What we may mean by that too broad (canting???) expression - "moral natures"?

That's just my opinion,too.I can't imagine,and my experiences have it shown
as well,that two people,as described by Willa Cather,can go on lifelong.
That distinction doesn't even love gap for a long time.
Perhaps it works with an odd rate equal to win the lottery.

By reading this I can see that not all quotes that are posted possess a verisimilitude of real life. I would have to think that Ms. Cather's view of people is slightly more pessimistic than mine; unlikely as that may seem.

I find it unimaginable that if Christ were to have had a wife that her morality would remain distorted. I don't know Willa Cather's work;was she a nihilist?

Ever consider reading the context of the quoattion to understand its meaning, or is that just too much trouble in the Age of Tweets and limited attention spans?

Boston, February--
MY DEAR HILDA:--

It is after twelve o'clock. Every one else is in bed and I am sitting alone in my study. I have been happier in this room than anywhere else in the world. Happiness like that makes one insolent. I used to think these four walls could stand against anything. And now I scarcely know myself here. Now I know that no one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person. Two people, when they love each other, grow alike in their tastes and habits and pride, but their moral natures (whatever we may mean by that canting expression) are never welded. The base one goes on being base, and the noble one noble, to the end.

The letter is from Alexander, one of Cather's fictional characters in her 1912 novel, Alexander's Bridge, to another fictional character, his mistress, Hilda. (http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Willa_Cather/Alexanders_Bridge/Chapter_VIII_p2.html)

You got that right, and obviously you found the larger excerpt, thought about it this time, asked the proper question(s).

When Alexander put "whatever we may mean by that canting expression" between parentheses, as he was referring to moral natures never to be welded,
he qualified; by using "that canting expression" he discounted moral natures. How can he say with authority that these moral natures are never welded?
The moral natures which have just been characterized whatever the canting expression may mean?

Cant as a noun means "a slanting or tilted position", or "hypocritically pious language", among other things, some quite base. This free dictionary does not
list "canting" as an adjective, which seems to have been Alexander's choice since he placed it before the noun "expression". However, "canting" is a valid adjective and it means
"affectedly or hypocritically pious or righteous" according to Dictionary.com

I dare not suggest what Alexander meant although I have just re-read the whole chapter in which the letter appears.

I am sure you're right, she probably knows exactly what you mean, it's just that even these days though more so during hers to even mention Magdalene was to admit or imply that the Savior had kissed a person affectionately on the lips, let only got removed his clothes and girded himself with a towel then "began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."

So it might not be that Willa Cather wouldn't agree with you, but could only get away with writing so much and manage to still have to show up in print. Even today we have yet to be freed the world from the hands of men undeserving to be in it's control

She is presumptuous in thinking that there are no Base/Base or Noble/Noble loving partnerships. Also is there a difference between same and mixed sex partnerships? Base male-noble female relationships and base female noble male ones? She is speaking of her own experience but I don't believe there is anything universal in her assertion.