Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-02-10

that reflection is a high rock to lean and
rest the moral back against. That thought
is thick umberell, to keep off the little
hailstuns of impertenance and impudence.
that might otherwise hurt ones self re-
spect, and mortify it. felt well and
noble in my mind, and acted we'll, very.
keep right on, cool and collected together
and says L:
'That is one great reason. why anyone
ought to consider we'll ont. They ought
to know that this is one of the jobs that
you can't calculate on, exactly how it is a.
comm out; you must take the chances.
There is lots of undertaken 3 jest so, jest
as hard to tell how it is a-comin' out. Now
the greatest of minds can't figure out ex-
actly to minute what time the butter
will come, or how marriage is goin' to
turn out, or jest when it will stop rainin' i,
or begin, or when tho old hen will lay.
The world is a curious place, and in lots
Of undertakings you have to step off blind
folded, and ketch holt of the consequences,
good or bad. The binders will be took
often our eyes sometime, probable, but the
time is not YETI
I warmed up, more and more eloquent
ly; and says I:
"And marriage, I take it, is one of the
very riskiest undertaken 8 you can under
take. 1t may lead you into happiness,
pure and lofty as certain couple I could
mention have enjoyed for the neighbor-
hood of twenty years; it may; and then
again. it mayn't. But there is one great
comfort in this, that there amt in some
other things, such as rain and thunder
storms, and etcetery. You'd needn't en-
list in this warfare, if you hain't a mind
to. You amt obleeged to set out as a
matrimourner; that is sweet and conso-
lin thought, if you feel scareful over it.;
but if you do enlist, you must take the
risks. And if it want a risky piece of
business, why did them old fathers put
these words in tho marriage service: for
better, for worse. for richer, for poorer?'
They knew what they wus about, them old
fathers did. They knew they coulda v tell
whether it would turn out rich as rich
could be, with blsssin's and bliss, or poor
and poverty. Thorn old fathers knew that.
and bein' likely men, and sound moraled,
they fixed that halter 90 that folks couldn It
squirm their necks out of it, every time
they got Uneasy, and worrysome. Histor-
ical fits, and etcetery,' says I, in reasona-
bic tones. might como under the head of
the worse But you can't slip your head
out; that VOW holds you, for better or
worse. You no need to have tackled that
VOW; but you did. And now you ought
to stand up under it; that is law, and that
is gospel too, which don't always 90 to-
gether."
oval, what of it?'' says banks. "What
if it does-what are you eoin' to do about
it?''
Oh, how surly and mad that man did
look; his mean would have beon likely to
skairt some wimmin, but it didn't me;
mebby it would If hadn't been talkin' OF
high principles; but that boyed me up.
''Why," says 1, as have said morn n
forty times, ''folks ought to get into their
head that it is great and serious subject,
that ought to be considered, and prayed
over. and meditated upon. They ought to
realize that gettin' married is solemn
thing; solemnsr. if anything. than it is
not to. And that has always been consid-
cred very solemn thing, very. But, in
stead of lookin' on it in this serious and
becomin' way, folks will caper, and prance
off into matrimony, in jest as light and
hilarious, and tridin' a way, as if they wus
headin' a row of fantasticks on the Fourth.
They don't consider and hlosofize on it
that the fantasticks can take off their
uniforms at night, and be themselves agin;
but the matrimourners can't-they can't
do it. nohow; there they be, matrimourn.
ers. No matter how bad they feel, and
how disappointed they be, in the looks of
the state they have got into, they can't get
out Of it; they are matrimourners. and
can It help themselves. The state of we'd
lock has got high, slippary wall around
it, as high up as eternity, and as low down
as the same. 1t is wall that can't be
stepped across, or climbed over. 1t is
wall that a man or woman Can It sneak out,
and creep up on, without fallin' back. It
is wall that can't be broke down, and
jumped over, only on the Bible grounds.
And when you do take that jump, on BIZ
BILE grounds, oh! how fatiguin' that leap
is; how much happiness and ease of mind
the matrimourner has to drop on the jump;
drop forever. And how much trouble he
has to carry with him, and disquietude of
mind, and condemnation, and gossip, and
evil speakin', and hateful memories, and
hauntin' ones, remorse, and upbraidin's,
and travel Of soul and body. Oh, what
time that matrimourner does have" says
l.
II thought" says he. with that surly,
morbid look of his'n, and mad, Il thought
you wus one that preached liberty, free
dom, and etcetery
$50 be" says l. ''Hain't I jest been
a-doin' of it? Hain't said that no man
or woman ought to be drove into the state
of matrimony by anybody, only jest their
ownselves : But, after they lay holt, and
drive themselves in, they oughtn't to COM
plain. But they'll know, after they have
drove themselves in, that it Is the curious
est state that ever wus made. None of
our states of America will compare with
it for curiosity, and some of our'n are ex-
ceedingly curious, take 'em laws and all.
''But this state of matrimony," as I
said, ''is far curiouser. 1t is curiouser in
the begnnin', some like conumdrum
Our states have to be admitted into the
Union; union admits yeu into the state
And then it is bounded on every side by
divinest possibilities of happiness, or the
most desparin' ones, and no knowin' which
mill hrook Ovor tho frnntiora opd 40 pf,,ro