Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-04-21
Gbc Dailp uireinian.
From De QIincey's Essay upon Shelley.
SheiIey's Girl Wife.

Between two and three years after this pc
rod which was that of his expulsion from Ok
ford, he married a beautiful girl named West.
brook. She was respectfully connected; but
had not moved In rank corresponding to
Sheley's: and that accident brought him into
my own neghborhood. For his family e.
stranged from him. were now thoroughly ir.
rtated by what they regarded as misaH
dnce, and withdrew, or greatly reduced his
pecuniary allowances. Such, at least, was the
story current In this embarrassment his wife's
father made over TO him an annual income Of
f20O, and as economy he'd become important
the youthful pair-hoth, in fact, still children
Game down 10 the Lakes, supposlng thls
region OF Cumberland and Westmoreland To
be sequestered place which twas for eight
months In the year-and also To be IA cheap
place; which 1t was not. Another motive 10
this choice arose with the then Duk of Nor
lolk He was an old friend of Shelcy's fam
lily and generously refused to hear word Of
The yong mans errors, exbept where he could
do anything to relieve him from their conse
quences.
His Grace possessed the beautiful estate Of
Gobarrow park on Ulleswater, aud other es
tates Of greater extent IN the same two coun-
ties; his own agents he had directed to furnish
any accommodations that might meet Shell
ley's views, and he had written to some gen
tlemen among his agricultural friends in Cum
berland requesting them to pay such neigh
borly attentions to the solitary young people as
circumstances might place in their power
This bias, being impressed upon Shelley's wan
derngs naturally brought him to Keswck as
the most central and the largest Of the little
towns dispersed amongst the lakes. Soathey
made aware Of the interest taken in Shelley
by the Duke of Norfolk, with his usuaI kind
ness, Immediately called upon him; aud the la
dies of the Southey's family subsequently
made an early call upon MIS- Shelley.
One of fthem mentioned to meas occurring in
this first visit, an amusing expression Of the
youthful matron which, ,fonr years later, when
heard Of her gloomy end, recalled with the
force of pathetic contrast. that icy arrest then
claiming up her youthful feet forever. The
Shelleys had been induced by one of their new
friends to take part ola house, standing about
half mile out ofKeswick ,on the Penrith road
more, believe,in that friends intention for the
sake Of bringing them easy within his hospl
talities, ,than for any beauty in the place. There
was, however, pretty garden attached to IL.
And whilst walking in this,one oflhe Southey
party asked Mr.Shelley ifthe garden had been
let with their part Of the house "Oh no, she
replied, The garden Is not ours; but then, the
people let US run about it whenever Percy
and | are tired OF sitting in the house.
The n6icete ofthis expression "run about -
contrasting so picturesquesly with the intermit-
ting efforts OF the girlSh wife at supporting a
matron like gravify,now that she was doing the
honors Of her house to married ladies, caused
all the party to smile And me it caused pro-
foundly to sigh ,fonr years later,when the g lom
death oi this young creature,now frozen In
distant grave, threw back my remembrance
upon her fawn like play funess, which uncon-
sciously to herself, the girlish phrase of''run a
bout" SO naturally betrayed.
In about tour years his first marriage was
dissolved by the death of his wife. She had
brought to Shelley two children. But feuds
arose between them, owing 10 Incompatible
habits of mind. They parted. And i, IS one
chief misery of beautiful young wonan,sepa-
rated from her natural protector, that her des-
olate situation attracts and stimulates the cal
umnies Of the malicious. Stung by these cal
umnies, ard oppressed (as | have understood)
by the loneliness Of her abode, perhaps also by
the delirium Of fever, she threw herself into a
Fpond, and was drowned The name under
which she first enchanted all eyes,and sported
as the most playful ofnymphike girls, Is now
forgotten among men; and that other name, for
a brief period her ambition and her glory, is
inscribed on her grave.stone as the name under
which she wept and she despaired-suifered
and was buried-rurned away even from the
faces OF her children, and sought a hiding
place in the darkness"
Female TKomen.-We respect admire, and
love female Woman. We admire her in
the beauty of her person, her moral presence,
and her positions We respect her simple truth