Theremainingletter，writtenbyreturnofpost，mustnowbegiven。
　　Ithasthemeritofbrevity。
　　“DearTheobald，——Ihavereceivedyours。Iamatalosstoconceiveitsmotive，butamveryclearastoitseffect。Youshallnotreceiveasinglesixpencefrommetillyoucometoyoursenses。
　　Shouldyoupersistinyourfollyandwickedness，IamhappytorememberthatIhaveyetotherchildrenwhoseconductIcandependupontobeasourceofcreditandhappinesstome——Youraffectionatebuttroubledfather，G。PONTIFEX。”
　　Idonotknowtheimmediatesequeltotheforegoingcorrespondence，butitallcameperfectlyrightintheend。EitherTheobald’sheartfailedhim，orheinterpretedtheoutwardshovewhichhisfathergavehim，astheinwardcallforwhichIhavenodoubtheprayedwithgreatearnestness——forhewasafirmbelieverintheefficacyofprayer。AndsoamIundercertaincircumstances。Tennysonhassaidthatmorethingsarewroughtbyprayerthanthisworlddreamsof，buthehaswiselyrefrainedfromsayingwhethertheyaregoodthingsorbadthings。Itmightperhapsbeaswelliftheworldweretodreamof，orevenbecomewideawaketo，someofthethingsthatarebeingwroughtbyprayer。Butthequestionisavowedlydifficult。IntheendTheobaldgothisfellowshipbyastrokeofluckverysoonaftertakinghisdegree，andwasordainedintheautumnofthesameyear，1825。
　　MrAllabywasrectorofCrampsford，avillageafewmilesfromCambridge。He，too，hadtakenagooddegree，hadgotafellowship，andinthecourseoftimehadacceptedacollegelivingofabout400
　　poundsayearandahouse。Hisprivateincomedidnotexceed200
　　poundsayear。Onresigninghisfellowshiphemarriedawomanagooddealyoungerthanhimselfwhoborehimelevenchildren，nineofwhom——twosonsandsevendaughters——wereliving。Thetwoeldestdaughtershadmarriedfairlywell，butatthetimeofwhichIamnowwritingtherewerestillfiveunmarried，ofagesvaryingbetweenthirtyandtwenty-two——andthesonswereneitherofthemyetofftheirfather’shands。ItwasplainthatifanythingweretohappentoMrAllabythefamilywouldbeleftpoorlyoff，andthismadebothMrandMrsAllabyasunhappyasitoughttohavemadethem。
　　Reader，didyoueverhaveanincomeatbestnonetoolarge，whichdiedwithyouallexcept200poundsayear？Didyoueveratthesametimehavetwosonswhomustbestartedinlifesomehow，andfivedaughtersstillunmarriedforwhomyouwouldonlybetoothankfultofindhusbands——ifyouknewhowtofindthem？Ifmoralityisthatwhich，onthewhole，bringsamanpeaceinhisdecliningyears——if，thatistosay，itisnotanutterswindle，canyouunderthesecircumstancesflatteryourselfthatyouhaveledamorallife？
　　Andthis，eventhoughyourwifehasbeensogoodawomanthatyouhavenotgrowntiredofher，andhasnotfallenintosuchill-healthaslowersyourownhealthinsympathy；andthoughyourfamilyhasgrownupvigorous，amiable，andblessedwithcommonsense。Iknowmanyoldmenandwomenwhoarereputedmoral，butwhoarelivingwithpartnerswhomtheyhavelongceasedtolove，orwhohaveuglydisagreeablemaidendaughtersforwhomtheyhaveneverbeenabletofindhusbands——daughterswhomtheyloatheandbywhomtheyareloathedinsecret，orsonswhosefollyorextravaganceisaperpetualwearandworrytothem。Isitmoralforamantohavebroughtsuchthingsuponhimself？SomeoneshoulddoformoralswhatthatoldPecksniffBaconhasobtainedthecreditofhavingdoneforscience。
　　ButtoreturntoMrandMrsAllaby。MrsAllabytalkedabouthavingmarriedtwoofherdaughtersasthoughithadbeentheeasiestthingintheworld。Shetalkedinthiswaybecausesheheardothermothersdoso，butinherheartofheartsshedidnotknowhowshehaddoneit，norindeed，ifithadbeenherdoingatall。Firsttherehadbeenayoungmaninconnectionwithwhomshehadtriedtopractisecertainmanoeuvreswhichshehadrehearsedinimaginationoverandoveragain，butwhichshefoundimpossibletoapplyinpractice。Thentherehadbeenweeksofawurrawurraofhopesandfearsandlittlestratagemswhichasoftenasnotprovedinjudicious，andthensomehoworotherintheend，therelaytheyoungmanboundandwithanarrowthroughhisheartatherdaughter’sfeet。Itseemedtohertobeallaflukewhichshecouldhavelittleornohopeofrepeating。Shehadindeedrepeateditonce，andmightperhapswithgoodluckrepeatityetonceagain——butfivetimesover！Itwasawful：whyshewouldratherhavethreeconfinementsthangothroughthewearandtearofmarryingasingledaughter。
　　Neverthelessithadgottobedone，andpoorMrsAllabyneverlookedatayoungmanwithoutaneyetohisbeingafutureson-in-law。
　　Papasandmammassometimesaskyoungmenwhethertheirintentionsarehonourabletowardstheirdaughters。Ithinkyoungmenmightoccasionallyaskpapasandmammaswhethertheirintentionsarehonourablebeforetheyacceptinvitationstohouseswheretherearestillunmarrieddaughters。
　　“Ican’taffordacurate，mydear。”saidMrAllabytohiswifewhenthepairwerediscussingwhatwasnexttobedone。“ItwillbebettertogetsomeyoungmantocomeandhelpmeforatimeuponaSunday。AguineaaSundaywilldothis，andwecanchopandchangetillwegetsomeonewhosuits。”SoitwassettledthatMrAllaby’shealthwasnotsostrongasithadbeen，andthathestoodinneedofhelpintheperformanceofhisSundayduty。
　　MrsAllabyhadagreatfriend——acertainMrsCowey，wifeofthecelebratedProfessorCowey。Shewaswhatwascalledatrulyspirituallymindedwoman，atrifleportly，withanincipientbeard，andanextensiveconnectionamongundergraduates，moreespeciallyamongthosewhowereinclinedtotakepartinthegreatevangelicalmovementwhichwasthenatitsheight。Shegaveeveningpartiesonceafortnightatwhichprayerwaspartoftheentertainment。Shewasnotonlyspirituallyminded，but，asenthusiasticMrsAllabyusedtoexclaim，shewasathoroughwomanoftheworldatthesametimeandhadsuchafundofstrongmasculinegoodsense。Shetoohaddaughters，but，assheusedtosaytoMrsAllaby，shehadbeenlessfortunatethanMrsAllabyherself，foronebyonetheyhadmarriedandlefthersothatheroldagewouldhavebeendesolateindeedifherProfessorhadnotbeensparedtoher。
　　MrsCowey，ofcourse，knewtherunofallthebachelorclergyintheUniversity，andwastheverypersontoassistMrsAllabyinfindinganeligibleassistantforherhusband，sothislastnamedladydroveoveronemorningintheNovemberof1825，byarrangement，totakeanearlydinnerwithMrsCoweyandspendtheafternoon。Afterdinnerthetwoladiesretiredtogether，andthebusinessofthedaybegan。
　　Howtheyfenced，howtheysawthroughoneanother，withwhatloyaltytheypretendednottoseethroughoneanother，withwhatgentledalliancetheyprolongedtheconversationdiscussingthespiritualfitnessofthisorthatdeacon，andtheotherprosandconsconnectedwithhimafterhisspiritualfitnesshadbeendisposedof，allthismustbelefttotheimaginationofthereader。MrsCoweyhadbeensoaccustomedtoschemingonherownaccountthatshewouldschemeforanyoneratherthannotschemeatall。Manymothersturnedtoherintheirhourofneedand，providedtheywerespirituallyminded，MrsCoweyneverfailedtodoherbestforthem；
　　ifthemarriageofayoungBachelorofArtswasnotmadeinHeaven，itwasprobablymade，oratanyrateattempted，inMrsCowey’sdrawing-room。OnthepresentoccasionallthedeaconsoftheUniversityinwhomtherelurkedanysparkofpromisewereexhaustivelydiscussed，andtheupshotwasthatourfriendTheobaldwasdeclaredbyMrsCoweytobeaboutthebestthingshecoulddothatafternoon。
　　“Idon’tknowthathe’saparticularlyfascinatingyoungman，mydear。”saidMrsCowey，“andhe’sonlyasecondson，butthenhe’sgothisfellowship，andeventhesecondsonofsuchamanasMrPontifexthepublishershouldhavesomethingverycomfortable。”
　　“Whyyes，mydear。”rejoinedMrsAllabycomplacently，“that’swhatoneratherfeels。”
　　Theinterview，likeallothergoodthingshadtocometoanend；thedayswereshort，andMrsAllabyhadasixmiles’drivetoCrampsford。Whenshewasmuffledupandhadtakenherseat，MrAllaby’sfactotum，James，couldperceivenochangeinherappearance，andlittleknewwhataseriesofdelightfulvisionshewasdrivinghomealongwithhismistress。
　　ProfessorCoweyhadpublishedworksthroughTheobald’sfather，andTheobaldhadonthisaccountbeentakenintowbyMrsCoweyfromthebeginningofhisUniversitycareer。Shehadhadhereyeuponhimforsometimepast，andalmostasmuchfeltitherdutytogethimoffherlistofyoungmenforwhomwiveshadtobeprovided，aspoorMrsAllabydidtotryandgetahusbandforoneofherdaughters。
　　Shenowwroteandaskedhimtocomeandseeher，intermsthatawakenedhiscuriosity。WhenhecameshebroachedthesubjectofMrAllaby’sfailinghealth，andafterthesmoothingawayofsuchdifficultiesaswereonlyMrsCowey’sdue，consideringtheinterestshehadtaken，itwasallowedtocometopassthatTheobaldshouldgotoCrampsfordforsixsuccessiveSundaysandtakethehalfofMrAllaby’sdutyathalfaguineaaSunday，forMrsCoweycutdowntheusualstipendmercilessly，andTheobaldwasnotstrongenoughtoresist。
　　Ignorantoftheplotswhichwerebeingpreparedforhispeaceofmindandwithnoideabeyondthatofearninghisthreeguineas，andperhapsofastonishingtheinhabitantsofCrampsfordbyhisacademiclearning，TheobaldwalkedovertotheRectoryoneSundaymorningearlyinDecember——afewweeksonlyafterhehadbeenordained。Hehadtakenagreatdealofpainswithhissermon，whichwasonthesubjectofgeology——thencomingtotheforeasatheologicalbugbear。Heshowedthatsofarasgeologywasworthanythingatall——andhewastooliberalentirelytopooh-poohit——itconfirmedtheabsolutelyhistoricalcharacteroftheMosaicaccountoftheCreationasgiveninGenesis。Anyphenomenawhichatfirstsightappearedtomakeagainstthisviewwereonlypartialphenomenaandbrokedownuponinvestigation。Nothingcouldbeinmoreexcellenttaste，andwhenTheobaldadjournedtotherectory，wherehewastodinebetweentheservices，MrAllabycomplimentedhimwarmlyuponhisdebut，whiletheladiesofthefamilycouldhardlyfindwordswithwhichtoexpresstheiradmiration。
　　Theobaldknewnothingaboutwomen。Theonlywomenhehadbeenthrownincontactwithwerehissisters，twoofwhomwerealwayscorrectinghim，andafewschoolfriendswhomthesehadgottheirfathertoasktoElmhurst。TheseyoungladieshadeitherbeensoshythattheyandTheobaldhadneveramalgamated，ortheyhadbeensupposedtobecleverandhadsaidsmartthingstohim。Hedidnotsaysmartthingshimselfanddidnotwantotherpeopletosaythem。
　　Besides，theytalkedaboutmusic——andhehatedmusic——orpictures——
　　andhehatedpictures——orbooks——andexcepttheclassicshehatedbooks。Andthensometimeshewaswantedtodancewiththem，andhedidnotknowhowtodance，anddidnotwanttoknow。
　　AtMrsCowey’spartiesagainhehadseensomeyoungladiesandhadbeenintroducedtothem。Hehadtriedtomakehimselfagreeable，butwasalwaysleftwiththeimpressionthathehadnotbeensuccessful。TheyoungladiesofMrsCowey’ssetwerebynomeansthemostattractivethatmighthavebeenfoundintheUniversity，andTheobaldmaybeexcusedfornotlosinghishearttothegreaternumberofthem，whileifforaminuteortwohewasthrowninwithoneoftheprettierandmoreagreeablegirlshewasalmostimmediatelycutoutbysomeonelessbashfulthanhimself，andsneakedoff，feelingasfarasthefairsexwasconcerned，liketheimpotentmanatthepoolofBethesda。