MATRIMONIAL GEIEF.

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everything in common, but thouglit in common ; andwhere, instead of individual or selfish interests, there liadgrown to be, through love, one common good.

These, however, it must in truth be added, are but ex-ceptional cases, and what we have stated above refers, \verepeat, to the general tone of society rather than to individualexamples. In Coblenz we knew among the townsmen onewho had been thrice married, and when he was questionedas to bis inducement for entering so often into the matrimonialState, he was candid enough to confess that, being a teacherof music as well as the keeper of a music-shop, he requiredsome one, whom he could trust, to attend to "the business"during his absence from home, and therefore had weddedthree wives, or rather three shop-women.

Nor is this merely an isolated case: on the contrary, itis by no means uncommon for a widower in Coblenz, if hehave many children, to commence looking for a second"marriage partner" as soon as the funeral ceremonies inconnexion with his first are completed.

When we were first infonned of this fact we exclaimed,as you, doubtlessly, do, English reader—"Surely it cannotbe true!" " And why not ?" inquired our simple Germaninformant, by way of reply. " What is the poor man todo? He must a servant have his 'Kinder'' to look after.Oh, no, we do not nothing of it here think. I wouldthe same myself do if my fran was to die to-morrow."

Now surely there can be little feeling in a nation whereit is customary (rather than extraordinary or unnatural) fora man to marry within a month after the death of his formerwife — before, indeed, he has accustomed his mind to theterrible absence of his "marriage partner" from tho house— before the poor creature's funeral knell can be well out