character-第81章

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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　wife；　said　br