The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-09-22 00:00:00

COBBETT'S YOUNG MARRIAGE DAYS.

I began my young marriage days in and near Philadelphia.
At one of those times to which I have just alluded, in the mid-
dle of the burning hot month of July, I was greatly afraid of
fatal consequences to my wife for want of sleep, she not having,
after the great danger was over, had any sleep for more than
forty-eight hours. All great cities in hot countries are, I be-
lieve, full of dogs; and they, in the vet), hot weather, keep up
during the night a horrible barking, and fighting, and howling.
Upon the particular occasion to which 1 am adverting they made
a noise so terrible and so unremitted that it was next to impos-
sible that even a person in full health and free from pain should
obtain a minute's sleep. I was, about nine in the evening,
sitting by the bed. "I do think," said she, " that I could go to
sleep now, if it were not for the dogs." Dovvn stair's I went,
and out I sallied, in my shirt and trousers, and without shoes
and stockings, and going to a heap of stones lying beside the
toad, set upon the dogs, going backward and forward, and keep-
ing them at two or threes hundred yards' distance from the house.
I walked thus the whole night, barefooted, lest the noise of my
shoes might possibly reach her ears; and I remember that the
bricks of the causeway were, even in the night, so hot as to be
disagreeable to my feet. My exertions produced the desired
effect; a sleep of•several hours was the consequence; and, at
eight o'clock in the minting, off went I to a day's business,
which was to end at six in the evening. Women are all patriots
of the soil; and, when her neighbours used to ask my wife
whether all English husbands were like her's, she boldly an-
swered in the affirmative.. i had business to occupy the whole
of my time, Sundays and week days, except sleeping hours; but
1 used to make time to assist her in the taking care of her baby,
and in all sorts of things; get up, light her fire, boil her tea-
kettle, carry her warm water in cold weather, take the child
while she 'dressed herself and got the breakfast ready, then
breakfast, get her in water and wood for the day, then dress my-
self neatly, and sally forth to my business. The moment that
was over I used to hasten back to her again ; and I no more
thought of speeding a moment away from her, unless business
compelled me, than I thought of quitting the country and going
to sea. The thunder and lightning are tremendous in America,
compared with what they are in England. My wife was, at one
time, very much afraid of thunder and lightning; and, as is the
feeling of all such women, and, indeed, all men too, she wanted„
company; and particularly her husband, in those times of dan-
ger.. I knew well, of course, that my presence would not di-
minish the danger; but, be I at what I might, if within reach
of home. I used to quit my business and hasten to her, the mo-
ment I perceived a thunderstorm approaching. Scores of miles
have I, firstand last, run on this errand in the streets of Phila=
delphia! The Frenchmen who were my scholars used to laugh
at me exceedingly on this account; and sometimes, when 1 was
making an appointment with them, they would say, with a smile
and a bow, "Snare la tonneie tovjours, Monsieur Cobbett." I
never dangled about the heels of my wife; seldom, very seldom,
if ever, walked out, as it is called, with her; I never "went
a-walking" in the whole course of my life ; never went to walk
without having some object in view; and, as I never could walk
at a slow pace, it would have been bard work for her to keep up
with ine.—Advice to },'puny Men.