Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-01
eminiscences Of Bulwer.Lytt0n.
rFrom Applet0R's Journal.1

FROM dpptctpH y JOURNAL
Edward Bulwer-Lytton seemed to have com
biaed, i'm character and good fortune, all that,
- men are apt to suppose, produces earthly
happiness He was descended Of an ancient
family, and took his place in the equestrian or
ser OF the baronetcy before he was past his
early manhood, ample wealth was his for. as
the fayorite OF his mother, he received all that
even his luxurious tastes required; he was a lion
Of society, pttted of beauties, and fsttered of
statesmen and scholars; and, conscious Of pos
that Quality not only hailed BY his friends, but,
very early in his career, acknowledged by the
World Success attended alike his romance,
dramatic, and political ventures; he seemed to
touch nothing which did not turn into one more
record of fame in his behalf. Financial trou-
bic ne little ht knew through hfe death seldom
efforts Yet Bulwer was far from being hap
~ man, even in the giddy eminence Of his
youth, and his Old age was spent in morose Sc
had settled down upon his soul. Casting glance
back along his remarkable and really romantic
east shadow upon il; and that was e the cloud Ia
which lay always between sunshine and his
home. Bulwer's separation from his wife, and
the open and public and long con.inued quar-
rel which succeeded it, were certainly well cal
eaiated to embitter the most fiourishing worldly
became his wife at the house Of Miss Spence an
Odd little maiden lady. at whose mansion in
Little Quebec street, Mayfair, select literary
eoterle was wont to assemble weekly. Miss
Spence had written, in conjunction with the flu
ture Lady Bulwer a novel called ssDame Re
beeea Berry, and was noted for her pleasant
chit-ehat, and for the high od-fashioned tur-
ban che always wore. Bulwer's appearance as
literary lion caused Miss Spence to invite him
miliar with-if, indeed he did not fer the first
time behold-'stbe beautiful and gifted Rosins
Wheeler" The Whartons say of this brilliant
young Irish lady: "Tc perfect beauty of face
with her magnificent figure, she added great
Wit, great hveliness, and power of apprecia.
ton" Bulwer himself, at this time, was ga fair
young man of aristOcratic elegance, full of wit
and fancy" His attachment for Miss Wheeler
soon became passionate, and il seemed as cor
dlai a love match as London society had seen
for many day. She apparently worshipped
his genius, he her beauty and wit Meanwhile.
The comments Of certain leaders Of fashion were
not wholly favorable to Miss Wheeler. Lady
morgan. having seen her at Lady Cork's, says
that, while Jane Porter, the authorizes OF
s.Thaddeus of Warsaw" looked the Muse OF
TIagedy, kosna Wheeler seemed the Muse OF
Comedy; but, shortly after, the lively little Ia
dy seems to have taken pIque, for she speak
Of her as handsome, pert, and unamiabie to
sS Ssge oy her style Ian, and manners. She and all
speak Of Lady Bulwer as dsni-espTit was GER
tainly unjust; her real brilliancy of wit had
been fully acknowledged by the critical circle
in which she moved. The coterie at Miss
Spence's was delighted with the match This
circle was composed, according to the whar-
tons, of reviewers chiefly, and dIsttaats au-
thors; sundry old ladies' calling themseIyes hon
orable, but with a gone-by demeanor, and in
ferior professional musicians" Besides Buiwer
Anu MISS W however, there at least
one person who was acknowledged a. one of the
ceGaseslrifs Of the day-Lady Caroline Lamb,
the friend Of Byron and the wife of Melbourne.
Win her Bulwer became intimate, and he met
&e very 2tlen, both at Miss Spence, ard at the
house OF Miss Benger, the authoress of ..Eiiza-
1eth of Bohemia" In Doughty street LADY
Caroline liked Bulwer because he was disci-
pie Of Byron, and wished 70 be thought the sue
mutual friends, no doubt-especially "the oil
ladies who called themselves honorable hat
clever young couple together, little thinking
that they were thus encouraging what was To be
the crowning misfortune Of both their lives.
They lived together for several years IN appar-
ent tranquility; but, from what has since tran
epired, IL Is clear that very early in their wed
ded existence domestic dissension arose, ami
that their home-life soon became positively un-
happy. What the causes of disa green INT were
is not more definitely known to the world than
those of the Byron troubles; but the lady, at
least, spared no pains to lay her side of the un-
happy stery before the public. woman of
undoubted courage and spirit. as well As beauty
Lady Bulwer did not shrink from making her
quarrel with the baronet q public one, but con
tinued for years to manifest in various ways
her utter detestation Of the husband whom 81 .
declared she had 'loyed deeply and devotediy
Tor years As long ago as 1889, but very few
years after their final separation, she began her
hbie assaults upon him by the publication Of
her famous novel OF "Cheyely; or, The Man of
Honor" which was boldly issued under her own
name OF "Lady Lytton- Bnlwer." This descrip-
ton OF what was plainly intended to be, under
the gaise OF fiction, picture OF the interior of
areal fashionable English home, is ample evil
denee OF Lady Buiwer's literary genius, and
sufficiently refutes Lady Morgsn's .ssemi-wit''
insinuaton It's portrayal of character, its in
tenslty OF feeling, its force of language, its de
scriptve power, mark her a geAius almost
able 70 compete with her husband IN the field Of
fashionable romance. The authoress leaves Us
In not shadow OF doubt that Lord dc Clifford
Is Buiwer, AMI Lady dc Clifford herself. The
s'straight, stin, obstinate brown hair of the
former; his nose, which ''was so aquilne that
~ A
man face, it would have been pronounced a
earicature;" his "rsg-bag OF a mind" the de-
scription OF him a. a '.Csliguia in his clemen-
cy. and Eraco in his displeasure'-betray the
exaggerated likeness of the husband by the in
dgnant wife. Nor were the charges mai e
against the novelist detailed less explicitly than
the shape OF his nose, or the Stiffness OF his hau-
teur- In effect, Lady Bulwer accused her lord
with having q violent temper, with personal
brutality, and with the far more serious crime
OF coniugal infde!ity. She virtually acsnowl-
edges that a just jealousy on her part, followed
by retaliation against that jealousy on his, was
the real bottom OF the whole difficulty The
mover al-o gives the evidence OF the lady that
the husband al one time acknowledged his guilt,
and begged TO be forgiven; that he was So for
slveh, only 70 trsnsgress worse than before, and
that .hereupon she left him forever ssCheye-
ley" did not stop short with presenting as repuI
Give and luridly painted picture Of Bulxer.
anu OF tnelr a1mesue relations, as ever was
able, ii not jGstifab!e, in a wife who certainly
thought herself very gravely injured in expos
iEe W "a kc>elpink W cst-Enu world her story of
the SEPARATION; nothing whatever could paliiate
the literary castigation OF the husbands reIa-
tives and friends. More than one bitter thrus;
- dealt 10 Mrs. Lytton- Bulxer, the novelist,s
mother, lady who was reyered and honored by
all who knew her, and 10 is limited that she had
something TO do with the ill-tsrms Of the young
couple Lady Stepney, an author OF reputa-
ton, and lady Of spotlesS character, Ia unmer-
etfstiiy safrixed; and Lord Melbourne Is treated
Win as short courtesy. The sting of the book
VAS IN its unquestionable ability, and il was
long the talk Of the town and the club. Bull
wer, Win rare good sense, refused to answer 1t;
nor j. there trace of caricsture of his wife
Ia be found IN any OF the characters OF his sub
sequenf novels. But Lady Bulwer did not rest
her case with 'sCheveley." For wears after lis
appearance she was active n, d. nouncing her
husband, 4 ndeavering 70 cast ridicuie upon his
works. and 70 defeat his POLITICAL aspirations
Within the memory Of men not yet in their
prime, she appeared at the couIs;y town Or
Herts on election day, and did all tina. q hsnd-
some, spirited, and brieht-witted woman could
do TO put him at the bottom Of the poll, but the
power OF Knebworth Park was too much for
her. Bulwer Throughout bore these attacks
With the dignity OF siie7iee, and IL IL but just 30
IA IL tri.st nj