His wife he could not help." It reminds us of Ham Peggotty's tender adjustment upon his palm of the purse committed to him by Emily for fallen Martha.
"'Such a toy as it is!' apostrophized Ham, thoughtfully, looking on it.

'With, such a little money in it, Em'ly, my dear.'" We are reminded more strongly of rough, gray boulders holding in their hearts the warmth of the sunshine for the comfortable growth of mosses that creep over and cling to and beautify them.
John is neither saint nor hero, except in Mary's fancy sketch of the Coming Man.

He remonstrates against canonization strenuously--dissent that passes with the idealist for modesty, and enhances her admiration.

She is oftener to blame for the disillusion than he.

With the perverseness of feminine nature she construes strength into coarseness of fibre, slowness into brutal indifference.