Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-23
HOW WIVES MAY HELP THEIR
HUSBANDS.

A brief sketch of the late Madame de
Lamartine has just been published in Paris,
which tells the world something of her
domestic life. It appears that she copied
with her own hand all Of NJ: de Lamar
tines works, except "Les Girondins."-
All of the "copy" supplied to the printer
is in her hand; she kept the poets own
manuscript as precious treasure, which
she knew posterity would value as highly
as she did. He wrote the poem Jocelyn"
in a large album which he used for an &C.
count book The diverse face OF the
leaves contained the accounts ofthe labor
ers in his vineyards, the reverse was
covered with poetry: After the poem was
completed, and negotiations with pub
Usher were carried to successful issue,
Lamartine, pointing to the album as he
mounted his horse to make. one OF his
usual excursions, asked his wife to send it
to the printer. She opened it, and, seeing
at first nothing but the accounts Of the
laborers in the vineyard, thought there
must be some mistake. She examined
further, and found the reverse face of
every leaf contained, "Jocel yn." She
laughed, took the album to her secretary,
and resolutely set to work to copy the
poem. M. de Lamartine thought his work
in the publishers hands, until week
afterward, when, as they were sitting down
to breakfast, she gave him the album and
the unblotted manuscript of "Jocel yn."
The poet was so deeply touched that he
took pen and wrote the three dedicatory
strophes to Maria Ann Eliza, which are to
be found OH the first page Of that work.
She copied all of NJ. de Lamartine's cor
respondence. She leaves great many
letters scattered in the hands of friends,
which NJ. Dargaud, it is said, is collecting,
with view to publication. They are re-
presented as written with great talent.
A still greater service was performed
by the wife Of Sir William Napier, in the
composition ofhis great work on the i" His
tory.of the Peninsular War;" In the "life"
OF Sir William, recently published in Lon
don, we find All interesting allusion to her
admirable zeal and ability. When the
immense mass Of King Joseph's CORES
pondence, taken at Vittoria, was placed
in nv hands, was dismayed at finding it
to be huge collection of letters, without
did not understand. Many, also, were
in very grabbed and illegible characters,
especially those of Joseph's own writing,
which is nearly as difficult to read as Ma.
poleons. The most important documents
were in ci pher, and there was no key
Despairing of any profitable examination
OF these valuable materials, the thought
crossed me Of giving up the work, when
my wife undertook, first, to arrange the
letters by dates and subjects, next to make
table of reference, translating and epit-
omizing the contents Of each, and this,
without neglecting for al instance the care
and education of q very large family, she
effected in such a simple and comprehen-
sive manner that it was easy to ascertain the
orig inal document in few moments. She
also undertook to decipher the correspond
ence, and not only succeeded, but formed
a key to the whole, detecting even the
nnlls and stops, and so accurately that
when, in course of time, the original key
was placed in my hands, there was moth
ing to learn. Having mentioned this to
the Duke of Wellington, he seemed at first
incredulous, observing [ must mean that
she had made out the contents of some let
tiers. Several persons had done this for him,
he said, but none had ever made out the
nuls or formed key, adding, Il would have
given e2O, 600 to any person who would
have done that for me in the Peninsu.
lar"