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THE EVENING BEFORE MARRIAGE. 253 
" The former half of the means, then : In the 
first solitary hour after the ceremony, take thy 
bridegroom, and demand a solemn- vow of him, 
and give him a solemn vow in return. Promise 
one another, sacredly, never, not even in mere jest, 
to wrangle with each other ; never to bandy words, 
or indulge in the least ill humor. Never! I say, 
never. Wrangling, even in jest, and putting on 
an air of ill humor merely to tease, becomes ear- 
nest by practice. Mark that ! Next promise each 
other, sincerely and solemnly, never to have a se- 
cret from each other, under whatever pretext, with 
whatever excuse it may be. You must, continu- 
ally and every moment, see clearly into each 
other's bosom. Even when one of you has com- 
mitted a fault, wait not an instant, but confess it 
freely ; let it cost tears, but confess it. And as 
you keep nothing secret from each other, so, on the 
contrary, preserve the privacies of your house, 
marriage state and heart, from father, mother, 
sister, brother, aunt, and all the world. You two, 
with God's help, build your own quiet world. 
Every third or fourth one whom you draw into it 
with you will form a party, and stand between 
you two. That should never be. Promise this 
to each other. Renew the vow at every tempta- 
tion. You will find your account in it. Your 
souls will grow, as it were, together, and at last 
will become as one. Ah, if many a young pair 
had on their wedding day known this pimple 
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