sketches of young couples-第11部分

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young　thing　too　delicate　for　earth　…　her　loss　was　hard　indeed　to

bear。　　The　third；　a　man。　　That　was　the　worst　of　all；　but　even　that

grief　is　softened　now。



It　seems　but　yesterday　…　and　yet　how　the　gay　and　laughing　faces　of

that　bright　morning　have　changed　and　vanished　from　above　ground！

Faint　likenesses　of　some　remain　about　them　yet；　but　they　are　very

faint　and　scarcely　to　be　traced。　　The　rest　are　only　seen　in　dreams；

and　even　they　are　unlike　what　they　were；　in　eyes　so　old　and　dim。



One　or　two　dresses　from　the　bridal　wardrobe　are　yet　preserved。

They　are　of　a　quaint　and　antique　fashion；　and　seldom　seen　except　in

pictures。　　White　has　turned　yellow；　and　brighter　hues　have　faded。

Do　you　wonder；　child？　　The　wrinkled　face　was　once　as　smooth　as

yours；　the　eyes　as　bright；　the　shrivelled　skin　as　fair　and

delicate。　　It　is　the　work　of　hands　that　have　been　dust　these　many

years。



Where　are　the　fairy　lovers　of　that　happy　day　whose　annual　return

comes　upon　the　old　man　and　his　wife；　like　the　echo　of　some　village

bell　which　has　long　been　silent？　　Let　yonder　peevish　bachelor；

racked　by　rheumatic　pains；　and　quarrelling　with　the　world；　let　him

answer　to　the　question。　　He　recollects　something　of　a　favourite

playmate；　her　name　was　Lucy　…　so　they　tell　him。　　He　is　not　sure

whether　she　was　married；　or　went　abroad；　or　died。　　It　is　a　long

while　ago；　and　he　don't　remember。



Is　nothing　as　it　used　to　be；　does　no　one　feel；　or　think；　or　act；　as

in　days　of　yore？　　Yes。　　There　is　an　aged　woman　who　once　lived

servant　with　the　old　lady's　father；　and　is　sheltered　in　an　alms…

house　not　far　off。　　She　is　still　attached　to　the　family；　and　loves

them　all；　she　nursed　the　children　in　her　lap；　and　tended　in　their

sickness　those　who　are　no　more。　　Her　old　mistress　has　still

something　of　youth　in　her　eyes；　the　young　ladies　are　like　what　she

was　but　not　quite　so　handsome；　nor　are　the　gentlemen　as　stately　as

Mr。　Harvey　used　to　be。　　She　has　seen　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　her

husband　and　her　son　died　long　ago；　but　she　has　got　over　that；　and

is　happy　now　…　quite　happy。



If　ever　her　attachment　to　her　old　protectors　were　disturbed　by

fresher　cares　and　hopes；　it　has　long　since　resumed　its　former

current。　　It　has　filled　the　void　in　the　poor　creature's　heart；　and

replaced　the　love　of　kindred。　　Death　has　not　left　her　alone；　and

this；　with　a　roof　above　her　head；　and　a　warm　hearth　to　sit　by；

makes　her　cheerful　and　contented。　　Does　she　remember　the　marriage

of　great…grandmamma？　　Ay；　that　she　does；　as　well　…　as　if　it　was

only　yesterday。　　You　wouldn't　think　it　to　look　at　her　now；　and

perhaps　she　ought　not　to　say　so　of　herself；　but　she　was　as　smart　a

young　girl　then　as　you'd　wish　to　see。　　She　recollects　she　took　a

friend　of　hers　up…stairs　to　see　Miss　Emma　dressed　for　church；　her

name　was　…　ah！　she　forgets　the　name；　but　she　remembers　that　she　was

a　very　pretty　girl；　and　that　she　married　not　long　afterwards；　and

lived　…　it　has　quite　passed　out　of　her　mind　where　she　lived；　but

she　knows　she　had　a　bad　husband　who　used　her　ill；　and　that　she　died

in　Lambeth　work…house。　　Dear；　dear；　in　Lambeth　workhouse！



And　the　old　couple　…　have　they　no　comfort　or　enjoyment　of

existence？　　See　them　among　their　grandchildren　and　great…

grandchildren；　how　garrulous　they　are；　how　they　compare　one　with

another；　and　insist　on　likenesses　which　no　one　else　can　see；　how

gently　the　old　lady　lectures　the　girls　on　points　of　breeding　and

decorum；　and　points　the　moral　by　anecdotes　of　herself　in　her　young

days　…　how　the　old　gentleman　chuckles　over　boyish　feats　and　roguish

tricks；　and　tells　long　stories　of　a　'barring…out'　achieved　at　the

school　he　went　to：　　which　was　very　wrong；　he　tells　the　boys；　and

never　to　be　imitated　of　course；　but　which　he　cannot　help　letting

them　know　was　very　pleasant　too　…　especially　when　he　kissed　the

master's　niece。　　This　last；　however；　is　a　point　on　which　the　old

lady　is　very　tender；　for　she　considers　it　a　shocking　and　indelicate

thing　to　talk　about；　and　always　says　so　whenever　it　is　mentioned；

never　failing　to　observe　that　he　ought　to　be　very　penitent　for

having　been　so　sinful。　　So　the　old　gentleman　gets　no　further；　and

what　the　schoolmaster's　niece　said　afterwards　（which　he　is　always

going　to　tell）　is　lost　to　posterity。



The　old　gentleman　is　eighty　years　old；　to…day　…　'Eighty　years　old；

Crofts；　and　never　had　a　headache；'　he　tells　the　barber　who　shaves

him　（the　barber　being　a　young　fellow；　and　very　subject　to　that

complaint）。　　'That's　a　great　age；　Crofts；'　says　the　old　gentleman。

'I　don't　think　it's　sich　a　wery　great　age；　Sir；'　replied　the

barber。　　'Crofts；'　rejoins　the　old　gentleman；　'you're　talking

nonsense　to　me。　　Eighty　not　a　great　age？'　　'It's　a　wery　great　age；

Sir；　for　a　gentleman　to　be　as　healthy　and　active　as　you　are；'

returns　the　barber；　'but　my　grandfather；　Sir；　he　was　ninety…four。'

'You　don't　mean　that；　Crofts？'　says　the　old　gentleman。　　'I　do

indeed；　Sir；'　retorts　the　barber；　'and　as　wiggerous　as　Julius

Caesar；　my　grandfather　was。'　　The　old　gentleman　muses　a　little

time；　and　then　says；　'What　did　he　die　of；　Crofts？'　　'He　died

accidentally；　Sir；'　returns　the　barber；　'he　didn't　mean　to　do　it。

He　always　would　go　a　running　about　the　streets　…　walking　never

satisfied　HIS　spirit　…　and　he　run　against　a　post　and　died　of　a　hurt

in　his　chest。'　　The　old　gentleman　says　no　more　until　the　shaving　is

concluded；　and　then　he　gives　Crofts　half…a…crown　to　drink　his

health。　　He　is　a　little　doubtful　of　the　barber's　veracity

afterwards；　and　telling　the　anecdote　to　the　old　lady；　affects　to

make　very　light　of　it　…　though　to　be　sure　（he　adds）　there　was　old

Parr；　and　in　some　parts　of　England；　ninety…five　or　so　is　a　common

age；　quite　a　common　age。



This　morning　the　old　couple　are　cheerful　but　serious；　recalling　old

times　as　well　as　they　can　remember　them；　and　dwelling　upon　many

passages　in　their　past　lives　which　the　day　brings　to　mind。　　The　old

lady　reads　aloud；　in　a　tremulous　voice；　out　of　a　great　Bible；　and

the　old　gentleman　with　his　hand　to　his　ear；　listens　with　profound

respect。　　When　the　book　is　closed；　they　sit　silent　for　a　short

space；　and　afterwards　resume　their　conversation；　with　a　reference

perhaps　to　their　dead　children；　as　a　subject　not　unsuited　to　that

they　have　just　left。　　By　degrees　they　are　led　to　consider　which　of

those　who　survive　are　the　most　like　those　dearly…remembered

objects；　and　so　they　fall　into　a　less　solemn　strain；　and　become

cheerful　again。



How　many　people　in　all；　grandchildren；　great…grandchildren；　and　one

or　two　intimate　friends　of　the　family；　dine　together　to…day　at　the

eldest　son's　to　congratulate　the　old　couple；　and　wish　them　many

happy　returns；　is　a　calculation　beyond　our　powers；　but　this　we

know；　that　the　old　couple　no　sooner　present　themselves；　very

sprucely　and　carefully　attired；　than　there　is　a　violent　shouting

and　rushing　forward　of　the　younger　branches　with　all　manner　of

presents；　such　as　pocket…books；　pencil…cases；　pen…wipers；　watch…

papers；　pin…cushions；　sleeve…buckles；　worked…slippers；　watch…

guards；　and　even　a　nutmeg…grater：　　the　latter　article　being

presented　by　a　very　chubby　and　very　little　boy；　who　exhibits　it　in

great　triumph　as　an　extraordinary　variety。　　The　old　couple's

emotion　at　these　tokens　of　remembrance　occasions　quite　a　pathetic

scene；　of　which　the　chief　ingredients　are　a　vast　quantity　of

kissing　and　hugging；　and　repeated　wipings　of　small　eyes　and　noses

with　small　square　pocket…handkerchiefs；　which　don't　come　at　all

easily　out　of　small　pockets。　　Even　the　peevish　bachelor　is　moved；

and　he　says；　as　he　presents　the　old　gentleman　with　a　queer　sort　of

antique　ring　from　his　own　finger；　that　he'll　be　de'ed　if　he　doesn't

think　he　looks　younger　than　he　did　ten　years　ago。



But　the　great　time　is　after　dinner；　when　the　dessert　and　wine　are

on　the　table；　which　is　pushed　back　to　make　plenty　of　room；　and　they

are　all　gathered　in　a　large　circle　round　the　fire；　for　it　is　then　…

the　glasses　being　filled；　and　everybody　ready　to　drink　the　toast　…

that　two　great…grandchildren　rush　out　at　a　given　signal；　and

presently　return；　dragging　in　old　Jane　Adams　leaning　upon　her

crutched　stick；　and　trembling　with　age　and　pleasure。　　Who　so

popular　as　poor　old　Jane；　nurse　and　story…teller　in　ordinary　to　two

generations；　and　who　so　happy　as　she；　striving　to　bend　her　stiff

limbs　into　a　curtsey；　while　tears　of　pleasure　steal　down　her

withered　cheeks！



The　old　couple　sit　side　by　side；　and　the　old　time　seems　like

yesterday　indeed。　　Looking　back　upon　the　path　they　have　travelled；

its　dust　and　ashes　disappear；　the　flowers　that　withered　long　ago；

show　brightly　again　upon　its　borders；　and　they　grow　young　once　more

in　the　youth　of　those　about　them。







CONCLUSION







We　have　taken　for　the　subjects　of　the　foregoing　moral　essays；

twelve　samples　of　married　couples；　carefully　selected　from　a　large

stock　on　hand；　open　to　the　inspection　of　all　comers。　　These　samples

are　intended　for　the　benefit　of　the　rising　generation　of　both

sexes；　and；　for　their　more　easy　and　pleasant　information；　have　been

separately　ticketed　and　labelled　in　the　manner　they　have　seen。



We　have　purposely　excluded　from　consideration　the　couple　in　which

the　lady　reigns　paramount　and　supreme；　holding　such　cases　to　be　of

a　very　unnatural　kind；　and　like　hideous　births　and　other　monstrous

deformities；　only　to　be　discreetly　and　sparingly　exhibited。



And　here　our　self…imposed　task　would　have　ended；　but　that　to　those

young　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　are　yet　revolving　singly　round　the

church；　awaiting　the　advent　of　that　time　when　the　mysterious　laws

of　attraction　shall　draw　them　towards　it　in　couples；　we　are

desirous　of　addressing　a　few　last　words。



Before　marriage　and　afterwards；　let　them　learn　to　centre　all　their

hopes　of　real　and　lasting　happiness　in　their　own　fireside；　let　them

cherish　the　faith　that　in　home；　and　all　the　English　virtues　which