Vintage Marriage Advice

With what is now known as the "wedding season" upon us, I thought it might be fun to share some vintage marriage advice. I have a group I belong to (FabricinAlteredArt) where we are in the process of doing an "altered recipe card" exchange. I took the vintage marriage advice I will share with you here and created my recipe card -- "Recipe for Wedded Bliss." I have posted the picture here, front and back.

The advice comes from my 1883 book, Our Home. I'd love to see your comments on how applicable or not you believe it is for today! --

"How to be a Good Husband:

• Honor your wife.


• Love your wife.


• Show your love.


• Suffer for your wife if need be.


• Study to keep her young.


• Consult her.


• Help her to bear her burdens.


• Be thoughtful of her always.


• Don't command, but suggest.


• Seek to refine your own nature.


• Be a gentleman as well as a husband.


• Remember the past experience of your wife.


• Level up to her character.


• Stay at home as much as possible.


• Take your wife with you often.


• Study her interests.

How to be a Good Wife:

• Reverence your husband.


• Love him.


• Forsake all for him.


• Confide in him.


• Keep his love.


• Cultivate the modesty and delicacy of youth.


• Cultivate personal attractiveness.


• If you read nothing and make no effort to be intelligent, you will soon sink into a dull block of stupidity.


• Make your home attractive.


• Preserve sunshine.


• Studyyour husband's character and cultivate his better nature.


• Study his interests.


• Practice frugality."