New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-02
hits IND WEDLOCR.


republshed. 1t tells the old story with which
the world is so familiar, of sensitive, preoc-
cupied, and studious man Of genius mated with
woman possessed of every virtue under
Heaven except that of comprehending her hus-
bands character. From the days of Socrates
to the days of Lord Lytton Bulwer there has
been a succession of just such unfortunate ex-
amples, 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, philosopher
and lingust, will go on-the Molieres, the AL
bert Durers, the Millions, the Scaligers, the
Bulwers, marrying and quarreling in the future
as they have married and quarreled 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 dscouraging fact let us, in justice to
many great men to whom the gratitude of the
ages has been secured, point out how thoroughly
happy and how POLITICALLY beautiful the do
nestle lives of not few vOtaries of literature
have been. Fielding, in the exquisite charac-
ter of "Amelia," has left an indelible
record of the grace, the sweetness, the de-
votion of his wife, and Ito use the Ian
guage of one of the ablest of his critics.
"of the smiling resignation with which she
"bore the consequences of his errOIs." In
more modern times, the domestic lives of Scott.
of Wordsworth, of Moore Ito mention no others),
have been disclosed to the world only for its
admiration and delight. There have been
writers whose characters were disfgured by
most of the vices to which fallen humanity is
prone who have been thriftless, sensual, and
indolent; who have misused talents which 1t
would have been better for mankind to have
hidden in 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
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 retaining 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
entreaties 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 censurc, 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 austeritles
of his actual existence, the man OF let
tiers resents coarse blame as something
which should be reserved for those of
meaner clay, and declines to be judged barshly
even by wife when he feels that she under
stands nothing of his temperament or his
temptations. He asks for sympathy not
merely with his misfortunes but with his
weaknesses. In half that concerns the bust
ness of life he is merely q child and like
child he is more easily to be won by love than
by severity. A 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 Sheridan's life. when
the ruin of that remarkable man had be-
come utter and hopeless, when fortune, friends
Office, responsibility, home, almost personal lib
erty, were gone, his wife addressed to him
some sharp words concerning his designations.
There was an infinite pathos in his answer.
"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 u.s." The man who thus
felt could not have been all bad There must
have been chords even in his worn and worldly
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 O poet
who, if not great in the highest sense of the
word, was in the very first rank. Most per-
sons who have heard the story have been
quite ready to pass judgment upon its proba-
bity. Yet it may possibly assist the equitably
disposed to observe how Mr.. Dickens COM
plains that there has been coupled with his
separation from his wife the name of a "yOung
Gladly" 81 will not repeat the name," he says;
81 honor it too much" upon my soul and
"honor" he adds with lenergy, there is not
Z" ON this earth a more virtuous and spotless
"creature than that young lady. / know her
"to be as innocent and pure as my own
daughters" But suppose Mr.. Dickens had
been in his grave for half q century before
the circulation of this idle and malicious talel
We have alluded to this Byron scandal sim
ply for the purpose of illustration, and without
the slightest intention of discussing it. Our
only desire has been to remind the reader that
men of letters are not always to be harshly
judged when their marital adventures turn
out anything but fortunate. Genius has often
contented itself, has indeed, been supremely
happy, with silly wife, if she had but the
qualification of good temper; but genius ha-