Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-05-21

II bheueyB Married Life.
II has been written that Hin thIl
world one only loves ones like :
and, upon the whole we are inclined
TO believe that this is true, especial,
ly when applied to mental quallf-
cations. Shelley did not, we think
entertain much Of an affection fol
his first wife /; but he undoubtedly
loved his second, for, In Mary
Goodwin, he found "his like" Shell.
ley evidently married too young
and the consequences were that his
first union proved an unhappy one.
His marriage with Harriet West
brook was q mistake throughout
and, although he does not appear
TO have treated her unkindly, or
neglected her during the time she
was living with him, still 1t Is plain
to see that she was unfit to be the
wife Of such a divinely gifted man,
and that he only barely tolerated
her. His marriage with her was,
We repeat, q mistake; and we do
not think tits likely he would
have entered into the alliance II he
had been In q less unsettled state.
1t will be recollected that he had
just been expelled from Oxford.
The history ofhis short engagement
is given In "The Memorials" as
follows :-"Discarded by his father,
Shelley was now left In considerable
pecuniary embarrassment. He
took lodgings In Poland street but
was often without the means Of
meeting the current expenses Of
the day. His sisters, who were
aware OF this, saved their pocket
money, and from time to time, sent
secretly TO their brother the fruits
of their loving economy. This was
the origin Of q new phase In Shell
ley'S existence. The Miss Shelleys
were at that period at school at
BFOmptOn, aud among the pupils
was very handsome girl named
Harriet Westbrook. To her Gas
her parents resided In LondOn) was
consigned the task Of conveying the
little sums Of money TO Shelley, on
whose susceptible fancy she
dawned as q celestial being, illumin-
ing the dingy lodgings he inhabi-
ted. During the young lady'S hOli-
day, Shelley was Q constant and
welcome visitor at the house other
father; and on Harriet's recovery
from q slight lndisposition, the
young poet was chosen TO escort
her back 70 school. To the wild
elOquenee Of the enthusiast who
claimed 1t a. his mission to regene-
rate the world, and to give 1t free
dom from Its shackles, which had
been too long endured, and which
barred its progress 10 indefinite
perfectibility, Harriet had, in their
many interviews In London, lent .
well.pleased ear, and when the day
came for her TO return to Br0mp-
ton seminary, these new lights
seemed 70 her TO have q practical
bearing on the forms and discip-
line Of her boarding school. She
therefore, petitioned her father to
be allowed TO remain at home.
On his refusal, she wrote TO Shell
ley; and 10 O sad and evil hour
for both, this girl, who had thrown
herself upon his protection, and
with whom he was not In love,
became his Wife" Harriet was
sixteen Shelley, nineteen. From
London they went 10 Edinburgh,
(they were married at Gretna
Green, we believe,) and shortly al.
terWard 10 York; thence to Kes-
wick, to Wales, 10 Dublin, to 4
small cottage in Berkshire, (where
economy was to be studied,) aud
back to london. "During their
residence In the latter town."
I(YOrk,) says Lady Shelley, 70 new
inmate was added to their circle In
the person Of the elder Miss West.
broOk-a visitor whose presence
was In many respects unfortunate.
From strength Of character and
disparity Of years, for she was
much older than Harriet she exer-
Cised q strong influence over her
sister; and this influence was used
without much discretion, and With
little inclination to smooth the diff.
flculties or promote the happiness
Of the young couple" This inter-
esting sister-iA.laW (Wh0, by-the-
bye, Il Hogg is 10 be believed, wac
remarkable for two things-a habit
OF oombing her back hair on the
slightest prOvOcatiOn, and an i'm.
moderate use Of the expression,
"What ever would Miss Warne
say ?'O was no doubt q continental
drawback to Shelley's domestic
happiness and as Harriet appears
not TO have had sufficient strength
Of mind to assert herself In her
own house, matters were made
worse. 1t would have been
J better for all parties concerned,
or, at least, for Shelley and
his wife, If this insuiEerable sister.
in-law had been foated down the
Ouse, as suggested By Shelley's
friend, HOgg. ''Dear Harriet" says
this gentleman, chow nicely that
dearest Eliza would spin down the
riverl How sweetly she would
torn round aud round, like that log
Of wood Aud, gracious heaven |
what would Miss Warne say ?"
Anyhow, she was q nuisance to
shelley's household, she ought to
have been sent packing. When she
did at last 60, 'the poet" says
Hogg, 'exulted with q malicious
pleasure that be had fairly planted
her at last" One of the WestbrOOk
family was beginning to be too
much for Shelley, with her lacka-
daisical half.bred manner, and eter-
/ - .... A.. .Ins,l 80 h1oE. sh.A -.