"Why, then, do you know how true happiness may be found?' "To be sure I du, Peter."
"How?"
"By marriage, Peter, an' 'ard work!--an' they allus goes
together."
"Marriage!" said I.
"Marriage as ever was, Peter."
"There I don't agree with you," said I.
"That," retorted the Ancient, stabbing at me with his pipe-stem,
"that's because you never was married, Peter."
"Marriage!" said I; "marriage brings care, and great
responsibility, and trouble for one's self means trouble for
others."
"What o' that?" exclaimed the Ancient. "'Tis care and 'sponsibility
as mak' the man, an' if you marry a good wife she'll share the
burden wi' ye, an' ye'll find what seemed your troubles is a blessin'
arter all. When sorrer comes, 'tis a sweet thing--oh! a very sweet
thing--to 'ave a woman to comfort ye an' 'old your 'and in the dark
hour--an' theer's no sympathy so tender as a woman's, Peter. Then,
when ye be old, like me, an' full o' years 'tis a fine thing to 'ave
a son o' your own--like Simon an' a granddarter--like my Prue--'tis
worth 'aving lived for, Peter, ay, well worth it. It's a man's
dooty to marry, Peter, 'is dooty to 'isself an' the world. Don't
the Bible say summat about it not bein' good for a man to live
alone? Every man as is a man should marry the sooner the better."
"But," said I, "to every happy marriage there are scores of
miserable ones."
"'Cause why, Peter? 'Cause people is in too much o' a hurry to
marry, as a rule. If a man marries a lass arter knowin' 'er a
week--'ow is 'e goin' to know if she'll suit 'im all 'is days?
Nohow, Peter, it aren't natral--woman tak's a lot o' knowin'.
'Marry in 'aste, an' repent in leisure!' That aren't in the
Bible, but it ought to be."
"And your own marriage was a truly happy one, Ancient?"
"Ah! that it were, Peter, 'appy as ever was--but then, ye see,
there was a Providence in it. I were a fine young chap in them
days, summat o' your figure only bigger--ah! a sight bigger--an'
I were sweet on several lassies, an' won't say as they wer'n't
sweet on me--three on 'em most especially so. One was a tall,
bouncin' wench wi' blue eyes, an' golden 'air--like sunshine it
were, but it wer'n't meant as I should buckle up wi' 'er."