Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1842-12-17
BEAUTIFUL EIL0GITM.
ON A WIFE WORTH HAVING,


writer of political facts, in a letter to one of
his learned friends, present the following beau
! tllu delineaton Of the character of his decea-
sed wlte-a woman who, from her husbands
| representation. must have been such one as
the poet Wordsworth described when he wrote
! Of
~ perfect woman, rohly planned.
10 warn, TO comfort and to command;
And yet spirit, still and bright
W ith something of an angel light"
! "Allow me, in Justice to her memory" writes
Sir James, "to tell you what she was, and
what owed her. ! was guided in my choice
| only by the blind affection of my youth. and
might have formed connection in which a
! shortlived passion would have been followed
by repentance and disgust !; but found an in
telligent companion, tender friend, prudent
monitress, the most faithful wife, and as dear
mother as ever children had the misfortune 10
lose. Had married woman who was easy
or giddy enough To be infected by my mpru-
dencc, or who had rudely attempted to correct
it, should in either case, have been irretriev-
ably ruined fortune in either case would,
with my habits, have been only a shorter cut
to destruction. But met a woman who, by
the tender management of my Weaknesses.
gradually corrected the most pernicious ofthcm
and rescued inc from the dominion of degra-
ding and ruinous vice.
"Shc became prudent from affection md
though one of the most generous nature, she
was taught economy and frugali,y by her love
for me.
During the most critical period of my life,
she preserved order in my affairs, from the cares
! of which she relieved me she gently reclai-
med me from dissipation she propped my r-
resolute nature she urged my incidence 10 ali
the eXcrtlonS which have been useful and Gre
dltablc to me, and she waa perpetualy at hand
to admonish my hecdessness and mproy idence
| To her owe that am not n ruined out-cas: :
to her whatever | shall be. In her sol;cltude
for my interest she never for n moment forgot
my feelings and my character. Even in her
occasional rcsentmcnt-for which hut too Of
ten gave cause (would toCiod that could recall
those momcnts) she had no sulcnncss acr-
, mony. Her feelings were warm and impetu-
ous but she was pacable, tender and constant.
She united the most tender prudence with the
most generous and guileess nature, with spi-
| rit that disdaned the shadow of meanncss, and
/ with the kindest and most honest heart
"Such was she whom have lost and have
hor al =.
! proving, after eight years of struggle and dis
! tress had bound as fast together, and moulded
our tcmpes,s TO each other: when knowledge
other worth had refined my youthful love into
friendship, before age had deprived it of much
of its original ardor. | lost her, alas Ohe
choice of my youth and the partner ofmy mis-
fortunes) at moment when | had the pros
pect of her sharing my better days. To ex-
pect that any thing on this side of the grave
can make it up, would be vain and dclusve
expectation. If | had lost the giddy and thought
less companion of prosperity, the world could
easily repair the loss but have lost the faith.
fu and tender partner of my misfortunes and
my only consolation is in that Being under
whose severe and paternal chastisement am
cut down 10 the ground"
1t is delightful sometimes to read such heart
felt tributes as the above TO the truth worth n
woman-trlbutes which are in value by q
knowledge of the real greatness of character
possessed by the eulogist. The late Allan Gun
ningham never wrote swecter stanza thar
that which we find at the close of his poem O
the "Mad Of Elvar," in which he immortalize,
the memory of a wife whom he loved with tho
most ardent and trusting affection. The lines
alluded TO, run as follows
"My song is ended il was dear 10 me
AS light to morn--as nom 70 SoWav brine
As showers to c0rn--as blossoms 10 the bee
And dearer, since. dear wife, twas pleassu, un
thee"
Fiction too, amidst its supposed unrcallties
presents to US graphic pictures of the right feel
ings which honor the heart of man, and whjc
dispose US TO realize truly of how much fin
warp and woof il is constituted. In r. +. Ward
admirable novel of"De We're" the author make
one of his characters, the worthy FlowerdalC
e to talk thus of his deceased wife. The quota
a ton depicts that true memory We should a
cherish of any departed friend, whether wit
d or husband, father or mother, brother or slstc
K "lt was soothing" says the excellent charact,
r. we have alluded 10 in the novel, at was sootl
d ING TO me to keep her, N all her avscatIon
s constantly before he. knew all the source
Of her pleasures, and found on, ali hcr I'M