Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-02
Affirmation.

paradise, and would be, believe, If you
lived in one room on bread and water. All
the husbands who come here go away en-
chanted with you. and the wives go away
enraptured with Uncle Fred, while we neu.
trails sre chaSnied with both of you."
Really, Ellie, did you come all the way
over here on purpose TO tell me this very
astounding and rather-to-be-doubted piece
of news 2" asks Aunt Lettie with an amused
smile. "Our marriage is happy, dear, but
it isn't bit more ideal than yours and
Toms will be, nor are we any more en-
rapturipg,' or enchanting or charming,
than you two"
"Well, see," said Elaine, "my Christian
at Work came yesterday, and I've brought il
over to show you this article. See the title
=? Now 1 want you to answer it for me
with an That is, l want some affirmations
Are you prepared TO stand in the witness-box
this morning 2"
If it will do you any good, dear. What's
the trouble?"
"Oh { don't know. This article rather
frightens me. Aunt Lettie, was your first
year Of married life your most unhappy onep'
"No year has been the most unhappy,
Ellie. To be sure, each year is happier than
the last, but that is only because our ca
pacity for happiness, and our appreciation
Of what constitutes it, is yearly increasing
'Unhappiness, in any degree whatsoever, is
not to be mentioned in connection with ouI
married life."
quainted,' 80 that you were 'able to troi
balk or friction p"
IA 7 II
tie, half laughingly, and yet very much in
earnest, 81 won't have you speak Of your
Uncle Fred and me as II we were pair Of
country farm horses, nor of marriage as q
harness 7 Where did you get such pitiful
notions, child? Take care or you'll start
me off on my favorite hobby"
"Just what want to do" cried Elaine
" You have ridden your hobby to such good
purpose all these years, that was just why
came to you of all others, to help me Olsen
tangle my ideas. Please answer my last
question, auntie. And I've a dozen others
Is the first year such a crucial test 2 Must
my temper be made more 'pliant and
malleable 2 Does Tom think me an angel
now Il can't imagine why he should) and
will he be so afraid of me ty and by that
he will learn to choke down his cup oi
coffee in silence, rather than handy words
with me ? That is, am virsgo under the
guise of an angel =? Will find Tom les,
dear and charming in his shirt sleeves thar
do now in his best coat ? Won't he give
me any more gentle attentions when one,
we are married Won't he love me if
ever appear in crimping pins Must W.
put on our spectacles to scrutinize eacf
other the minute we are fairly tied? Il
marriage just jogging along in 'matri
monial harness "a process requiring vas
amount Of Christian grace2"
ELLIE, what are you talking about ?" ex
claimed Aunt Lettie, half bewildered
"Wait, child, till can get my breath
Now, then, one at time, dear. Any kind
of life, to be lived well, requires vast
amount of Christian grace; married life nc
more than any other. Indeed, most girl:
seem to think it requires more grace to live
unmarried than married. Still, if all these
questions referred to the ordinary run ol
marriages, as they are, l might, perhaps
answer, Yes, you have all these perils Il
dread But if you refer to marriage as il
ought to be and as it may be, as know il
and as you will know it, say you are talk
ing nonsense, Ellie-stuff and nonsense
And gentle Aunt Lettie set her work baske
down with bang which was very pro
nounced, for her.
"Glad of it |" said Elaine, promptly. a.
hoped it was stuff and n6 nsense, but didn'
quite know. Now, Aunt Lettie, 60 on, anc
tell me how you did it,"
"Did what 2"
"Achieved such perfectly beautiful
marriage"
at is no more beautiful than any mar
riage might be made, Ellie" answered Aun
Lettie, earnestly. Z" The rule for it il
simple, and you and Tom are following it
We-Fred and I-knew each other, anC
loved each other. We did not wait till tn,
first year of marriage to get acquainted.
Those who are foolish enough to become en-
gagged in a week after introduction, anC
married in another week, must wait so fol
their acquaintance, and will suffer for theil
folly, Those who never see each other be
fore marriage. except in dainty ringlets Of
brosdcloth and shining boots at the Ger
man, concert, or OPERA must wait for theil
acquaintance, and suffer for their waiting
We did not do 30. In truth, we began by
disliking each other Chat is by no meani
necessary, however), but the courtesies Of
every day life threw us together; we coult
not be rude, so we became civil, then friends
"Finally, after many months we became
engaged. Circumstances were such that We
could not marry very soon, and shall never
cease being grateful for that Now we be
gan to get acquainted We were much
together We discovered that our taste:
were very similar, but our mental character
istics very different. But we grounded our
selves firmly, from the FIRST on the rock oi
mt Iowa apA narfant na1
and on that rock we have always stood
While we were engaged we read and dis
cussed the same books. Fred saw me in
nearly every imaginable circumstance. He
saw me well and pleasant, he saw me sich
and-must confess il 2-cross. He saw me
in my fine feathers; he saw me in flannel
bloomer suits. in calico dresses, in morning
wrappers. But he never saw me untidy, Ell
lie, or collarless, and he never will.
:" As for my hair, he saw it crimped, and
he saw 1t plain. When | crimped II, put
1t up at night and took it down when
made my morning toilette. Or, If wa'
obliged to leave it up, put on pretty little
cap. | never, in all my life, went around il
crimping'pins, pure and simple That wasn'i
for Fred's sake. / couldn't bear TO think ol
myself as looking SO hideous, Fred or nc
Fred.
"Most trying Of all, Fred saw me seasick
--wretchedly, abjectly seasick-lying on the
deck of little steamer, my calico wrapper
aud my disheyeled hair wet by the spray, 9
green tin by my side-picture it, Elaine
and you will not wonder that | never could
doubt his love. Happened to mention this
episode TO an aunt of mine, and she was
aghast. She exclaimed in holy horror;
Z" Lettitia Walton you didn't lei that
man see you seasick
"'Y Yes, | did, ! replied, and he held my
head, too +
"You foolhsrdy girl she gasped, Il
should think you would have been afraid
he'd break the engagement
" Humph | said, 'Ishould have wanted
him to break 1t. If he couldn't stand that
much
"And think so now, Ellie. As for me,
knew Fred as well as he did me. had
seen him in his shirt sleeves and in muddy
boots, many time. Perhaps we had un-
usual facilities for getting acquainted. II
so, I'm thankful for my mercies. But en-.
gagged people don't live up to the facilities
they have for getting thoroughly pre-mar-
ital acquaintance. That know.
"And 80 we married, neither of us think.
ing the other an angel but knowing our.