridesmaids and the
breakfast, the cake and the carriage with
the horses in white ears, and the satin
slippers sent after them for luck! These
are the things which make up the glory oil
the position for large majority of young
women; and without them, the most I'M
nortant circumstance OF their llfe-that
which will make or mar their happiness
for all time; which will give them social
standing or worldly ruin; make them
mothers of children to bless or to curse
their aftcr.lays; which is the true turning
noint of their cXistencc-loseS half oil It's
significance and moro than half Its glory;
lift comes without its allotted itnery, and
with only the ordinary circumstances OF
the 1uiet home around 1t, tho day when
transforms her from daughter TO q VIE,
which takcs from the known to the I'M
known, from tho mother to the husband,
brings with it less excitement than that
which she has felt at ball when she has
had u specially pretty dress 10 wear; and
the girl OF the ordinary kind feels rs il she
had been iefrauded OF hor rightful due II
she is made bride without brides
privileges OF supremacy and personal
show. All this may be perfectly natural
indeed, it is natural; and We are not
disnosed to be hard on the innocent
foltes Of youth, or the more harmless van.
The tone taken by tho bride often colors
the whole Of her married life. How vivid
IL there comes before us at this moment
The remembrance Of that half-yain, half
ashamed girl who married for his money
and position agOod, honest.hearted, strong
headed, but clumsy fellow, who had every
virtue that would win n woman's respect,
and make home happy and hOnorcd, but
with no personal beauty 10 awaken senti-
ment or rouse poetic admiration. She, n
pretty girl with artistic tastes and keen
sense OF the beautiful ms well rs OF the
Enthusiastically educated, and with
much shallow cleverncss and surface grace
marry this man whom she did not love
but who loved her, to escape worse lot at
home, or haply abroad. But, besides not
| loving HlIllI hllc ulu NV thCh ONSh t"uS
what there was Of good in him; and she
let him see her repugnNnCc Ms plainly rs
he let her sec his Ovcrmastcring passion.
This passion OF his, tender, true and deep
rs il was, carried him over everything.
lie married her in the face Of the OPPOSE
ton Of his family and tho difficulties 80
sure to arise from difference of religion,
station, and moral training. But to him
she was the incarnation Of all womanly
sweetness, which it was worth n man 8
while 10 secure, lot the world DO lost in
the payment. Her rcpugnancC he read NJ
maidenly coyncss; her shallow surface.
grace and cIcvernCss he tookas the spon-
tancous expression OF her "lovcly mind"
lie read Ior by the light Of his own love
and he read her wrong; giving her beau.
tics, feelings, affection, love, which she did
not possess. They married; and hc found
out his mistake. Tho bride carried far In.
to her welded life tho rcpugnance which
no had misnamed COyncss, and she acted
a. though she hal grievance against him
because he loved her and had taken her
from penury and dependence by tho way
OF M honorable marriage. She .qnarrelcd
with his family, whom she found to DO too
dull and strict and prim for hOr lively
taste; and llouted him at all four concrs;
standing firm, as she believed, on tho sure
ground Of his blind devotion. And Mt the
first she was justified. II takes limo 10
couch the blind; timc oven to thoroughly
awake tho sleeping. But BY degrees he
came to tho sOrrowful truth, and saw iol
himself what all the world but himself had
seen from tho beginning Then ho chang
cd his course OF action. liccoull not sub
init TO tic ignoniny Of his then position
nor stand before tho world NJ Il doLinl
husband whose wife could wind hin
round her finger, openly dosplsing while
sho ruled him. Tic took back the dron
ped rcins, Withdrew into himself, ant
: from tho ardent lover whom she wa
never weary Of repulSiug and ridlculing
became tho cold, grave, silent sGli.control
led master. He worked hard nj his pro
! icssion, which hc loved but II was not nov
! for tho reward Of her sympathy, nor 10
her pleasure In his success; II was for hi
, own sake, for his nanO'sRakc, Tor persona
ambition, and for the children that wcr,
born to him, and In whom Tn,
, whole happiness Of his homo seem