The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-07
DISRAELI'S WIFE.
THE CAREER OF Il sTATESMAN'S
SPOUSE.

L
The London Times, of December 16, In an
nouncing, editorially, the death of Lady Bea
consaeld, the wife of Mr.. Disratll, says:
Thus closes, in the tulness of years, lie
which has exerted no inconslderaoie lnnuence
on English politics. She stands ont sLriS'
ing illustration OF The power lne mosI unoo'
trusive of women may exercise Wnlle Keeping
herself strictly to wopan's spnere. LooH,
ing back on the long and senae1 IL sonrsa "
nature. we are Irresistbly reminded OF the
feelings expressed by Mohammed when the
| Prophet of the Faithful lost the loving woman
| he mad married in days oil comparative oo-
scurity. "By God" he exclaimed IN an out.
burst of regretlul gratitude, as ne raised ner
soemnly 70 the rank OF the four periect
women: ..bv God, there never can be better
| wife. She believed in me when men
| Sesnised me. She relieved my wants
when I was poor and prosecuted oy tne
Worldn 1t was deep-seated. kindly
sentiments OF the sort which made Mr. Dsraeil
| the devoted husband Lady Beaconsneln i0uno
ear yebemence in reproof OF an indiscreet ac-
ouaintance who venlured indelicately on per
sonaI ground. His wife had come TO his help
,vhen life threatened to be too short 10 assure
him The prospect he had dreamt OF. AT length
he had taken his seat In Parliament. he
came 10 it conscious of the possession oil no
ordinary political talents, aud OF the rarer
gifts which should make great party leahel; haj
he had always believed in himself, and nad
never scrupled to proclaim his fatn ostenta'
tionsly, he knew himself to combine origl-
nality and versatility, with absolute lndepen-
dence of thought and o contemptuous lndlt-
ference 10 party tradition. He had cast IL his
lot with the Conservatives, and those were
the very qualities TO enable man TO rally
beaten party upon new ground aaS 70 Igas
advance. But time was everything 10 MIN,
and the precious time was slipping away fast.
As vet he sat almost alone; he had few irlends
and no intmates. Ancient as 1t was, bis
birth was against him-the country gentle
men would have been slow 10 ADMIT 10
companionship q llneal descendant even
of the Maccaoees-so were ms oress anu
demeanor, the style of his speech, and even
mis- somewhat eccentric literary reputation.
More than that, he had already Jailed In the
House, to the disappointment OF the political
chief who had expected great things OF him:
he felt, In short, that he was regarded
askance as an unsuccessful adventurer. Had
the leaders of his party been 10 the secret OF
his aspirations, they would have scofled ut
them as the insane Visions of all enthusiast.
Believing in himself more firmly than ever,
his strong common sense could only tend 10
discourage him on nearer View OF the dif1-
culties before him. With time aud patience
he might win, no doubt; but who could say
the Time would be given him? Life is preca.
rlous; anxiety and disappointment tell terri
bly on q sanguine and ardent nature. lit
tie OF the material prosperity that seemed the
common lot of the lucker men around him
would make all the difference; for England
then, more than now, insisted upon high
property qualification as material guarantee
ior the virtue OF her statesmen. When he
might we'll have deepaired had his nature
been q despondent one. fortunate marriage
smoothed the path OF his ambition.
It Is no fault of ours If We have to write
rather of the husband than the wife. From
their wedding day till now, the existence of
the one was merged in that OF the other. 1t
was their mutual happiness that the vile
lived only In the husband; the husbands eX-
traordinary career was the happy achieve
ment of her life, and 1t was her pride to shine
In the reflection of his fame. She was the
daughter of MIR. John Evans, of Bamptord
Speke, Devon, but had Inherited the bulk OF
her fortune as helress of her uncle, Sir James
Vlney, of Taynton Manor. Glamorganshire. Ia
1916 she had married Mr.. Wyndnam Lewis,
Mr.. Disraeli's predecessor In the representa-.
tion OF Maidstone. Mr. Lewis died In 1888,
and in the following year his widow became
the vile of Mr.. Disrael. Mrs. Dsraei was
many years her second husbands senior;
(when she died she had reached the venerable
age OF eighty -thrse) on the other hand, she
had the money he desired for something bet
ter than sordtd motives. But Mr. Disraeli
was too shrewd man to pay tor name
1t is certain ne chose wisely every way,
and seldom has marriage proved
more of love match than his. We are glad
to believe that The romance Of real life often
begins at the point where it invariably ends In
fcLion. Practical considerations may arrange
preliminaries, and passion only awaken when
the natures that have hidden their softer and
brighter qualities are brought for the first
time into familiar contact. 1t burns with q
steadier and purer fame when 1t Is fed on
esteem rather than transports. Esteem, In
deed, is the most genuine form OF love, and,
as we have seen, Mr.. DlsraeFs esteem for
his wife was heightened by most lively
sense Of gratitude. His gratitude was charac.
terislic OF one who was no ordinary man. 1t
gave evidence Of the nooler qualltles that Sc
cured Lis political success. II flowed In cur.
rent at once steady and calm and deep, and
flowed with force aud constancy of purpose
not 10 be diverted by tee accidents OF his
career. He kept no close debtor aud creditor
account with his conscience, while he passed
from triumph TO triumph. How many hns-
bands, far lees eDgrossed abroad, have
won SUFFICIENT acqulttal of so old a
debt How many content themselves with
leaving their wives to enjoy prosperity In iso-
lation ! Mr.. Dlsraeli did no such thing. al.
though for that he would claim but little credit.
The fact is his wife made his home very happy
one, and he turned TO It's peacefulness with ln-
tense relief In the midst OF fierce political tur-
moil. We are apt 10 forget that most men
lead a double life; that those OF the strongest
natures and sharpest individuality show Them
selves in the most marked contrasts. II was
q pretty sight, that Of the remorseless Parlia-
mentary gladiator, who neither gave quarter
nor asked it, who fought with venomed wea.
pons although he struck fair, and shot barbed
darts which clung and rankled In the wounds
it was pretty sight to see him In the SOIL
sunshine OF domestic life, anticipating the
wishes of his wife with feminine ten
derness of consideration, aud receiving her
minisJering with the evident enjoyment
which Is the most delicate natiery OF all. The
secret of the spell which she held him by was
a simple one. She lovea with her whole
heart and soul, she believed in him above
all men, and he appreciated at It's
real worth that single-minded, self
sacrificing devotion. 1t Is dlfheult TO over
rate the strength and support given by uu-
stinted love like that, and few, We suspect, ap.
preciate it more than those who would seem
TO need it the least. 1t Is neither counsel nor
sparkle, but observant, ready sympathy that
a man of energy and self-reliance longs for In
moments of exhaustion and depression, and
the more impossible the mask he wears, the
greater the relief OF being able TO drop 1t In
private. Lady BeaconsaeId was very lar from
being O reserved woman. She must have
often talked too last and freely for her hus.
bands liking; occasionally the expressions Of
her artlees admiration OF him were caught up