Year: 1871

The natural destiny of woman is,
we presume, to get married Weknow
at all events, that it is one she is very
anxious TO fulfill. Scarcely does young
girl enter upon her " teens" before she
begins to aspire to a settlement in life.
Personal adornment is sharply looked
to, personal attractions are set off to the
best possible advantage, and hundred
little>tricks and articles of the toilet
are resoreed.to IN order to attract the
notice and win the affections of some
congenial specimen of the male sex. 1t
would require no small amount of
time and space to describe in the breif-
est manner all the trouble that young
ladies take in order to achieve desi-
rable conquest. Suffice it to say that
much study is devoted to the consider
alton of what to wear and how to wear
it, when to be merry and when to be pen
sive, when to smile and when to frown,
how to walk and how to sit In short,
the entire life of marriagebe maid is
continuous effort to wear q mask, TO
lay aside the natural and put on the
artificial. Nor, to tell the honest truth,
are the young gentlemen anything the
better. Most of them may not have as
much leisure time on their hands, yet
of their spare hours no inconsiderable
portion is sqnandered on those arts
which they would fain have US believe
are the exclusive domain OF the fair sex.
Fashionable tailors are patronized, po-
matums aud cosmetics arc called luto
requisition, and there are exquites even
who torture themselves as much to pro-
cure small waist as any boarding school
miss in the land. 1t is amusing in
the highest degree for one who has
passed the heyday of his youth, TO
watch the assidnity with which these
young bloods" practice all the habits
which they think look manly, and
tend to captivate the fair ones. The
amount Of elegance which some of them
contrive to throw into the twirl Of
cane or the puff of cigar, is really
something wonderful to contemplate.
And then when the two arc brought
together in the drawing>room or BALI
room, how touching appear the grace,
the timidity aud the artlessncss of the
maiden, how noble the vigor, the con-
6dence aad the protecting chivalry of
the gentleman! That is the poetical
side of the business. How disagreea-
bly, it does contrast with the prose real
ity Of life Let US scrutinize the life
of our suggestions couple only few
| months after marriage. Where now is
that spirit of self-abnegation which
formerly prompted each one to seek the
Others pleasure instead of his or her
own? The lady becomes morbidly
| sensitive TO all the faiings of her liege
lord, and she shows very little hesita-
ton in upbraiding him. Having Sc
cured her conquest, obtained that set
Element in life for which she was so
anxious, she abandons all the pretty
articles by which she gained the heart
of her husband. If she dresses we'll, it
| ia to please the world outside. Her
amiability, her smiles, her cheerfulness
are reserved for out door use, or else for
delectation of her guests. IF this be
not a pleasing picture, the portrait OF
the husband which truth compels us to
draw is still less attractive. Marriage
certainly works change in him. The
respectful almost religious, Difference
with which he was wont to treat the
slightest wish of his afiianced is replac.
ed by a brusguerie which, if it does


not amount to positive rudeness, as is
often the case. approaches very nearly


to it. Instead of finding pleasure in


the society of his wife, he seems smit-


ten with ennus every minute he is in


her presence. All his amusements


are to be had out of his own house.
Thus Indifference takes the place OF


love on both sides, and happy, indeed


are they whose mutual repulsion goes no


further, and who can wear their lives


away in passive tolerance OF each others


failings Such is, in too many instan-


ces, the history of married couples.
It recalls to our mind the aphorism of
poor Lolo Montez, who, with all her
faults, desired earnstly to effect q re-
formation in our social fabric. 1t


is strange to me that men and women
take so much pains to get married, and
afterwards so little trouble to remain
SO. - Chronicle.