Among the bestial herds to range; by thee
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,

Relations dear, and all the charities

Of father, son, and brother first were known—

Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets!"

MILTON.

MARRIAGE.

Marriage is with us

"The holiest ordinance of God, whereon
The bliss or vale of human life depends-

Love must be won by love, and heart to heart
Link'd in mysterious sympathy, before

We pledge the marriage vow; and some there are,

Who hold, that, ere we enter into life,

Soul hath with soul been mated, each for each

Especially ordained"

SOUTHEY.

MARRIAGE VOWS.

The ring is on;

The "wilt thou" answer'd, and again

The "wilt thou" ask'd, till out of twain

The sweet "I will" has made ye one.

TENNYSON.

THE HOLY VOW.

The holy vow

"And ring of gold, no fond illusion now,
Bind her as his. Across the threshold led,
And every tear kiss'd off as soon as shed;
His house she enters, there to be a light
Shining within, when all without is night;
A guardian angel o'er his life presiding,
Doubling his pleasures, and his cares dividing!
How oft her eyes read his; her gentle mind
To all his wishes, all his thoughts inclined:
Still subject-ever on the watch to borrow
Mirth of his mirth, and sorrow of his sorrow.
The soul of music slumbers in the shell,

Till waked and kindled by the master spell;
And feeling hearts-touch them but rightly-pour
A thousand melodies unheard before-

ROGERS.

THE FIRST MARRIED PAIR.

"Adam, live and be happy, and, with thy Eve,
Fit consort, multiply and fill the earth.
Thus they, the representatives of men,

Were placed in Eden-choicest spot of earth

With royal honour and with glory crowned;
Adam, the lord of all, majestic walked,
With godlike countenance sublime, and form
Of lofty towering strength; and by his side
Eve, fair as morning star, with modesty
Arrayed, with virtue, grace, and perfect love:
In holy marriage wed, and eloquent

Of thought and comely words, to worship God
And sing his praise, the Giver of all good;
Glad, in each other glad, and glad in hope,
Rejoicing in their future happy race.

O lovely, happy, blest, immortal pair!
Pleased with the present, full of glorious hope;
But short, alas! the song that sings their bliss.
Henceforth the history of man grows dark;

Shade after shade of deepening gloom descends;
And innocence laments her robes defiled-

Who farther sings, must change the pleasant lyre

"Not for the summer-hour alone,

When skies resplendent shine,

And youth and pleasure fill the throne,
Our hearts and hands we join.

But for those stern and wintry days

Of peril, pain, and fear,

When heaven's wise discipline makes

This earthly journey drear.

Not for this span of life alone,
Which as a blast doth fly,

And, like the transient flower of grass,
Just blossom, droop, and die;

But for a being without end,

This vow of love we take :

Grant us, O God! one home at last,

For our Redeemer's sake."

L. H. SIGOURNEY.

OF MARRIAGE.

"Seek a good wife of thy God, for she is the best gift of his

providence ;

Yet ask not in bold confidence that which he hath not

promised:

Thou knowest not his good will-be thy prayer, then,

submissive thereunto;

And leave thy petition to his mercy, assured that he will

deal well with thee.

If thou art to have a wife of thy youth, she is now living

on the earth;

Therefore think of her, and pray for her weal; yea, though thou hast not seen her.

They that love early become like-minded, and the temper toucheth them not:

They grow up leaning on each other, as the olive and the

vine.

Youth longeth for a kindred spirit, and yearneth for a heart that can commune with his own;

He meditateth night and day, doting on the image of his

fancy.

Take heed that what charmeth thee is real, nor springeth of thine own imagination;

And suffer not trifles to win thy love, for a wife is thine unto

death.

The harp and the voice may thrill thee, and sound may enchant thine ear,

But consider thou, the hand will wither, and the sweet notes turn to discord:

The eye, so brilliant at even, may be red with sorrow in the

morning;

And the sylph-like form of elegance must writhe in the crampings of pain.