The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-17
UheattteltiIg5lEle,tltire


From the ST. Louis Republican, m l5--.as4
The story Of Miss Della BEconis one Of
tho most curious and romantic In the
whole range Of literature. Born III
America Of humble pafentage, and with
social surroundings which SeemOd Alto.
gethef uuiAVorable to the development oI
the passion which mOnOpOlized and final.
" destroyed her life, she threw, herself
body and soul into the study OF ShakS'
peare. We doubt whether all the editors,
commentators and critics that ever en-
plUyed their pens in interpreting the i'm
mortal dranatist, have gone so deep into
the unbelievable ocean of his genius as
this Door woman whose namG, II men
toned at all, is coupled with ridiCule anu
reprOach. She not merely studied Shaks,
peare, she absorbed him. Not a, line, not
a word he wrote that she did not examine
aud weigh with religious care; nothing
eminated from or connected with him
that she did not, SO to speak, lissect M
der msoroscope; and all other books and
all other men were worthless to her eX'
ccpt us they might contribute 10 9 better
understanding Of that one book, that one
man. Shakspeare's writings wCre her
Bible, and Shakespeare himseli might,Rl i
most he said to be her Coda And yet
Miss Bacon firmly aud COnsoleu lpusY
believed that Shakespeare was @ rlYth.ET
Years Of painfully laborious an8iye anH
comparison. had brought her 10 2lle
arrange conclusion that he. WAs' not2tlle
aulh0r Of the works attributed 10 him;
tbGt- be, was Ia, mere man -OE straw
cit up 10 hid ! d hidrc'i llusrious penon'
age, and that this parsonage was Lord
Bacon. She commended that there was u
William Shakespeare, but always spoke
Of him with indignant contempt as tile
old Dlayer," or "Lord Leicester 8 groom;
and R6o prOIessed to end In BacOn,s
Letters, and in sundry dark hints Of bis
contemporaries, confirmation OF her
theory that the heritage OF deathleSs
fame which the proprietor Of the Globe
theatre has won, belonged OF right 70
him whom Pope calls "thC wiscst,
brightest, meanesL Of mankind" so
thoroughly did this idel take possession
Of her that she imagined the tomb N
SlratiOrd church contained documents
which would put the matter beyond the
shadow Of doubt, and. actually went
there for the purpose Of unGaTthing the
precious deposit and thereby exposing
the gigantic humbug which had so long
imposed upon Credulous world. But
she did not disturb tho dust Of Lord
Leicester's groom" perhaps the ViGor-
Gus curse Inscribed upon the marble
deferred her. Al any rate she went back
To her lonely lodgings in London, and
after much difficulty succeeded in find
iuE publisher for the book which was
intended to demOllsh Shakespeare forever.
The ponderous octave volume was, as
might have been anticipated, total
failure. Nobody read 1t, everybody
abused it, and the harsh, ungenerous
treatment which the offspring OF her
brain received quite upset her reason,
and after lingering harmless maniac q
little while, she died.
Nathaniel HawthornG-thc only person
who appears to have recognized and re-
speCted the real nature OF the woman
concluded his interesting "reminiscences
Of her in these words:
"Butirthe benign spirit 6I Shakespeare takes
care or CoguLERnc0 Of suoh thlngB now, no mas
surely rCQuitcd the injustice she sought % 90
ulul-luu ulku luluHHCC kuAL SUI
tenderness OF love aud pity Of which only hC
could be capable WhAtmAttOrg It, though sho
called him by como Other name? No hHd
wrought greater miracle on her than on all the
world besldcS, This DOWildeT0d Onthua iaat had
recognized depth In tho man whom Bho dc.
crIedWhlch scholars, critics and learned societies
deyOtsd to tho calculation Of hlO unFIYAI0d
reCncP had never imagined to exist there. Shu
had DAid him tho lOltlcAt honor that ali theSC
ages Of rcnoWn have been able TO accumulate
uUon his memory. And when, not many months
aitCF INC outward failure Of her lifelong object
sne passed into tho better world, know no
why No ahould hesitate to believe that tho I'm
mortal poet may have met her at tho threshold
and led her In, rcAssurInG her with friendly an!
comfortable words, and thanking her yet tWlll
emile OF gentle humor IN MS eyes ~ y
thought Of certain mistaken epeSuLAuonsE 70
having interpreted him 10 mankind 70 we'll
We suppose there arc comparativel!
lew of tho moro intelligent readers Q
Shakespeare who have moi, OAone time 9
another, asked themselves the 9nesdo
which laid the foundation Of Miss Bacon
queer hallucinatiOn allow can we rec
onCile Shakespeare, the poet, with whA
We know Of Shakespeare, the man" AM
indeed, II Is u wonderful enigna whicl
may well puzzle us allan enigma whicl
the more We investigate the more |
Cludes our grasp The difficulty Is some
what increased when the only authenti
likeness Of ShakspearG-the bust In Stral
ford church-is looked at through mat