The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-23
Aaaerso,s guteltigenees.
Wedding Bells.

Wedding Bells.
A brilliantly lighted church, flowers in
profusion, banked, wreathed, swinging in
a fragrant bell, arched over chancel and
garIanding column and rail, bush of
expe citation e.lspged to rustic and stir
Of interest, moving a great throng, tho
familiar strains of the wedding march,
the beautiful glittering procession through
the aisle, and the sympathetic silence as
bride and attendants await the fateful
moment. The groom is ready. The
clergyman begins his service.
Months Of preparation have gone be.
fore his hour. The maiden, arrayed in
the radiant style be6tting'the occasion, is
the pride of her mama, aud the best pos.
sib!e advertisement of an extensive Paris.
ian modistc. In such subdued splendor
as his sex and his tailor can compass, the
bridegroom matches her, and, if the heart
Of pater families is disturbed By appre.
tensions of future bills, he manages to
hide it as he gives the bride away.
Solemn words, solemn ceremony, so
quickly orc. Sn sacredly bindingl There
is reception, where congratulations fall
tripping!y from honeycd tongues, pres
ents are displayed, or are mentioned
with balcd breath, their cost and number
catalogued admiringly. The bride gees
away in shower Of rice and good wish
cs, and the curtain falls upon Act No. l..
The friendly philosopher in the back.
ground, observing the pretty pageant,
wonders within herself how it will 60 on,
how it will end. The wedding Journey
over, the two will enter upon the working
world. Every day breakfast aud dinners,
every day worries and cares, pleasures,
pastimes, sorrows, temptations, are before
them.
They fancy that they will never know
jar in the perfect harmony of their
union. But the friendly on-looker could
tell them, if she would, that they will
6nd their FIRST married year in many re-.
apects more trying than any which can
follow it. They still have to learn how to
adjust their lives to each other, and dear.
ly as they love one another, it ,s yet a
necessity that they shall learn how to
match the ideal with the real. They will
be angelic if they succeed in this without
occasional friction,
Perhaps the friendly philosopher over.
heard Sigh, and OWNED regret as one
of the bright:faced gentlemen ushers
linked his arm in that of his companion
at the close OF the festivities.
".rell you what, old fellowl 1t costs
something to get marriedp Was that
what the companion said?
'Yes, indeed, and to keep wife costs,
too / shall remain singleW
The growing extravaganza OF social
life, the amount it takes for woman's
dress in these days, ths cost of house.
keeping and the numberless calls upon
the purse undoubtedly deter some young
men from marrige. They have their salar.
ies-they know just bow far they will 60.
IF they hardly suffice for themselves, with
the luxurious habits that are as much
necessities to them as the young girls
furbelows and fripperies to her, how
would they be able to supply the needs Of
two7 So they futter about at evening
parties, attend on the ladies ss escort
when concert or lecture makes escort duty
pleasant, but take care, as they phrase
it, not 10 get entangled with anyone who
has not wealth of her own or in prospect.
In plain words, they waste their youth
and strength, suffer their hearts to grow
cold and cynical because they do not
wish to incur any selfdenial, while they
do true womanhood the disrespect of
thinking that it prizes more highly orna-
ment and jewelry than faithful affection
and protecting care.
The fact is, that girls do not so greatly
desire show and display as they seem to /;
but, where their parents are established
in certain rank of life, they are trained
to regard many little things as part and
parcel of existence, which they would
readily lay aside if once strong, noble
sentiment of love came into their souls.
"Where the true love has once bolted
the door, the false love serenades in vain
under the window" And the shams Of
life, the veneering, the mere outside
gewgaws and trinkets are nothing, abso.
lutely nothing, to sweet, modest, fresh
hearted girl in comparison with her
regard for her lover if he have the manli.
ness to speak out and let her know it.
The women are few and far between who
do not glory in being helps and not
hindrances to the men they have chosen
as life companions, if they only know
fully and freely the circumstances and
exigencies Of the position.
But why, young man, are you limited
in your election to women who live like
the lilies of the, field and neither toll nor
spinP "The world is all before you
where to choose" In the same establish
ment with yourself, perhaps, there are
girls-modest, gentle, self-posed--behind
the counter quite as we'll deserving your
admiration as those who stand or sit be.
fore it. They work for their bread-they
help widowed mothers or educate little
children, or, from a strong sense of self
respect, they prefer to be workers and
not drones in the hive of life, and they
would make you, and such as you, wives
who would be at every step help, stay,
an inspiration. Such woman would be
no clog to rising man.
There are teachers, the peers in intel
lect aud attractiveness of any in the land !;
there are ladies engaged in various arts
and industries, nobly fitted to make
home beautiful for virtuous and gener.
GUS husband, yet cur misanthropic youth,
gazing at the splendors of the million.
aires daughter, sighs, and goes on delib
erately choosing single blessedness-or
upblessedness-lest his means should
not allow him "to support wife"
And there are bright, healthy and
intelligent daughters of farmers, capable