The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-04
Aarlee % an Espeelant nrlde.

The following letter was recently adj
dressed to lady about to become bride
by gentleman acquaintance, in acknowl
edgment OF the receipt Of her wedding
cards. It gains a melancholy Interest
from the fact that the young wife died
soon alter the marriage:
am holding some pasteboard in my
hands, Addie!-three stately pluckings
from the bush OF ceremony / am gaz'
ing upon q card, and upon name--a
name with which your gentle life be-
gan; a name with which your throb'
lbing heart was lost. There Is moth
ling strange about that card. The
maiden sign still looks up from II, calm
and customary, as 1t looked on many q
friendly visit, as 1t lies in many lorna!
basket. I am gazing, too, upon card
where the nearer parent tells the world she
will be Eat Home" one day; and that 10
nothing new! But there is another card,
Whose mingling there puts q tongue OF fire
into this speechless pasteboard, enamel.
ling fate OF commonplace. II tells US that
feeling Is maturing into destiny, and that
these cards are but the pale heralds oil q
coming crisis; when hand that has press
ed friends hands, and plucked flowers,
shall close down on him 70 whom she shall
be friend and flower forever after. have
sent you few flowers 10 adorn the dying
moments Of your single lie. They
are the gentlest types OF q delicate and
durable friendship. They spring up by
our side when others have deserted US; and
they will be found watching over our
graves when those who should cherish
have forgotten US. 1t seems meet to me
that past 80 calm and pure as yours
should expire with kindred sweetness
about it; that flowers and music, kind
friends and earnest words, should conse-
crate the hour when sentiment is pass
ing into a sacrament. The three great
stages OF our being are the birth, the
bridal and tho burial To the first We
bring only weakness-ior the last We
have nothing but dust But here, at the
altar, where life joins life, the
pair come throbbing up TO the holy man,
whispering thedeep promise thatarms each
with the others heart, to help on In the
life struggle Of care and duty. The beau
tifnl will be there, borrowing new beauty
from the scene. The gay and the friY0-
lous, they aud their founces, will look
solemn for once. Andyouth will come, TO
gaze on all its sacred thoughts pant for;
and age will totter up to hear the old
words repeated, that 10 their lives have
given the charm. Some will weep over 1t as
ifitwere tomb, and some will laugh over It
as II it were a joke; but two must stand
by 1t, for tits faie, not fun, this everlasting
locking Of their lives. And nov, can you,
who have queened u over so MANY bend
ing forms, can You come down OF last to
the frugal diet Of single heart? Hitherto
y,Sphaye been clock, glvinEyo time to
buried In one particular bosom, warming
only his breast, marking only his hours,
and ticking only to the heat II his heart
Were time and feeling shall be in unison,
Until these lover ties are lost In ihat high
er wediock where all hearts are united
around the great Central Heart Of all.
Hoping that calm sunshine may hallow
your clasped hands, sink silently into
signature.