248 THE EVENING BEFORE MARRIAGE. 
THE EVENING BEFORE MARRIAGE. 
" We shall certainly be very happy together," 
said Louise to her aunt, on the evening before her 
marriage, and her cheeks glowed with a deeper 
red, and her eyes shone with delight. When a 
bride says we^ it may easily be guessed whom, of 
all persons in the world, she means thereby. 
" I do not doubt it, dear Louise," replied her 
aunt ; " see only that you continue happy together." 
" O, who can doubt that we shall continue so? 
I know myself. I have faults, indeed ; but my 
love for him will correct them. And so long as 
we love each other, we cannot be anhappy. Our 
love will never grow old." 
" Alas! " sighed her aunt, " thou dost speak like 
a maiden of nineteen, on the day before her mar- 
riage, in the intoxication of wishes fulfilled, of 
fair hopes and happy omens. Dear child, re- 
member this : even the heart in time groivs old. 
Days will come when the magic of the senses 
shall fade. And when this enchantment has fled, 
then it first becomes evident whether we are truly 
worthy of love. When custom has made familiar 
the charms that are most attractive, when youthful 
freshness has died away, and with the brightness 
of domestic life more and more shadows have 
mingled, then, Louise, and not till then, can the 
wife say of the husband, ' He is worthy of love ; * 
(g) @ 
