a love that began in heaven...

this is one of my favorite stories. 

(not my own work)

 Moses Mendelssohn, the grandfather of the well known German composer, was far from being handsome. Along with a rather short stature, he had a grotesque hunchback. One day while on a trip to Hamburg as a young man, Mendelssohn met a rich merchant who had a beautiful young daughter, Frumtje. The young man fell hopelessly in love with her. Mendelssohn stayed several weeks in Hamburg, spending much of his time with this lovely girl he had fallen in love with at first sight. When it finally came time to leave, he worked up enough nerve to speak to her father. It was either that or lose her forever. The rich and powerful merchant hesitated for a long time. Mendelssohn finally asked him to speak his thoughts frankly. "Well," said the older man, "you are known throughout Germany as a most brilliant young man. And yet ... I must tell you my child was a bit frightened when she first saw you." "Because I am a hunchback?" Sadly, the merchant nodded. Downcast, but not defeated, Mendelssohn asked only one last favor—the privilege of seeing her once more before he left. Moses gathered his courage and climbed the stairs to her room to take one last opportunity to speak with her. She was a vision of heavenly beauty, but caused him deep sadness by her refusal to look at him. He spoke at first of various matters, then carefully and gradually, he led the conversation to the subject that was nearest to his heart. "Do you believe," he asked, "that marriages are made in Heaven?" "Yes," she said, "and do you?" "I do," he said gently. "Now let me tell you about something strange that happened when I was born. As you know, at a child's birth, according to our tradition, they call out in Heaven that the birth has occurred. And when it is a boy, they announce, 'Such-and-such boy will have this or that girl for a wife.' "Well, there I was, just born, and I heard the name of my future wife announced: Frumtje. But at the same time, I heard the great far-off voice say, 'Unfortunately, the poor little girl will have a terrible hump on her back.' "Quick as a flash, I cried out, 'O Lord God, if a girl is hunchbacked, she will grow up bitter and hard. Please give her hump to me and let her develop into a well-formed, lovely, and charming young lady. Please Lord, give me the hump and let her be beautiful .'" Mendelssohn waited for her reaction. Slowly, Frumtje looked up. She reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand and later became his devoted wife.