University of Virginia Library

Permanent affection

Kindred tastes, motives, and aspirations are necessary to the formation of a happy and permanent companion- ship. The beautiful in character is also the good, welding indissolubly the links of affec- tion. A mother's affection cannot be weaned from her child, because the mother-love includes purity and con- stancy, both of which are immortal. Therefore maternal affection lives on under whatever difficulties.

From the logic of events we learn that selfishness and impurity alone are fleeting, and that wisdom will ultimately put asunder what she hath not joined together.