The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-04
SPIRIT OF TIE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions of the Leading Journals
Upon Current Topics-O Compiled Every
Day for the Evening TELEGRAPH.
WITS AND WEDLOCK.

WITS AND WEDLOCK.
From the NJ Y. Tribune.
A letter from Mr. Charles Dickens to n
friend, giving in detail the causes of his sepa-
ration from Mrs Dickens, has been lately re-
vived and republished. 1t tells the old story
with which the world is SO familiar, of a SEN
sitive, preoccupied, and studious man of
genius mated with woman possessed of
every virtue under heaven except that of
comprehending her husbands character.
From the days of Socrates to the DAYS of Lord
Lytton Bulwer there has been succession of
just such unfortunate examples, by which, we
are sorry to say, there is no probability that
men of letters in the future will profit Poet
and painter, dramatist and novelist, philo
sopher and linguist, will go on-the Molieres,
the Albert Durers, the Miltons the Scaligers,
the Bulwers, marrying and quarreling in the
future as they have married and quarrelled in
the past. Too often the literary man rushes
to the altar in haste that he may repent at
leisure. ~ .
But before we speak further of this some-
what discouraging fact, let u.s. in Justice to
many great men to whom the gratitude of the
ages has been secured, point out how thor
oughly happy and how POLITICALLY beautiful
the domestic lives of not few votaries of
literature have been. Fielding, in the ex-
quisite character of 'Amelia" has left an in
devotion of his wife, and (to use the language
of one of the ablest of his critics. ''of the
smiling resignation with which she bore the
consequences of his errors" In more modern
times, the domestic lives of Scott, of Words
worth, of Moore Ito mention no others), have
been disclosed to the world only for its admi-
ration and delight There have been writer's
whose characters were disfgured by most
of the vices to which fallen humanity is
,h.N Ro
indolent; who have misused talents which it
would have been better for mankind to have
hidden in a napkin; who have still kept fresh
and warm their love for the wives of their
bosoms as if those wives were still the girls of
their hearts. The woman who is married to
q man of genius, originally of warm and
generous nature but who has wandered into
the devious paths of dissipation, if she be
patient loving, and forgiving, need never
despair of reclaiming him. At some unex-
pected moment, in some hour of unusual re-
Election, touched perhaps by some common
bereavement, he may listen to her gentle en-
treaties, and all that is left Of the man within
him will rise to the rescue Of his life. But
this is change which harsh rebuke and bitter
upbraiding can never effect. Impatient of
restraint, sensitive to censure, yet disinclined
to acquiesce in its justice, conscious that he
is really better than he may appear to be, and
with an ideal world in which he can
constantly take refuge from the austerities of
his actual existence, the man of letters re-
sents coarse blame as something which should
be reserved for those of meaner clay, and de-
clines to be judged harshly even by wife
when he feels that she understands nothing
of his temperament or his temptations He
asks for sympathy not merely with his misfor-
tunes but with his weaknesses. In half that
concerns the business Of life he is merely a
child; and, like a child, he is more easily to
be won by love than by severity. man like
this may be easily guided, if the guiding
hand be that of one who is dear to him; but
with all his seeming softness he will not be
driven, and the attempt to drive him always
ends in domestic disaster. During the
last dreadful year of Sheridans life, when
the ruin of that remarkable man had become
utter and hopeless, when fortune, friends,
Office, responsibility, home, almost personal
liberty, were gone, his wife addressed to him
some sharp words concerning his dissipations.
There was an infinite pathos in his answer.
t'Never again, " he wrote, 'let one harsh word
pass between us during the period, which
may not perhaps be long, that we are in this
world together, and life, however clouded to
me, is spared to us. The man who thus felt
could not have been all bad. There must
have been chords even in his worn and world
ly heart which would have responded to the
caressing fingers of affection, while they re-
manned mute, or answered only in the jargon
of passion, to harsher handling.
The attention of the world has recently
been redirected to the domestic tragedy of q
poet who, if not great in the highest sense of
the word, was in the very first rank. Most
persons who have heard the story have been
quite ready to pass judgment upon its proba-
bility. Yet it may possibly assist the equita.
bly, disposed to observe how Mr.. Dickens
complains that there has been coupled with
his separation from his wife the name OF
ga young lady" 81 will not repeat the
name" he says; 81 honor it too much. u
''Upon my soul and honor" he adds with
energy, 'there is not on this earth more
virtuous and spotless creature than that young
lady. 1 know her to be as innocent and pure
as my own daughters" But suppose Mr.
Dickens had been in his grave for half a cen.
tury before the circulation of this idle and
malicious tale
We have alluded to this Byron scandal SIM
ply for the purpose of illustration and with
out the slightest intention of discussing it,
Our only desire has been to remind the
reader that men of letters are not always tC
be harshly judged when their marital ven
lures turn out anything but fortunate Geniu
has often contented itself, has, indeed, beer
supremely happy, with silly wife, if she ha,
but the qualification of good temper; bu
genius harassed, tormented, perpetually re
proved and treated with studied disrespect
is likely enough to betake itself to errati
courses which in charity may be extenuatet
however sternly they must be condemned b
morality.
WHO ARE THE GOLD RING?
tbo AZ World