hope in the course of a few months to have the pleasure of intro-
ducing to you as your daughter-in-law, which is a matter of some in-
terest to the poor girl, who has neither father nor mother in the world.

" I have not ' played the fool and married an Ethiop for the jewel
in her ear.' ^* I looked only for goodness of heart, an ingenuous and
affectionate disposition, a good understanding, etc., and the character
of my wife is too frank and single-hearted to suffer me to fear that I
may be disappointed. I do myself wrong ; I did not look for these
nor any other qualities, but they trapped me before I was aware, and
now I am married in spite of myself.

"Thus the current of destiny carries us all along. None but a
madman would swim against the stream, and none but a fool would
exert himself to swim with it. The best way is to float quietly with
the tide. So much for philosophy—now to business....

" Your affectionate son,

WILLIAM."

When this singular epistle, in which his pride seems to be
awkwardly seeking excuses for a humiliating surrender, reached
the good mother, she is said to have exclaimed : " He make a
fool of himself ! He never has done so yet, and couldn't if he
tried."

A few months after his marriage, Mr. Bryant was surprised
by a communication from the Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa
Society of Harvard College, Mr. W. J. Spooner, requesting
him, " by a unanimous vote of the fraternity," to deliver the
usual poetical address at the next Commencement. At first
he shrank from the task, but at length consented to under-
take it, although with many misgivings and doubts. In his
answer to Mr. Spooner, April 26th, he said:

" SIR : The honor thus conferred upon me is as unlooked for as it
is flattering; I did not even know that I was a member of your soci-
ety till I was informed of it by your letter. I have concluded to ac-
cept the appointment, and discharge myself of it as well as I can.

" I have never attended an anniversary of the Phi Beta Kappa So-

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