saw　him；　and　stammered　out　my　thanks　to　him；　from　this　time　forth
  our　souls　were　one。〃　　They　were　betrothed　long　before　their　means
  would　permit　them　to　marry；　but　at　length　they　were　united。　　〃We
  were　married；〃　says　Caroline；　the　wife；　〃by　the　rose…light　of　a
  beautiful　evening。　　We　were　one　heart；　one　soul。〃　　Herder　was
  equally　ecstatic　in　his　language。　　〃I　have　a　wife；〃　he　wrote
  to　Jacobi；　〃that　is　the　tree；　the　consolation；　and　the　happiness
  of　my　life。　　Even　in　flying　transient　thoughts　（which　often
  surprise　us）；　we　are　one！〃
  Take；　again；　the　case　of　Fichte；　in　whose　history　his　courtship
  and　marriage　form　a　beautiful　episode。　　He　was　a　poor　German
  student；　living　with　a　family　at　Zurich　in　the　capacity　of　tutor；
  when　he　first　made　the　acquaintance　of　Johanna　Maria　Hahn；　a　niece
  of　Klopstock。　　Her　position　in　life　was　higher　than　that　of
  Fichte；　nevertheless；　she　regarded　him　with　sincere　admiration。
  When　Fichte　was　about　to　leave　Zurich；　his　troth　plighted　to　her；
  she；　knowing　him　to　be　very　poor；　offered　him　a　gift　of　money
  before　setting　out。　　He　was　inexpressibly　hurt　by　the　offer；　and；
  at　first；　even　doubted　whether　she　could　really　love　him；　but；　on
  second　thoughts；　he　wrote　to　her；　expressing　his　deep　thanks；　but；
  at　the　same　time；　the　impossibility　of　his　accepting　such　a　gift
  from　her。　　He　succeeded　in　reaching　his　destination；　though
  entirely　destitute　of　means。　　After　a　long　and　hard　struggle　with
  the　world；　extending　over　many　years；　Fichte　was　at　length　earning
  money　enough　to　enable　him　to　marry。　　In　one　of　his　charming
  letters　to　his　betrothed　he　said：〃And　so；　dearest；　I　solemnly
  devote　myself　to　thee；　and　thank　thee　that　thou　hast　thought　me
  not　unworthy　to　be　thy　companion　on　the　journey　of　life。。。。　　There
  is　no　land　of　happiness　here　belowI　know　it　nowbut　a　land　of
  toil；　where　every　joy　but　strengthens　us　for　greater　labour。
  Hand…in…hand　we　shall　traverse　it；　and　encourage　and　strengthen
  each　other；　until　our　spiritsoh；　may　it　be　together！shall
  rise　to　the　eternal　fountain　of　all　peace。〃
  The　married　life　of　Fichte　was　very　happy。　　His　wife　proved　a　true
  and　highminded　helpmate。　　During　the　War　of　Liberation　she　was
  assiduous　in　her　attention　to　the　wounded　in　the　hospitals；　where
  she　caught　a　malignant　fever；　which　nearly　carried　her　off。
  Fichte　himself　caught　the　same　disease；　and　was　for　a　time
  completely　prostrated；　but　he　lived　for　a　few　more　years　and　died
  at　the　early　age　of　fifty…two；　consumed　by　his　own　fire。
  What　a　contrast　does　the　courtship　and　married　life　of　the　blunt
  and　practical　William　Cobbett　present　to　the　aesthetical　and
  sentimental　love　of　these　highly　refined　Germans！　　Not　less
  honest；　not　less　true；　but；　as　some　would　think；　comparatively
  coarse　and　vulgar。　　When　he　first　set　eyes　upon　the　girl　that　was
  afterwards　to　become　his　wife；　she　was　only　thirteen　years　old；
  and　he　was　twenty…onea　sergeant…major　in　a　foot　regiment
  stationed　at　St。　John's　in　New　Brunswick。　　He　was　passing　the
  door　of　her　father's　house　one　day　in　winter；　and　saw　the　girl
  out　in　the　snow；　scrubbing　a　washing…tub。　　He　said　at　once　to
  himself；　〃That's　the　girl　for　me。〃　　He　made　her　acquaintance；
  and　resolved　that　she　should　be　his　wife　so　soon　as　he　could
  get　discharged　from　the　army。
  On　the　eve　of　the　girl's　return　to　Woolwich　with　her　father；　who
  was　a　sergeant…major　in　the　artillery；　Cobbett　sent　her　a　hundred
  and　fifty　guineas　which　he　had　saved；　in　order　that　she　might　be
  able　to　live　without　hard　work　until　his　return　to　England。　　The
  girl　departed；　taking　with　her　the　money；　and　five　years　later
  Cobbett　obtained　his　discharge。　　On　reaching　London；　he　made　haste
  to　call　upon　the　sergeant…major's　daughter。　　〃I　found；〃　he　says；
  〃my　little　girl　a　servant…of…all…work　（and　hard　work　it　was）；　at
  five　pounds　a　year；　in　the　house　of　a　Captain　Brisac；　and；　without
  hardly　saying　a　word　about　the　matter；　she　put　into　my　hands　the
  whole　of　my　hundred　and　fifty　guineas；　unbroken。〃　　Admiration　of
  her　conduct　was　now　added　to　love　of　her　person；　and　Cobbett
  shortly　after　married　the　girl；　who　proved　an　excellent　wife。　　He
  was；　indeed；　never　tired　of　speaking　her　praises；　and　it　was　his
  pride　to　attribute　to　her　all　the　comfort　and　much　of　the　success
  of　his　after…life。
  Though　Cobbett　was　regarded　by　many　in　his　lifetime　as　a　coarse；
  hard；　practical　man；　full　of　prejudices；　there　was　yet　a　strong
  undercurrent　of　poetry　in　his　nature；　and；　while　he　declaimed
  against　sentiment；　there　were　few　men　more　thoroughly　imbued　with
  sentiment　of　the　best　kind。　　He　had　the　tenderest　regard　for　the
  character　of　woman。　　He　respected　her　purity　and　her　virtue；　and
  in　his　'Advice　to　Young　Men；'　he　has　painted　the　true　womanly
  womanthe　helpful；　cheerful；　affectionate　wifewith　a
  vividness　and　brightness；　and；　at　the　same　time；　a　force　of　good
  sense；　that　has　never　been　surpassed　by　any　English　writer。
  Cobbett　was　anything　but　refined；　in　the　conventional　sense　of　the
  word；　but　he　was　pure；　temperate；　self…denying；　industrious；
  vigorous；　and　energetic；　in　an　eminent　degree。　　Many　of　his　views
  were；　no　doubt；　wrong；　but　they　were　his　own；　for　he　insisted　on
  thinking　for　himself　in　everything。　　Though　few　men　took　a　firmer
  grasp　of　the　real　than　he　did；　perhaps　still　fewer　were　more
  swayed　by　the　ideal。　　In　word…pictures　of　his　own　emotions；　he　is
  unsurpassed。　　Indeed；　Cobbett　might　almost　be　regarded　as　one　of
  the　greatest　prose　poets　of　English　real　life。
  NOTES
  （1）　Mungo　Park　declared　that　he　was　more　affected　by　this　incident
  than　by　any　other　that　befel　him　in　the　course　of　his　travels。　　As
  he　lay　down　to　sleep　on　the　mat　spread　for　him　on　the　floor　of　the
  hut；　his　benefactress　called　to　the　female　part　of　the　family　to
  resume　their　task　of　spinning　cotton；　in　which　they　continued
  employed　far　into　the　night。　　〃They　lightened　their　labour　with
  songs；〃　says　the　traveller；　〃one　of　which　was　composed　extempore；
  for　I　was　myself　the　subject　of　it；　it　was　sung　by　one　of　the
  young　women；　the　rest　joining　in　a　chorus。　　The　air　was　sweet　and
  plaintive；　and　the　words；　literally　translated；　were　these：　'The
  winds　roared；　and　the　rains　fell。　　The　poor　white　man；　faint　and
  weary；　came　and　sat　under　our　tree。　　He　has　no　mother　to　bring　him
  milk；　no　wife　to　grind　his　corn。'　Chorus'Let　us　pity　the　white
  man；　no　mother　has　he！'　　Trifling　as　this　recital　may　appear；　to　a
  person　in　my　situation　the　circumstance　was　affecting　in　the
  highest　degree。　　I　was　so　oppressed　by　such　unexpected　kindness；
  that　sleep　fled　before　my　eyes。〃
  （2）'Transformation；　or　Monte　Beni。'
  （3）　'Portraits　Contemporains；'　iii。　519。
  （4）　Mr。　Arthur　Helps；　in　one　of　his　Essays；　has　wisely　said：　〃You
  observe　a　man　becoming　day　by　day　richer；　or　advancing　in　station；
  or　increasing　in　professional　reputation；　and　you　set　him　down　as
  a　successful　man　in　life。　　But　if　his　home　is　an　ill…regulated
  one；　where　no　links　of　affection　extend　throughout　the　family
  whose　former　domestics　（and　he　has　had　more　of　them　than　he　can
  well　remember）　look　back　upon　their　sojourn　with　him　as　one
  unblessed　by　kind　words　or　deedsI　contend　that　that　man　has　not
  been　successful。　　Whatever　good　fortune　he　may　have　in　the　world；
  it　is　to　be　remembered　that　he　has　always　left　one　important
  fortress　untaken　behind　him。　　That　man's　life　does　not　surely　read
  well　whose　benevolence　has　found　no　central　home。　　It　may　have
  sent　forth　rays　in　various　directions；　but　there　should　have　been
  a　warm　focus　of　lovethat　home…nest　which　is　formed　round　a　good
  mans　heart。〃CLAIMS　OF　LABOUR。
  （5）　〃The　red　heart　sends　all　its　instincts　up　to　the　white　brain；　to
  be　analysed；　chilled；　blanched；　and　so　become　pure　reasonwhich
  is　just　exactly　what　we　do　NOT　want　of　women　as　women。　　The
  current　should　run　the　other　way。　　The　nice；　calm；　cold　thought；
  which；　in　women；　shapes　itself　so　rapidly　that　they　hardly　know　it
  as　thought；　should　always　travel　to　the　lips　VIA　the　heart。
  It　does　so　in　those　women　whom　all　love　and　admire。。。。
  The　brain…women　never　interest　us　like　the　heart…women；
  white　roses　please　less　than　red。〃THE　PROFESSOR　AT　THE
  BREAKFAST　TABLE；　by　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes。
  （6）　'The　War　and　General　Culture；'　1871。
  （7）　〃Depend　upon　it；　men　set　more　value　on　the　cultivated　minds　than
  on　the　accomplishments　of　women；　which　they　are　rarely　able　to
  appreciate。　　It　is　a　common　error；　but　it　is　an　error；　that
  literature　unfits　women　for　the　everyday　business　of　life。　　It　is
  not　so　with　men。　　You　see　those　of　the　most　cultivated　minds
  constantly　devoting　their　time　and　attention　to　the　most　homely
  objects。　　Literature　gives　women　a　real　and　proper　weight　in
  society；　but　then　they　must　use　it　with　discretion。〃
  THE　REV。　SYDNEY　SMITH。
  （8）　'The　Statesman；'　pp。　73…75。
  （9）　Fuller；　the　Church　historian；　with　his　usual　homely　mother…wit；
  speaking　of　the　choice　of　a　w