West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-05-25

You seem afraid of saddening your
husband !? Or might we believe thai
woman always retains, even late II
life, little timidity at confessine
certain things? 5 stm 81. f.ns
| "You will have 1t then" she re
plies. Frankly, the thought that
SO saddens and weighs me down Il
j that to morrow shall be old. =
Il am not fool, to revolt against
Gods will. What should ! care fol
| growing old, if / were alone2 But
| / love, and am still loved. Love il
double mystery. 1t is not of the
mind alone; something else is need.
| ed. ni7 a
Is not the happiness conferred
upon me by faithful, loving, and
inexhaustibly youthful husband, an
embarrassing thing when / feel the
progress of time n 1t is for his
sake that would retain some por.
tiou of that which first pleased him,
He has always had in me { he has
said so himself) a renewing OF the
heart, feast of life. His illusion
continues, not mine. If keep ST.
lent, if / continue to receive the
alteration of which l am so little
worthy, l shall be vexed with, and
accuse, myself of being vain and
false. His love and admiration
humiliate me; it seems to me that
his transports are for another, not
for me-" an ll haFi
"You may rest assured, Madame,
that the touching humility. the 80
licitude, the emotional and graceful
tenderness which desires to bestow
without stint, is stimulus to love.
The older grows, the more he sees
that the most truly charming woman
is she who feels most. who gives
herself up without reservation, and
is unhappy because she has nothing
more to give.
cit is this, too, which accounts
for that ardent constancy that SO as
tonlshes you. Who would not love
modest, simple woman, who is ig-
norant OF her own goodness, who
sees nothing of her own merits, and
always imagines that she is toler-
ated and excused? What happi-
ness is it for the man to deny this;
and who wonld not feel the necessity
of constantly reassuring her?
"What do you regret9 The beau
ty of complexion and feature that
you received by the chance of birth,
like reflection from your mother
the happy accident of that period
through which weall pass? But the
rare and peculiar beauty that you
possess in yourself,your visible soul,
you have created by pure life, q
noble and unbroken harmony. 1t is
the light of love, like the soft and
faithful lamp. in transparent alabas-
ter, which watches over us by night"
When will man learn that he is
his own sculptor? Itis his task to
make himself beautiful. Socrates
was born as ugly as q satyr; but by
his deep thought, by the sculpture
of reason, virtue, and self-sacrifice,
he so reconstructed his face, that at
last god saw himself therein, and
the Phedon shone with him. ~.
l have second instance Of this
phenomenon in one of my most illus
trious friends, the first linguist of
this century. When boy, he had
all the mean ugliness of little Nor
man peasant; but his powerful will,
his immense labor and ingenious re-
search, traced in his face lines OF
exquisite delicacy. All Persian re-
finements hovered about his lips
with the subtle turn of Western
criticism, while the genius of India
expanded itself in the luminous
beauty of his grand forehead, capa-
cious enough to hold the world.
Madame, permit me to tell you
frankly that you were only pretty,
you were not beautiful at first, but
you are now. And why? Because
you have loved. 90
Others allow themselves to be
loved; but you have loved, and al
ways sculptured your love in kind
ness, purity, and sacrifice. In re-
turn, it has made you beautiful.
The best of us, both men and wo-
men, are born with certain fresh
and rugged vigor, if may so ex-
press it. or else with something of
dryness or barrenness. Children,
through ignorance or otherwise, are
cruel in their nature. Young peo.
pie of both sexes, if they are not
cruel. are at least colder-hearted
than they themselves believe. De-
sire to them seems love. The ardOr
of the blood and Of the temperament
thev call tenderness. But ever their
rude, abrupt, violent department,
their frivolous or ironical speeches,
their vain or contemptuous express
sions of countenance give the lie to
all grace, and say plainly: THE
heart Is not yet touched" re
Time, trials, sorrows, bravely en-
dured, and love, faithful love, are
required TO give grace of heart, and
what is its exact equivalent, grace
of speech and WAYS, in gesture and