Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-09-11
COLU M B U S.:
Wednesday Morning, Sept. 8, 1852.
Literary Wife.


What strange subject for a bachelor What
can we say of thing, fair reader, upon which we
are supposed to know nothing? We daily read
of such phenomena as Literary Wife, and may
we not picture to ourself one of those delightful
domestic scenes of happiness that are supposed to
dwell in those circles, or may not sigh for that
devoted tenderness of heart, which when rightly
directed raises its objects above the ordinary ca
amities of life, sweetenng and smoothing down all
the asperities of our rougher nature, to that rich
and heavenly contentment spoken of by the poets
of old ? Shenstone had the folly, as he tells us,
to refuse marriage to the only woman he ever low
ed, and yet was he eminently the poet of the heart
Thomson the poet of the Seasons, in speaking of
his love, has revealed to us one of the most beau
tful traits of his characterize says to friend,
''to turn my eyes softer way, to you know
who-absence signs it to me. What is my heart
made of ? soft system of low nerves, too sensi
bic for my quiet-capabe of being very happy,
or very unhappy am afraid the last will pre-
vail" Pope, Johnson, and even the stole AIKEN
side had their weak points. Gather all we may
that is great and glorious in the field of Literature,
without woman's love there is no rear happiness.
Man may reveal to the companion of his lonesome
hours, events the world can never appprecate-he
feels no fear for the sweet voice of affection cheers
him on-the tokens of love that are promiscuous-
ly scattered in his path, open far into futurty, and
the fire that burns low upon the altar of his inspi
ration, gathers strength and vigor under the radi
ant smile of the wife, and he feels prepared to cope
with the antagonsm Of the world What are the
msfortunes and irowns of outward things to him
Nothing-no, he has patient and loving heart
that stands by his side as his guardian Genius
she, the wife, bids him persevere-the ready tact
of the woman has saved many from being crushed
and these have reached us as wholesome lessons.
They are green spots in the arid waste of life,
frightening and purifying all that come within the
range of their heavenly influence. Gray says of
the lonely man
"Poor moralst, and what art thou
A solitary fly,
Thy lows no glittering female meets,
No hive hast thou of boarded sweets
What a beautiful touch was that Bud9us has left
us of his wife--had he penned thousand pages
to her virtues he could not have exalted her more
in our estimation than he has by saying he was
and girs--the other was Philosophy. She COM
pared passages, made quotations. and animated
him to his labors when he languished. Every
scholar will remember the beautiful tribute the
younger Pliny pays to his wife, Calphurnia-
says, cher affection to me has given her turn to
books and my compositions, which she takes a
pleasure in reading and even getting by heart, are
H., H. dc fill Of
itude is she when am entering upon any cause
She sings my verses to her Tyre, with nc
other master but love, the best instructor for hel
guide. Her passion will increase with our days
for it is not my youth nor my person, which time
gradually impairs, but my reputation and my glo
nv, of which she is enamored.'' Can we think up
on such things as real, and not love them No
Paulina, the wife of Seneca when the veins of tina
philosopher were commanded to be opened, volun
tarily chose the same death the blood stopped a
the command of the philosopher, but the pallic
features ever after showed her still the wife O
Seneca. The wife of Lucan transcribed and cor
rected the Pharsala after the death of her hus
band. The wife had imbibed the spirit of tn
bard by intercourse, and it was to her love tina
the character of her husband was cherished by hi
country. 1t is said she placed the bust of her hus
band on her bed, that she might never close he
eyes without being soothed by the remembrance
of him who had gone. How beautiful Their
is related in the letters of the Gesner family. ON
of the most striking characteristics of what lte1
airy female may do for the benefit of those whor
God has placed within their influence. Mrs Ge
ner, in writing to her son, who was travelling #
improvement says, CONSIDER your fathers pr
cepts as oracles of wisdom they are the result
the experience he has collected, not only of lif
but Of the art which he has acquired simply
his own ndustry"-''alas my son-the life yc
have hitherto led in your fathers house, has
fact been pastoral one, and not such one
was necessary for the education of a man who
destiny summons him to the world" What so
ofa heart is there that cannot understand the fl
force Of these domestic examples These is som
thing truthful in the expression, that we are Ii
to follow the wisdom that dictates such ennoblir
sentiments. Think young reader ofthe incompa
able blessings you would enjoy, in having wi
who is capable of terminating you to deeds Of ar
DltiOn-who viii stand by you in the trials of lii
and uge forward q spirit perhaps not less nobl
but one that BY fortuitous events has been chilli