Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-05-20

Many q man q little past the so-eaIled
prime Of life, looking at his pretty
young daughter just blossoming into
girllsh beauty, loves her all the better
for the thought that comes to him, like
a thrilling realization Of his youth again,
that she Is the very picture Of what her
mother was at her age. And then an
unconscious sigh distuFbs him as he
glances at the mother, and sees the ha-
voc that has been wrought in that once
smooth fair face as the years have been
slipping by, taking many things with
them besides rosy bloom and diHspics,
bright teeth and luxuriant locks. He
is not so foolish as to complain Of the
inevitable, to ask why she cannot al
ways be young, or TO iorgetihat be him
self has suffered change, that hIs FORE
head is very much higher than il used
TO be, and that his old wedding coat
would not by any means meet across
bis shoulders now. But, nevertheless.
he feels il q subject Of regret. even II
he does not acknowledge Il TO himself.
that when beauty dies, the love ofbeauty
does not die as well. or that some other
and more satisfactory and lasting beau
ty, the beauty of the soul, which trans
figures the worn and weary flesh, does
not always and surely take its place
Perhaps he is so fortunate, " hen gazing
in his wile's face, as 10 see this beauty
of the soul that has grown there, till
now, Illuminating and irradIatIng, il
shines like a fame burning in an ala
baster vase. Or perhaps, as ia 9 very
few extraordinary instances it has hap
pened, the original beauty is all that
il ever was. even after the lapse Of very
many years, and has only mellowed and
deepened with time. But neither OF
these possibilities is universal or fre-
quent one.
IL. however, he sees neither the
original beauty, nor the spiritual beau
ty that has grown under the discipline
Of life to replace the other, there is
some reason for signing; and il any lit
tie shade Of self-reproach mingled with
the sigh, there would often again be
reason.
For how many times has be paused.
for all his love Of her, and thought, as
their youth was deepening into middle
life, how best TO save that bloom on the
cheek, to spare that smooth forehead,
TO keep the old sweetness that he loved
round The eye and lIpsl Cares must
come in spite Of him, cares and grieGs
and troubles, since the tale Of no ones
life 10 made without them. But has he
constantly remembered to make him
self the wall against which they 6rsl
should bFeak, or 20 be personally the
means OF bringing none Of them upon
herr Has his pride, his ambition. his
love Of pleasure, exceeded bis means,
required her, in the effort for respeeta-
bilily, 10 do something much like max
ing bricks without straw: Has he al
lowed his unquiet temper TO keep her
nerves always at concert pitch, with
fretting and laull-fnding and exaetions,
till she has become little but nerves s-
Has he demanded Of her IN all her de-
paFtmeuts a perfection that be has not
rendered in any Of hiss Has be given
her any cause for contempt OF him az
for one caring more TOR eating and
drinking than tor anything else! Has
he forgotten all the strain on q delicate
frame that the birth and bringing up Of
children are, not 10 speak Of house work
or the direction Of servants, if she has
thems Has he taken care to remsm-
Der that even if supplied with every
bodily comfort. and perhaps luxury, her
soul yeaFns more after the old tender
assurances and words OF admiration -
Has he, in fact, just 50 far as in his
power, warded oftrOuble, brought Rome
happiness, taken pains TO put on smIl-
ing lace when coming in the door. and
added 10 her stock no unreasonable so
Iicitudes
OF course almost every wife knows
that she is Indispensable TO one phase
OF her husbands conteBtment, 10 the
management OF his food just as The TX