mplacently and admiringly, rested upon them, begin to
wander.--Love, if it ever existed, rapidly abates; one or both regret
precipitation;--glaring defects stand out in bold relief, in place of
the perfections which the imagination had painted." She, who does not
regard another as at least her equal in talent and education, can hardly
entertain for him that respect, which is the basis of all true love. Not
only should there be a moral and religious, but also an intellectual,
sympathy between husband and wife. Else, how can they enjoy the society
and conversation of each other, in those numberless hours, when they are
sole companions? What a burden to a lady of cultivated mind, must be the
society of one, who takes no pleasure in a book, and can appreciate only
the gossip of the day, or outward gratifications.

The mortification too, of being linked to stupidity, or ignorance, for
life, of feeling always anxious, when in company, lest your companion
utter the follies he does at your fireside, must be insupportable. If
you have a husband, whom you cannot trust as a man of common sense at
least, woe is your lot.

Nor is it unreasonable to require in your partner, refined Taste, and
delicate feelings. There may be valuable traits, and still this be
wanting. A friend of mine married an individual, whom she respected for
his talents, and Christian character. But he was still destitute of
acute perceptions and deep sensibility. There was a coarseness in his
nature, which made him blind to her feelings, and a vulgarity of habit
and speech, which to her was completely disgusting. He did not intend
any harm, but was still always offending her taste; and this simple
circumstance embittered her whole happiness, and hastened her, I
believe, out of this world. Opinions may differ; the grave may marry the
gay, and the silent, the loquacious; the irritable may seek the calm;
the bold, the modest; and the impassioned, the gentle. This occurs,
indeed, according to the analogy of the physical world, where attraction
takes place between different bodies, as between the opposite poles of
magnets, &c. But it is not so in matters of taste, certainly not, so far
as refinement and coarseness are concerned.

Good Health is a point of no ordinary moment. It is needful for the
discharge of our duties; and she can hardly be justified, who allies
herself to one evidently incapable, for his physical debility, of
sustaining a family. A person afflic