APhilosopher’sCourtship
ManyyearsagointhecityofHamburg,thesaintlyphilosopherMosesMendelssohnfellinlovewithacharmingwomannamedFruntje.Heapproachedherfather,Guggenheim,toinformhimofhisloveforher.Guggenheim,referringtoMendelssohn’shunchback,theresultofacurvatureofthespine,replied“Well,youarephilosopherandawiseman,soyouwillnottakeamiss.Thegirlsaidshebecamefrightenedwhenshesawyoubecauseofyourappearance.”
ThisdidnotsurpriseMendelssohn,andheimmediatelyaskedtospeakwithFruntje.Althoughsheavoidedlookingathimthroughouttheconversation,Mendelssohnwasabletoleadtheconversationtothesubjectthatwasonhismind.Timidly,Fruntjeaskedifhetoo,believedinmarriagesthatweremadeinheaven.Mendelssohnsaidthatyeshedid,andthenwentontorelateanunusualstory:“Asyouknow,theycalloutinHeavenatthebirthofaboy,‘Thisonewillgetthatgirlforawife.’WhenIwasborn,myfuturewifewasalsothusannounced,butitwasadded,‘Shewill,alas,haveaterriblebump.’Ishouted,‘Oh,Lord,agirlwhoishumpbackedwillveryeasilybecomebitterandhard.Agirlshouldbebeautiful.GoodLord,givethehumptome,andletherbehandsomeandwellformed!”
FruntjeimmediatelyacceptedhisproposalandsoonbecamethefaithfulanddevotedwifeofMendelssohn.