Times-promoter., 1903-01-23
LOVE AND MARRIAGE.
Bill Arp Writes of the Bonds of
Matrimony.
Says There Should Be 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 a
blessed interval of fond hopes and
happy dreams, and then the happy
day is fxed-uhe auspicious day that
is never to be forgotten-a day that
brings happiness or misery and be-
gins new life. Then comes the Ii
cense, the permit of the law which
says you may marry, you may enter
into bonds. The state approves 1T
and the law allows it, and it will
cost you only dollar and 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 benedlc-
ton, and they are one. In moment
the trusting maid has lost her name
and her free will, and is tied fast to
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 a
creature and takes the most risk, for
she risks her all.
/ was Illuminating over this, for
there was a marriage going on at our
good friend Sam Jones' house, and
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 a man she hasn't
known very long; but l have dag
nosed him from his face and fea-
lures and am satisfied with her
choice. He is a big-hearted gentle
man, or else the signs fail. / wanted
to be present and give them my
blessing, but was not well enough to
go-Ive got the elephantiosis fron
my toes to my knees, and can hard
ly meander across the room, but
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 a partner
ship they can't get along well if 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-thcir
counterparts. A man with blue eyes
goes distracted over pretty girl
with hazel eyes-I did, and I'm dis
tracted yet when I look into them,
though I've been doing that for 81
years. But in mental and emotional
qualities and in tastes and habits and
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 had
known l loved Goldfish and got up by
daybreak every morning, she never
would have had me. 1t was nip and
tuck to get her, anyhow, and that
would have been the feather to
break the camel's back. Well, I'm
mortal glad she didn't know it,
though I 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, it
would have had dampening effect
upon my ardor for a few minutes.
only few. But / have seen some
mighty clever people eat oysters raw
and sleep late in the morning. Bnt
still man and his wife can harmon
ize and compromise good many Of
these things, and it is a beautiful il
lustration of this to see Mrs. Arp
cooking Goldfish for me and fixing il
all up so nice with eggs and cream,
and it is a touching evidence of my
undying devotion to her to see me
wandering about the house lonely
and forlorn every morning for ar
hour or two, and forbidding even the
cat to walk heavily while she sleeps
That Goldfish business comes to me
honestly from my fathers side, and
my mother put up with it like 4
good, considerate wife, and we chill
dren grew up with an idea that IL
was good. I've heard of young
couple who got married and went
off to Augusta on tour, and the
feller stuck his fork into Goldfish
ball and took bite. He choked it
down like hero, and when his be-
loved asked him what was the mat
ter, replied: Don't say anything
about it, Mandy, but as sure as you
are born there is something dead in
the bread"