National Republican., 1880-05-25
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Model Marriage Letter.

The following letter was written twenty
years ago by a lady of great literary dstinc-
tion, to her cousin Of New York, on tho eve of
his marriage, and accompanied by pair Of
blue mixed stockings knit by herself as a
present:
DEAR COUSIN Herewith you will receive
present of pair Of wooden stockings, knit by
my own hands, and be assured that my
friendship for you is MS warm rs the material,
active as the finger work, and generous as the
donation. But | consider this present as pecu.
liarly appropriate on the occasion Of your
marriage. You will remark in the first place
that there are twoindividuals united in pair,
who are TO walk side by side, guard against
GOODNESS, aud giving comfort as long as they
last Tho thread OF their texture is mixed, and
so. aiasl is the thread of life.
In these, however, the white predominates
expressing by desire aud confidence that
thus IL will be with the color of your exis-
tcnce No black is used, for / believe your
lives will be wholly free from the black pas
sions of wrath aud jealousy.
The darkest color here Is blue, which Is ex-
cellcnt, where We do not make il too blue.
Other appropriate thoughts rise to my mind
in regarding these stockings. The most in
different subjects, when viewed by the mind
in suitable frame, may furnish instructive
differences; us saith the poet
"The iron dogs the fuel aud tOngs,
The bellows that have leatlietn lungs,
The irewood ashes and the smoke
DO nll TO righteousness provoke"
But TO the subject You will perceive the
tops of these stockings (by which / suppose
courtship TO be representcd) are scanned and
and by means of seeming are drawn into
q snarl; but afterwards comes n time when
the whole is made plain, aud continues so to
the end and final toeing or BY this wish
to take occasion TO congratulate you that you
are now through with seeming and have come
to plain reality.
Again, as the whole of these comely stock
ings was not made at once, but by the addition
of one little stitch after another, put in with
skill and discretion until the whole presents
the fair, equal piece of work which you sec,
so life docs not consist of one great action,
but millions of little ones combined; and so
may it be with you-no stitch dropped when
duties are to be performed-no widening
made when bad principles are TO be rcproved,
or economy is to be preserved-neither seam
ing nor narrowing where truth and gener-
osity are in question. Thus every stitch
made right and set in the right place, none
either too large or too small, too tight or too
loose; thus may you keep on your smooth and
even course, making existence one fair and
consistent piece, until together having
passed the heel, you come to the toe of life,
and here in the final narrowing of and drop
ping the stitch of this emblematical pair of
companions, and comforting associates, moth
ing appears but white the token of innocence,
purity, peace aud light.
May you, like these stockings (the final
stitch being dropped, aud tho work being
completely, so together from the place where
you were framed, to n happier state of exist
ence, a present from earth to heaven.
Hoping that these stockings and admoni-
tions may meet n cordial reception, l re.
main in the true-blue friendship, seemly, yet
without seeming
Yours, FROM TIP TO TOE