The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-09-20
CHOOSING A HUSBAND.
A TALE WHICH SHOWS THAT ALL THAT
GLIrrERs II NOT GOLD.

Two oilers AZ once 1Ou are
truly a favored maiden, Rose said
Annette Lewis to her young friend,
Rose Lilton, in gay tone. at is
husband or no husband with most OF
us but you have a choice between
two"
"And happy shall be il have the
wisdom to choose rightly" was the re-
ply of Rose.
"If it were my case, do not think |
should have much difficulty in making
a choice"
"Dont youl Suppose then you
give me the benefit of your preference.
ooh, no, not for the worldl' replied
Annette, laughing. "Im afraid you
might be jealous Of me afterward.' y
"Neyer fear. am not of jealous
disposition
"No, | won't commit myself in re-
gard to your lovers. But if they were
mine / would soon let it be known
where my preference lay"
"Then you won't assist me in com.
ing to a decision. Surely | am entitl-
ed TO this act Of friendship"
"lf you put it upon that ground,
Rose, l do not see how | can refuse. y
81 do put it upon that ground, An
nette. And now, | ask you, as a
friend, to give me your opinion of the
two young men, James Hambleton
and Marcus Gray, who have seen such
wonderful attractions in my humble
self as TO become suitors for my hand
at the same time"
-Decidedly, then, Rose, l should
prefer Marcus Gray"
"There is about him, certainly, An
nette, much to attract a maidens eye,
and to caplivate her heart; but it has
occurred to me that the most glitterlng
surface does not always indicate tn ,
purest gold beneath | remember,
once, to have seen a massive chain,
wrought from pure ounces, placed be
side another that was far inferior in
quality, but with surface of ten
times richer hue. Had l not been
told the difference, should have chOs.
en- the latter as in every way more
valuable. But when it was explained
that one bore the hue of genuine gold,
while the other had been colored by a
process known to jewellers, | was
struck with the lesson it taught
"What lesson, Rose?"
"That the richest substance has not
always the most glittering exterior.
That real worth, satisfied with the con-
sciousness of interior soundness of
principle, assumes few imposing ex-
terror aspects and forms"
"And that rule you apply to these
two young men?'
"By that rule wish to be guided,
in some degrees, in my choice, An.
nette. wish to keep my mind Sc
balanced that it may not be swayed
from sound discrimination by any.
thing of imposing exterior
"But it is not the exterior - that
which meets the eye-all we can Judge
from? Is not the exterior true ex,
preston of what is withine'
"Not by any means, Annette. | grant
that it should be, but it is not. Look
at the fact just named respecting the
gold chain
''But they were inanimate substan.
ces. They were not faces, where
thoughts, feelings and principles ind
expression"
'Do you suppose, Annette, that bat
gold would ever have been colored sc
as to look even more beautiful thar
that which is genuine if there had no,
been men who assumed exterior gracei
and virtues that were not in theil
mind! No; the very fact you adduct
strengthens my position. The time
was, in the earlier and purer ages-th'
golden ages-of the worlds existence
when the countenance was the true in
dex to the mind. Then 1t was a well
tuned instrument, and the mind within
skillful player, to whose touch every
muscle and chord and minute fibe
gave answering melody. That tint
has passed. Men now school thei
faces to deception. 1t is an art whicl
nearly all practice-myself and your
self too often. We study to appea
what we are not Look at some mel
whom we meet every day; will
faces whose calnness, / should rather
say rigidity, give no evidence that
single emotion ever crossed the wave
less ocean of their minds. But 1t i
not 80. The mind within is activ
with thought and feeling. But the in
strument formed for it to play upoi
has lost it's tune, or bears only relaxed
or broken chords"
"You have strange, visionary wa
of talking, sometimes Rose reptile,
Annette, as her friend paused speak
ing. "All that may do for your Cor
man transcendentalists, or whateve
you may call them; but it won't d
when you come down to the mstter-o o.
business of life"
"To me it seems eminently a practi
cal principle, Annette. We must &C
in all important matters in life with
just discrimination; and how can w
truly discriminate if we are not w4l
versed in those philosophical principle
upon which, and only upon which
right determinations can be made?'
81 must confess, Rose" replied he
young friend, 'that | do not see muc'
bearing that all this has upon the mat
ter under discussions; or, at least, | ca
not see the truth of its application
Gold never assumes lealen exterior
'Well?'
"We need not be very eminen
philosophers to distinguish one fror
the other
"No, of course not"
"Very well. Here is Marcus Gray
with genuine golden exterior, an
james Hambleton, with a leaden one
81 do not grant that position, A.
nette. 1t is true that Mr.. Hambleto
is not so brilliant and snowy, but
have found in him one quality that
have not yet discovered in tho other
"What is that"
"Depth of feeling aud high mori
principle"
"You certainly do not pretend to a
firm that Mr.. Gray has neither feelin
nor principlel"
"Of course | do not / only sa