The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-31

and deed, is matter of fact, and nobody
was more willing to admit it than MYSELF
but to be reminded of it every moment by
ones best friend is by no means agreeable;
nor does it do any good, especially when
the plain-speaking friend never faucies him
self or herself capable of SHINING, or being
faulty in the slightest degree And the
worst Of it was, that apparently Abba had no
faults Ali if she had had but one; or, bet
te still, II she would but have admitted the
possibility of it, then should have been
ready to throw myself at her feetl But she
was in temper and in character as unim-
| peachqble, as regular, as perfect as she was
in figure; she was so correct and proper,
that sinner as l was, It drove ihe into rage.
felt that Abla's righteousness, and espec-
ally her mode of educating me, would in
time, make me a prodigious sinner; more
particularly as she would never yield to my
wishes. 1t dawned upon me before long
that her self righteousness and want Of char.
ity to others was, indeed, one of the greatest
conceivable faults, One fine day, therefore,
I told her my mind, in good earnest terms,
the following duet occurred between us:
She. I can not be otherwise than am
If you do not like me, you can let it alone
l. Ifyou will not be amiable toward me,
l must cease to love you.
She. That is of no consequence. I can
go my way by myself.
I. So can I.
She. Good-by, then, sir.
l. Good-by Miss A.
'"rhank Heaven, it was not too late"
thought l to myself, as after my dismissal,
l hastcned to my little farm in the country.
Although this abrupt termination of my
second love affair caused but little pain TO
my heart, felt considerable modification,
and secret hostility sprung up in my soul
toward the whole female sex. It happen
ed, however, very luckily for me, that while
| remained in this state of mind met with
one of my neighbors who was precisely in
the same condition. He had been for some
time divorced from a wife with whom he
had lived very unhappily, and he drove
about in his sulky, upon which he had a
motto inscribed in golden letters:
1T is better TO be alone than ill.accompanied'
The sentiment struck me as very excel
lent; and my neighbor and I often met and
agreed admirably in our abuse of the ladies.
In the mean time, occupied myself with
books and agriculture.
have great esteem for books, and
bow myself 10 the dust before learning, but
know not how it is, further than that
cannot go; esteem and veneration l feel but
assuredly my affections never grew in that
soil. My love for agriculture took me forth
into Nature, and Nature is lovely. But
Adam was uneasy in Pmadise, and did not
wake to life and happiness until Eve came;
and l, who did not possess a paradise, found
myself very lonely and melancholy at
= "Stenbacke." Trees, after all, are wooden
and dull things, when t7e crave FOR human
sympathies and echo, the voice of the rocks,
is the most wearisome voice know. No!
heart to heart, eye to eye, that is the life;
and to live together, happy and healthy
rural life, to work for the happiness of those
who depend upon us-to regulate the home,
to live, to think, to love, to rejoice together.
All! "my wife, still stood yividly before my
Imagination.
My experience in the realms of love had,
however, made Inc supicious feared that
l could never be happy, according to my
r ideas of happiness, which my neighbor
friend characterized as reposng in the shade
Of pair Of Slippers" l was in low spirits;
and accordingly, one day, having fin
ished the last OF six dozen of cigars, and
quarreled with my neighbor, who bored me
with his everlasting and doeful TRADES
against the ladies, set of in my own sulky
to amuse myself by crive.
drove q considerable distance to the
house of an old friend, who had been a fell
, low student with me at the Military Col
lege at Carlburg, and who had often invited
, me to visit him. lie was now married and
was, in fact, the father Of eight children.
q large family, I thought, at first; but not
too many, said too r,yself otter single
day spent in this family, which had given
me the impression of heaven upon earth.
4 The mistress of the house, the wife and
mother, was the silent soul Of all. at is
8 she-it is she, who is my happiness" I" said
, tie fortunate husband; but she said, at is
l. he it is hew
o any dear friend, said to him one day
r chow have you managed to be SO happy in
s your marriage?"
h "oh," replied he, smiling, al have a
secret to tell you"
"a secret for goodness sake, what is Il =
It "From my youth upward" he replied
e al have prayed God to give Inc a good
/ wife"
e "Yes," thought to myself, "that is it
e Here am unmarried, because have neyei
% discovered this secret, without Gods espec
e al direction may not venture to choos,
= my wife,"
e A younger sister of my friends wife LIVED
h in the family. No one would have been at
tracted to her for her external charms, bu
a. a short time brought you completely unde
Is the spell of her Kindness, the intelectua
o expression Of her counteuance, and th,
j. cheerful friendliuess Of her manners. Al
d the household loved her; she was kind anC
= amiable TO all. To myself, however, j
rs seemed that there was an exceptions
2 thought her somewhat cold and distant.
was almost sorry when l perceived that
Of was grieved by this a short time convince,
t. me that had really fallen in love with thi
10 young lady.
,e There, was however,a great difference be
E. tween this and my former love affairs
le Formerly, had permitted external charm
y to lead and blind me; now, on the contrary
l was attracted to the soul, and its beautJ
ar alone had oaptivaied my heart. But VIII,