The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-30

John Is Gross When Hungry Marriage Is
Not Transformation.

II wish / could meet with one ideal
married couple, such as we read of ia
iiction and IN biography! sighed young
matron in my ear but yesterday. so
many, even among those who made love
matches, seem but moderately happy, so
many others but half cOntented. and some
are miserable. Where j. the ilunder2'
Unquestionably and Fundamentally I'm
expecting too much Of human nature and
Of circumstance. Imagination. heated and
colored by love. makes OF the welded
state an impossible Eden, such as was
guarded from sinful man By the flaming.
Whiriing sword.
AFTER tomorrow" exclaimed an ardent
youth on the eve Of marriage, II shall
have no past. and expect rO future /
snail live in one blissfli, eternal NOWw
That man was doomed 10 disapp0int-
meni with the incvitabioIess OF the down
ward plunge Of the rOckct-stick. If people
VIII stake lies happiness upon the stay
ing power Of qyrotechnics. they have only
themselves TO blame when the blaze Goes
out I'm sulphurous smoke
Marriage is not transformation. John
VIII bee as cross when he is hungry. as
eium when iistraught with business
anXiotics, as Uncomfortable when his coll
lar chafes his neck-in a word as human
ana as fallihle q JOnn. welded. as single.
eli Mary has heard him speak impatientiv
TO his mother and tariiy 90 BIS sister. lie
viii. upon what he rcckons as sufficient
occasions, be both curt and petulaut with
IBIS wife when once the "uew-chv" has
worn or. Were this not true he would be
an angel. and angels DO not wear tweed
business suits and Derby hats, or have
dyspepsia and smoke more than IS whole
some for nerves and pocket. Bills are
geniOusly incouyonient times. and scra-
phim have no natural but thn-skinnod
concclt that Will not brook wifcly crti-
cism
True, hte lover never lost his temner
or spoke urgently to the aflancod maiden.
but he was on his promotion i'm those
days. What would you have? 10 Is one
thing to risk ones prospects and quite
another TO take safe liberties with ones
assured possession.
An angel might not be quite content
with Mary's occasional lapses into untidi-
ness and fretfulness; with her tears and
cxactons. her streaky cakes and cur
died mayonnaise. Husbands are men, and
wives remain women through the exOr-
cism Of The ceremony and the enchant-
mont of The honeymoon. There Is no need
that these truisms should form the bur
den Of the cynic's song. or the fact they
ombody he. The motif OF the lampooner's
composition.
Northumberland triad Of
the sweet words I'm the English language.
Yet the last is the only one that has
never deceived. and Will never disappoint
the trusting heart. The gentlost. least
selfish Of mothers has her moods and
whims. which are. with difficulty. t0lo-
rated Boy dutiful children. Every home has
IT'S clouds and thundcr-ehowcrs. and each
Individual heart its hidden bitterness.
There are as many "ileal marriages" as
ideal associations between parent and
child, and between brothers and sisters.
When one takes into consideration the
strength Of blood ties in these last
named relations. and Of habits Of tolora-
ton continued from infancy 10 maturity
I'm the household as contrasted with the.
by comparison, slight acquaintance which
has been formed and prosecuted under
hattering conditions between the young
couple indissOlubly united, the miracle is
that they ever get on or even rub on"
so comfortably together. courtship has
been defined as "a period Of varying
length. pleasantly spent by two people in
deceiving one another" Let us consider
for one instant their differences IN breed
ing. education and habits, the abrupt
change from the drawing-room cOurtship
aforesaid to the wOrking-day intimacy of
hroad-winuer and breai-maker. and mar
vel that love hope faith. and JOY do not
20 down quick into the pfc OF disenchant-
mont within q fortnight after the day
which was 20 begin the eternal Now
The apostle OF matrlmony may well
tighten bis hold upon the everlasting
verify pronounced by the Creator In the
earliest marriage ceremony
MARION HARLAND.