St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-02-21
LOVE AND MARRIAGE.
Bill Arp Writes of the Bonds Of
Matrimony.

Says There Should he Give and Take,
But Some Things Cannot Be Conn
promised Concerning the
Months and Their Names.
Married and gone. 1t is the same
old story. Love and courtship. Then
comes the engagement ring and
blessed interval of fond hopes and
happy dreams, and then the happy
day is fxed-the suspicious day that
is never to be forgotten-a day that
brings happiness or misery and be-
gins new life. Then comes the IL
cense, the permit of the law winch
says you may marry, you may enter
into bonds. The state approves II
and the law allows it, and it Will
cost you only a dollar and a quar-
ter. Cheap, isn't it? And yet it may
be very dear. Then comes the minis
ter, and the happy pair stand up be-
fore him to a prayer and a benenic-
ton, and they are one. In momehS
the trusting maid has lost her name
and her free will, and is tied fast to
a man. Well, he is tied fast, too, 50
it is all right all round, l reckon
but somehow l always feel more
concern about the woman than the
man. She is a helpless sort OF
creature and takes the most risk, Tor
she risks her all.
1 was Illuminating over this, Tor
there was marriage going on at our
their pretty daughter, Laura, was
changing her name and her home or
this the last day of the year and 60
ing off to live with man she hasn,t
known very long; but l have dag
nosed him from his face and Tea
lures and am satisfied with her
choice. He is a big-hearted gentle
man, or else the signs fail. l wanted
to be present and give them my
blessing, but was not well enough to
go-Ive got the elephantiosis from
nv toes to my knees, and can hard
ly meander across the room, but L
am always interested in the mar
riages of our young people. 1t is
the most serious business in this life.
and if the peril of it was known be-
forehand many of the young people
would hesitate to make the change.
The chains of matrimony and the
bonds of marriage are the right
words. When men make partner
ship they can't get along well II they
are unlike in disposition, or in moral
principle or in business ways, but
they can dissolve and separate at
pleasure and try another man. A
man and his wife ought to be alike in
almost everything. In some things
folks like their opposites-thelr
counterparts. A man with blue eyes
goes distracted over pretty girl
with hazel eyes-I did, and I'm dig
tracted yet when look into them,
though I've been doing that for 81
years. But in mental and emotional
qualities and in tastes and habits ana
politics and religion they should class
together.
l never made any mistake about
my choice of partner for the dance
of life, but I've thought OF it a
thousand times that if Mrs. Arp hac
known 1 loved Goldfish and got up by
daybreak every morning, she never
would have had me. It was nip and
tuck to get her, anyhow, and that
. would have been the feather te
break the camel's back. Well, I'm
mortal glad she didn't know 1t
though 1 am free to say that if ] had
known she slept until the second
ringing of the first bell for break
fast and was fond of raw oysters, il
would have had a dampening effect
upon my ardor for a few minutes
only few. But I have seen some
mighty clever people eat oysters raw
and sleep late in the morning. BIT
still a man and his wife can harmon
ize and compromise a good many o:
these things, and it is beautiful il
Illustration of this to see Mrs. Arl
cooking Goldfish for me and fixing i
all up so nice with eggs and cream
and it is touching evidence of m.
undying devotion to her to see M
wandering about the house lionel,
and forlorn every morning for al
hour or two, and forbidding even tn
cat to walk heavily while she sleeps
That Goldfish business comes to m
honestly from my fathers side, an
my mother put up with it like
good, considerate wife, and we chill
dren grew up with an idea that i
was good. I've heard of youn
couple who got married and wen
off to Augusta on tour, and tn
Teller stuck his fork into a codfis
ball and took bite. He choked
down like a hero, and when his be
loved asked him what was the mat
ter, replied: "Don't say anythin
about it, Mandy, but as sure as 20
are born there is something dead j
the bread"
Well, we can make compromise
about all such things as habits an
tastes, but there are some thing
that won't compromise. worth cen
If a girl has been brought up t
have a good deal Of freedom, an
thinks it no harm to go waltzln
around with every gay Lothario VIII
loves to dance, and after she gets