The times., 1897-09-13
Longstreet and His Bride Write
of Their Marriage.
TRIBUTE TO THE SOLDIER
A Hero In War and Gentleman in
Peace Wins the Confidence of
Womau-Ne Neither Youth Nor Age,
Says the General, While Man
Is Alive.


briefly why they decided TO marry. These
letters are dated Vine Crest Cottage, near
Gainesville, Ga.
Mrs. Longstreet writes:
My friends ask why I, a young woman,
married Gen. L0ngstreet? Because loved
him, to be sure, for no true woman would
ever marry q man whom sue did not
love, though there are always enyious per
sons ready to draw conclusions and to
asoribe motives. AS a little child mad
access to the home of Gen Longstreet,
rnan who impressed even my childish mind
with a high sense Of his honor and in
tegrity There were about him no repeil-
ing qualities.
= heard the dfolks talk of his achieve
ments, and they built for him warm
place in nay heart. In a word, Gen. Long
street was not only a hero in war but
gen tlaInaE In peace, such man As wins
confidence attnce, and especially the con-
fidence Of q woman who loves nigh ideals
All this by way of preface to tie question
as 10 why young woman should marry
an old man.
women are burn with ideals and ambi-
tons az inen are, but our social condition,
while giving free vent 10 the one, crushes
down or restrains the other. could tel
you Of scores OF woinen with bright minds,
laudablc ambitions and high hopes, who
might have shone In the world had they
but the chance.
These Young women, as soon as their
school days are over, understand that mar
riage is the next step, and the one which
seals their fate forever. BY custom they
are restricted To the company Of those OF
their own age, and marry young and un-
developed men, who afterward prove to be
nothing but the yeriest elods or clay
Imagine a sensitive and high minded
woman, rs she awakes TO the realization
that her husband is entirely dfoSs.
How many young women l know who
would have chosen older husbands, but for
social tradition. In such marriage they
could measure quality for quality, and
though \ the natural order such hus-
band might leave her widow early is it
not better TO have been the wife OF one
acceptable and comPanlonable man tnan
to be the lifelong slave of one whom her
soul held in aversion a woman looking
sensibly at such an important event rs
marriage viii theref fore LOOK among such Of
Ter InaIe friends as have the qualities
required.
The man who is advanced In years has
his record made up, andthe woman can de
eide for herself whether he is such a one
as would develop all that was best in her
SELF While I had no special person in
view ny mind has always been firm on
one point-I would never marry a sim
| perng man who had NJ ideas in his head
| and who lacked the energy u make n,s3n
OF himself. II ever the time came for my
marriage, the accepted man would be one
who could come up to my high id cal who
would not .elittle my hopes, and whose
nanz 1 would be proud to bear.
ITO prove myself worthy of such a
husband | have worked hard. ! have
practically educated myself, and took
| course iR Nolre Dame, Baltimore, to per
feet my requirements. l attained the
office of assistant librarian under cir
| cutnSauces which / think would win the
Georgia legislature u have official EN-
ployneEt thrown open TO women. This
/ s,ate in nc offensive manner but merely
| to shcw that a woman may do something
| in this world without losing her woman
hood.
When, N the midst of all these efforts,
| became conscious OF Gen. Longstreet's al
miraticn l but redoubled my efforts, de
| termined that l should be recognized for
myself. and that lie should regard me as
d companion aud helpmate, rather than as
mere housckeeper. When he asked my
hand "a marriage / granted il, knowing
that 1 Was ebtrusting my life and happi-
ness to JGe of the noblest men God ever
| made"
| Gen. Longstreet, writing under the same
date, says:
| This Is the third day OF our marriage.
and l feel today as If God had made US
| for each other. and there h as existed an
affinity, which drew US together without
seeking. The fact that my wife should
have chosen September 6 as the day FOR
marriage, without any knowledge OF the
important part iC played in my life on the
] field of Molina del Rey, fifty years be-
fore, when | won the brevet of major
shows current which runs in unison
What shall l say about my venture in
| married life2 That is Il question which
men haye beeE trying to answer for ages,
and it yet remains one OF tile problems
| which swecteps life and sheds the gIarnonr
of romance over all we do. What is good
! for young men is equally good for old,
| If, indeed, there he any distinction. for
| the longer q man lives the more lie be-
! comes convinced that there is neither youth
nor age. and that we really live in a
! great present, upon whose stage we
all play our parts until the finale is
reached, when We again reappear In mem
DRY and play as prominent q part as
ever.
lis the great Alexander truly dead. or
! is BonapGrte absent from the forces which
| control the world? l am sure that those
| take n shortsi GIFTED view Of life who re-
strict II TO babyhood, youth, maturity and
old age.
Il prefer the larger view that men live
| in An ever glorious present, which exhibits
to US not only those who are posing their
parts, but those whose deeds make them
as realistically present as all the others.
For eight years 1 have lived alone in
this house. away out in the country, where
| the loneliness often became oppressive. 1
hal in mind little girl who used to visit
my children when going to school She
| was bright and piquant, and withal gifted
with a wonderfully wotaanly sympathy fol
| Il child. She would float in my inacina.
| tions IS Il pretty picture, real and vet out
of grasp, for she had passed away from
my circle, and 1 but seldom met her.
81 watched from afar the brave battle
| which she was making for recognition and
my whole sympathy went out to her, 70
such an extent that when she reached the
pinnacle of her triumph, ] joined my con.
gratnlaticns u the others, and my heart
throbl,eG when ] noticed how 1t made her
e. : r.