The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-14

great consolation for the lawyer that car
practice, the young politician who cannot
get seat, and the young writer who has
his articles rejected. They can take it out
in their love letters. am sorry for any
eminent man who has to engage in this
description of correspondence. According
to the old joke the lawyer might tie up
his letters with red tape, and the physician
may make muddle in his prescription.
Love letters must take it out of a man,
and, in point of fact, love making requires
an amount of time and concentration OF
purpose that can be i'll spared from profess
sional pursuits. Eminence generally means
effort. and man in full work cannot afford
time for such ludibrid lunce. They form
the glorious privilege of leisure and OF
youth.
Among the more remarkable love letters
is the celebrated volume of 'sFoster's Es-
says" We believe that all these remarka-
BILE essays were originally love letters writ
ten to the lady to whom he was engaged.
Mr.. Macdonald makes one of his novels
simply autobiographical; love letters writ
ten by a man to vindicate his character in
the eyes of the woman he loved. Literary
men are not always so voluminous in this
description Of epistle. We once detected
very able reviewer in the weakness of
writing love letter. "Ill not detain you
long," he observed; 81 never give the
woman more than short notice. The
young reviewer ought to have written his
letter year Or two before; he had now too
much work on hand. There is a glorious
old poet, Thomson, the author of the
"Seasons," who shows a sad CLEAN of
romance in his verses to Amanda. He
knew he was too poor to marry her-and
she was soon to marry away from him
and so he frittered away his life sauntering
about and lying abed. Yet for a poet he
had wonderfully sensible ideas Of matri-
mony. When his sister was engaged he
wrote to her, 81 must chiefly recommend
to you to cultivate by every method that
union of hearts, that agreement and SYM
pathy of tempers, in which consists the
true happiness of the marriage state. The
economy and gentle management of fam
lily is woman natural province, and from
that arises her best praise"
Rousseau's saying was true one, that
to write good love letter you ought
to begin without knowing what you mean
to say, and finish without knowing what
you have written, This is certainly very
much the way of love letters in general, if
we may Judge them from the proceedings
of the Nisi Prius courts. The love letters
of the men and women of genius, consid-
cred as compositions, are generally the
best. AS a rule, men of genius write
much better letters than they receive
The man of genius generally exalts some
woman into divinity, and the creature of
his imagination whom he marries turns out
to be very human indeed.
Hence the wives of literary men are not,
as rule, very interesting people. We
have heard people laugh at Lady Scott
because she said that she must get Sir
Walter to write some more of his rubbish
to get new carpet. Yet his Charlotte
sent more exquisite love letters to Sir
Walter than any which the great novelist
has produced in his novels. Was there
ever more graceful love letter than this
about fixing the day? 1 quote it, as
owe some amends to the wives of literary
men.
"If l could but really believe that my
letter gave you only half the pleasure you
express, should almost think, my dearest
Scott, that | should get very fond of writ
ing, merely for the pleasure to indulge you
that is saying great deal. l hope you
are sensible of the compliment pay you;
l don't expect l shall always be so pretty
behaved. You may depend on me, my
dear friend, for fixing as early a day as |
possibly can; and if 1t happens to be not
quite as soon as you wish, you must not be
angry with me. 1t is very unlucky you
are such a bad house keeper, as l am no
better. shall try. hope to have very
soon the pleasure of seeing you, and to tell
you how much l love you; but wish the
first fortnight was over. With all my
love, and those sort of pretty things,
adieu CHARLOTTE.
"P. S. Etudiez rotre Francois. Re-
member. you are to teach me Italian in
return, but l shall be but stupid scholar.
Aimez Charlotte"
Let US take glance at the love letters of
some men eminent in the professions.
And first of all of our divines. Chalmers
says, In his diary, just before he was mar
ried, Diminishing all anticipations OF
Heaven upon earth, may l betake myself
soberly and determinedly to the duties OF
married state" We hope the good wife
felt flattered by this expression of Chris.
tan resignation. He was very different tc
I.another Scotch divine of almost equal emf.
nence, who, during his honeymoon, so fal
anticipated events as to date his letters
| from "Heaven.' The love letters OF
Whitefield are curious. He said in them
that if he knew himself he was quite free
from the giddy passion which the world
calls love. These eminent theologians
we're not at all unlike Racine. He married
because his confessor recommended him te
marry, and thought that, in this way, ht
would best overcome his unfortunate pro
civity for making verses. when he was
resolved to marry" says his son, "neithel
love nor interest had anything to do will
his choice; and in SO serious an affair he
consulted reason only" His wife did no
know the difference between poetry anc
prose, and never read line of her hus
bands tragedies. except, perhaps, thu
titles. One of the briefest theological love
stories relates to the marriage of Rober
Hail. lie made up his mind that he would
marry his servant So he went into thu
kitchen, and said, Betty, do you love the
Lord ~ Eyes, SIR said Betty. "Betty
do you love me ?" he next asked. O"
hope So MASTER" she answered; and the!
! were happily married.