West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-05-18

their attention and divert tnem from
each other; they are relieved of the
necessity of speaking to each other,
almost of seeing each other. I would
advise such spouscs to prudently
put bolts on the doors Of their re-
spectiye chambers, for mutual as
surance.
Why apply for divorce? A MARI
ace like that amounts to the same
thing. Those separate apartments
effect it sufficiently.
And when you really love, how
can you help envying my neighbor
the carpenter, who has but one room
in all? So that while he is saving
and planning, his wife, who is a
washerwoman, sings at her ironing
table all the day long. Often have
forgotten myself in listening to her
fine voice, which is strong and vlbra-
tory, fresh and clear. Sometimes
she sings little too loud, and dis
turbs me at my work; but that does
not hinder me from saying: "Sing
on, sing on, you poor little lark!'
"All very well for carpenter"
YOU say. .'But my labors are OF q
higher order, have more important
object. am thinker. Every dis
traction withdraws me from my pro-
found meditations." Too profound,
sir-otten hollow. Your works,
those of these times at least, are for
the most part barren; witty, l grant
you-but with so little life in them,
so unfeeling, so rarely humane. The
author, at every moment. loses sight
of the worlds of heart and of good
sense.
A really human work, a powerful
and living thought, one with body
TO IL, is not disturbed SO easily. It's
powerful impetus carries it along,
and assimilates and appropriates to
itself all that might otherwise have
diverted it from its course How
much easier is this, then, If what
you call distraction is in reality
from the very bottom of your heart,
love and the beloved one! But both
these are one and the same thing.
Can she take you from your work, or
work take You from her? Neither.
On the subject that seems the most
remote even. she exercises an inhu
ence by the warmth of love she in
fuses into il.
am always pleased with Dutch
pictures. | find in them continually
that charming promiscuousness of
the mans study and the woman's
housew;fery, where the former is en-
nobled, the latter inspired with new
ardor and increased in fruitfuluess.
Everybody has seen at the Louvre
(and also in the exquisite descrip-
ton given in la Fol Nourelle) the
Saint Joseph of Rembrandt. But ]
am not the less struck with its mi
croscopical philosophy, picture Of
study familiarized with the family.
In the faiut light Of the declining
sun, near window on which is
spread large open book, is an old
man, who has ceased reading and is
engaged in meditation, broodlng
over his thoughts. His eyes are
shut, it seems; and yet he sees eve
rything. He sees the servant pok-
ing the fire. He sees his wife scarce
ly distinguishable in the picture)
coming down the winding staircase.
These pleasing images, yon may be
sure, are blended with the pleasant
nature of his thoughts. Such is the
complete picture of man who has
gone through life, and is now living
on its vintage.
If that book is the Bible, ] am
sure that the good man will take
the hest and highest sense of it.
His is the intellect to understand
the sayings OF Tobias, Ruth, and
the patrarchs. He will not lose
himself in vain and Improbable
ANALYSIS, and will rot care to in
form himself, as others DO, oil the
sex of the angels. The same man,
in the cell of convent, would have
made commentaries like those Of
Scotus, and Thomas Aquinas, upon
the Bible: refining, subtilizIng, and
in fact reducing everything to bar
rcnness. Here, it is quite the con
trary. And why? Because the
household, the family and affection,
bring him ever back to the real.
All that touches the heart in this
chronicle of remote times, is remade
and renewed in him; he secs it
again through the medium of his
heart.
A charming thing to observe,
which have often remarked with
pleasure among my more studious
friends, is the infinite delicacy of
the young wife. who in restricted
space comes and goes. and moves
round the student, without in the
least disturbing him. Any other
person would have put him out; but
.she," he says, 'is nobody" In fact
she is himself. his second and his
better soul.
She holds her breath, and steps on
tiptoe. She elides along the floor
She has such respect for work In
this YOU can see what gentle and