Anne Brontë was clearly pro FDS: XIX century dating tips still apply

While reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall I have come across some opinions on dating that are very much FDS aligned. If there was a victorian version of the handbook, I think the paragraphs transcribed below could be part of it. To me, it is proof of just how sensible and reasonable the FDS approach is. Some things, at least regarding LVM and HVM, seem to be timeless.

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Fragment from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Chapter XVI

“Remember Peter, Helen! Don’t boast, but watch. Keep a guard over your eyes and ears as the inlets of your heart, and over your lips as the outlet, lest they betray you in a moment of unwariness. Receive, coldly and dispassionately, every attention, till you have ascertained and duly considered the worth of the aspirant; and let your affections be consequent upon approbation alone. First study; then approve; then love. Let your eyes be blind to all external attractions, your ears deaf to all the fascinations of flattery and light discourse.—These are nothing—and worse than nothing—snares and wiles of the tempter, to lure the thoughtless to their own destruction. Principle is the first thing, after all; and next to that, good sense, respectability, and moderate wealth. If you should marry the handsomest, and most accomplished and superficially agreeable man in the world, you little know the misery that would overwhelm you if, after all, you should find him to be a worthless reprobate, or even an impracticable fool.”

“But what are all the poor fools and reprobates to do, aunt? If everybody followed your advice, the world would soon come to an end.”

“Never fear, my dear! the male fools and reprobates will never want for partners, while there are so many of the other sex to match them; but do you follow my advice. And this is no subject for jesting, Helen—I am sorry to see you treat the matter in that light way. Believe me, matrimony is a serious thing.”

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To be fair, at some points the book seems to imply that being *hot* doesn't matter as much, and really one's husband should both be attractive and principled. However, the core of the advice is still gold and, in fact, the rest of the book deals with the consequences of getting married without following this advice. Again, even though this book was written in the XIX century, the misery portrayed is up to date: contempt, isolation, violence, awful influence upon children, alcoholism, legal hurdles, etc.

If you want to read the whole book you can download it for free (along with thousands of other books whose copyright has expired) in Project Gutenberg -> https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/969

So this was my first forum post! I hoped you enjoyed it :)