The Portland daily press., 1871-11-23
DAILY PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, NOV. 2s, 1871
Joaqin Miller and His Family.
PORTLAND.

The Portland Oregonian prints a singular
letter from Mrs. Miller, the divorced wife OF
the new poet, explaining why she obtained a
divorce, and repelling some OF the accusations
against him and herself 1t would seem that
he had determined on separation from his
wife in order to carry out long-cherished
plan Of visiting Europe. Readers Of the auto
biography of Lord Herbert of Cherbury will
remember a similar separation between him
self and his wife there related; but as both
the Herberts were rich, and their children
well provided for, no scandal seems to have
come from Lord Herbert's persistence in his
plan. Mr.. Miller's departure seems to have
provoked his wife to divorce, which she OBJ
tanned, as she says, with alimony adjudged
her to the amount of $500 year, which she
intimates she never received. She thus de-
scribes their separation:
Mr.. Miller is man of literary culture and
research; he has read constantly, industrious
~, ana mad command of the very best litera-
ture, ancient and modern. 1t has been his
sole ambition for years to go to Europe and
acquire literary fame. He felt, and Justly.
that he was gifted, and his mind being of fine
poetic structure, and his brain very delcately
organized, the coarse and practical duties OF
providing for family and the annoyance Of
children conficted with his dreams and liter
ary whims. So, when he wrote me that he
would be absent in Europe five or six years,
and in the mean time need not expect to
hear from him often, as he should be very
busy, asked for and obtained divorce in
the courts OF Lane county, and your singer
was ioosed and free, and no longer chained
to the annoying cares of q family. He could
give his whole attention to his poems. my
self sympathize with him in his desire to have
time and money to ''tamper with the muses."
and cultivate his taste and talent for litera-
ture, and l feel that all poets and authors will
also sympathize with him.
In regard to what took place after the di-
vorce Mrs. Miller says: =
Mr.. Miller felt that he had gifts of mind
and If his system of economy was rigid and
hard to endure, it was, at least, success
and if he needed all his money to carry out
his plans, l am satisfied that he thus used it.
The bitter experience of the past cannot come
again. My babes lived through all, and am
more than satisfied; am grateful, and all is
well. Joaquin Miller does not claim that he
has ever sent a dollar to his children, or
provided anything for them in any way from
the time of his leaving Oregon until about
two months ago, when he sent me $25. He
has sent $50 to Mrs. b. Cooke for my little
girl, and S25 to my mother, who has the care
of my younger children. 1t is true that / had
home with my widowed mother but the
place was dreary and secluded, and there was
not a church or school house within fifty
miles of my mothers home. So / did not
deem it proper place to educate my chill
dren, and came away, bringing them with
which RI fba Haaraa Of ths
court, which gave the two elder children to
the care of my mother. As l brought then
away, he was released by law from caring fo
them, and l have no reason to complain, no
can any one have, justly.
1t would seem from this statement that, 70
| some reason or other, the grandmother of tn
children was considered by an Oregon cour
a more suitable person to have charge of then
than their mother was, and that the decree o
the court in this particular was not com
| piled with. Toward the close of her letter
which is dated November 5th, the divorced
wife goes ON to say, with mixture of emo
tions and metaphors which is natural and, Oh
the whole, creditable to her.
| The marital relations between Mr.. Miller
and myself are dissolved, but that does not
prevent our nOlulnS our precious DaDeS III
mutual love and protection; and, although
| there are many false sentiments in society in
regard to these things, beg the privilege Of
exercising my own judgement in regard to
my duty toward the father of my children
| and my children. As we are both mortals, il
would be affeetation in me were / to profess
to take upon myself all the blame, but I asl
to bear my full share. The many who fee
| an interest in him are of more consequence
than the few who know and love me, and
henceforth would have you deal only will
| him as poet and author. Pronounce your
| judgment upon his books. Know him by
his epic heroes. No mortal man can go be
| yond himself in any conception. When h,
attempts to he only strikes against the border
| of his imagination and rebounds further back
and when man attempts to image a god h
takes a step back and puts upon the should
ers of his god wings which belongs to lowe
order of creation. Good sometimes comes c
evil; the most deadly pistil exhales delicat
! perfume, and our separation and sorrows pre-
I duced the poems of!"Myrr" and ''Even So.
If have, after all, recovered my health an
| sometimes smile as others do, l feel that
have some kind of apology.