Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1849-12-06

I Of his nature the warmth AID light OF do
nestle affection ? Ply, reverence, graft.
tude, and womanly ienderness-hPr fervid
imagination and The sympaIhies OF deep
ly religious nature-Combned 10 tp1uence
her decision. Disparity of age and condi-
ton rendered it improbable that Bax'er
would never venture to address her IN any
other capacity than that Of friend aud
teacher and il was left to herself TO give
The: 6sSL j0tfmaIioa Of the possibility Of a
mole intimate relation.
il is easy 10 imagine with what mixed
feelings of joy, surprise and perpexiiy,
Baxter must have received the delicate
avowal. There was much in the. circunl-
stances Of the case To justify doubt, mis-
giving and close searching Of heart. He
must have felt the painful conlras, which
that fair girl in the bloom OF her youth pre-
scented 10 the worn man Of middle years,
whose very breath was suffering, and over
whom death seemed always impending
Keenlv conscious of his iDfImltieS OF tenn
per, he mast have feared for the happiness
of a loving, gentl. being, daily exposed TO
their ma nifeslatonS. From his we'll known
habit Of consulting what he regarded as-the
Divine Will in every important step Of his
life, there can he no doubt that his decision
was the result quite as much Of prayerfut
and patient consideration of duty, as of the
promptngS of his heart. Richard Baxter
was no impassi0na'e Abelard, his pupil in
the school of his severe and self-denying pi-
ETY. was no Heloise but what their union
lacked in romantic interest was compensa,
ted by its purity and disintercstedness, and
its sanction by all that can hallow human
passion, and harmonic the love of tine Gre
ated with the love and service VI the Crea-
tor. ...s....
AS was natural, the wits of the Court had
their jokes upon this singular marriage sand
some of his best friends regretted it, when
they called to mind what he had written in
favor of ministerial celibacy.at time when,
| as he says, he thought to live and die a
| bachelor" But Baxter had no reason to
regret the inconsistency of his precepts and
example. How much of the happiness OF
the next twenty yeers of his life resulted
! from his union with kind and aiectlonate
woman. he has himself testified, in his sim.
pie and touching "Breviale of the life OF
the late Mrs. Baxter" Her affections were
so ardent, that her husband confesses his
fear that he was unable to make an adequate
return, and that she must have been disap~'
pointed in him fn consequence. He extolS
her pleasant conversation, her active benev~
olence, her disposition to aid him in all his
labors, and her lorgetfulness of self, in min
lstering to his comfort 10 sickness and inn
prisonment. "She was the meeteSt helper
could have had in the world" is his lam
guage. "Ef spoke harshIy or sharply, it
offended her. If I carried it Gas am apt)
with too much negligence of ceremony or
humble compliment to any, she would mod
estly tell ME OF it. IF my looks seemed not
pleasant, she would have me amend them,
(Which my weak, panied state of body in
disposed me 10 do.") He admits she had
her failings, but taken as whole, the" Bre-
viate" is an exalted eulogy.