Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-12-12
THE LIBRARY COURSE,
Lecture by Mr.. George Dawson, on ''The
Wives of Great Men

English lecturer, Mr. George Dawson, who was to
make his last bow to an American audience before
embarking to cross the Atlantic to his "home be-
You'd the seas.
Mr.. Dawson ON making his appearance had a
most kindly greeting. He is a well built gentle
man of some fifty years Of age, with the unmstak-
able air of an Englishman, quite handsome face,
with fine, regular features, full beard, forehead
partly concealed by thick grey hair. His voice is
rich and musical (all except the hoarseness) utter
ances district and we think his great power lies
in talking TO the people, instead of at them.
Mr. Dawsons subject, as previously announced,
was "1he Wives of Great Men, A good deal Of
the lecture devoted to the great men, them
selves. lie said that the time when women com
menced to be run do @n began early, and when it
will end he could not tell. "Nsin and foppish
men will be degraded after death to the forms Of
women, and if they do not make great efforts TO
retrieve themselves they will become birds."
Another Greek said Better that one man should
! be born than thousand women. a German
proverb says marriage is misery. said the
lecturer: "All this now would be very sad. On
the other side of the page there Is stream Of
praises of women as long, as hearty, and, hope,
more true. The pretty things men have sand Of
women do not intend to tell you, because all of
| us are too fond of compliments by nature. one of
the most delightful love passages ever written in
this world occurs very early. You viii find it in
| the Book Of Genesis, where it says zone Of the
patriarchs served seven years for Rachel, but for
the love that he bore her the seven
years seemed but as one day." No love poet has
ever said anything more beautiful than that Per-
haps you wilt think to find what women ought to
be by looking at the wives of great men who have
| made such admirable choice. Perhaps YOU think
that the collection of wives of great men would be
a collection Of angels. | am sorry to tell you that
| great men have been served very much small
men. Some Of these marriages have been admir-
| able, and great many miserable. He considered
the question whether any principle uuderlies mar
| riages which makes them happy or miserable
That principle he believed to be a thorough under
standing OF the word Friendship" in its great old
| sense. 1t Is mans great prerogative the noblest
privilege, the most blessed gift. 1t is the drawing
together Of two persons, through their free will en-
tirely, witaout compulson. 1t is necessary to the
most digliiie relation. in life. This friendship is
necessary TO marriage. Where great mems mar
| riages have been noble, there has been such
| friendship that they would have formed such a
| friendship had they rot been married.
| Mr.. Dawson related first the circumstances con-
ncc;ed with four clerical marriages. When Lu-
ther married the eX-nun Catharlna Won Bora, peo-
| pie said their marriage was such an abomnation
| that it was sure to be followed by a Judgment.
| This predicted Judgment was like a camp-rockct
1t would not 90 oil and 1t did not 90 off, for in
stead of that, it was followed by OF the lowell
est and most gracious pictures of household life to
| be found IN the annals of men and women. Lu-
| Tiers married life was charming. His wites
| Outstanding was not great, ''but she had under
Standing enough TO understand that her husband
understood more than she understood, and that is
|
| loved her. His house a resort Of artists,
sIcians, scholars and divnes and things interested
her that interested him, as far the care Of the
| little children would allow. The household of
Luther Is picture Of what married life ought to
| be.
The married life Of the English divine, Richard
| Hooker, the "judicious Hooker as he is called,
was then described as being less happy. The
name ''judicious" hardly applied in relation to his
| selection of wife When preaching at st. Paul's
| he tnnk IN lola ar q "a
| mites House, where preachers lived, and was per-
suaded by the arful landady that il was best for
him to have wife that might prose nurse to
| him, such an one as might Prolong his life and
make it more comfortable, and lch an one as ste
could and would provide for him if he thought fit
| to marry. The niudciOus preacher consented.
| The landlady departed, and led to him when she
| returned young woman who eventually proved
| TO be none other than her own daughter silly,
| ciowni,h woman" His marriage a mean
misery. lis wife had way of inteITupting him
when receiving calls from learned men, Crammer
| and others, and commanding him with voice OF
wre and a face OF vinegar to rock the baby
| She was Ike Socrates wife, Nantippe, fearful
| woman. Hookers marriage was a mean misery.
| He never would have been friends with his wife
had he lived till the day of Judgment, and would
not have STAYED with her n. all had he not been
| married o her.
| Mr. Dawson next referred TO the experience of
Richard Baxter, the English nonconioImist cler-
| gyman and theological writer. Richard Baxter
| married woman who was a parlsinoner OF his.
| she was much younger than he, and 20 her sur
| prise found that her heart was opening 10 him.
| They married, having previously entered INTO an
| agreement, she promising not to bother HIM with
her money matters and not to require one hour OF
him which ought to be gwen to ministerial matters.
| Their marriage was perfect. 1hey were friends,
| and such friends thst had they not been marl led
| they would have been together
Wesley had no power of governing women.
| Wien he came to church he came to preach the
| gospel of the new Testament. lie was a high
| churchmap, as we should say now. He came to
| America and made the acquaintance Of sophia
Cumston. lie became her lover, her spiritual as
| tor, her master, her teacher But there was
falling out" and Wesley returned to England
| and married widow lady. Then followed
| storm, windy and tempe.tuous, and his married
| life ended with separation.
| John Millions marriage was most melancholy,
| he living with mere girl, who soon after they
| were married cried for her me ther sent lone,
and subsequently when the tide turned and her
political party was going down, and when there
was news that this great, strong and noble man
| was going to take another woman, she came back,
| and on her knees with streaming eyes, supplica-
| tions and other feminine arts, persuaded him to
take her back. lie did so, but took no JOY when
| he took her.
| Samuel johnson married widow who piled
| him and he began TO love. 1t is dangerous
| thing when a woman begins TO pity and the man
to love. lie was young and poor For a while
| they lived together, but poverty compelled her to
go home and him to 90 to London. The story is
| told of Garrick, who was then famous, asking
johnson if he remembered when he went 10 Lon
don with only two shllngs in his pocket. "Oh
no. was the reply, 81 had soveiegn-you only
! had two shillings.'
| Johnson's wife died before he could bring her
to his home. She was kind old piece of goods
at best. She had loved him because of poverty,
and he never forgot her. When the anniversary
of her death rolled around he wrote in his diary
how he passed it with tears and cries." He
prayed for her, that she might have repose in the
| unseen world.
| The lecturer reviewed the married lives of the
artist Albert Durer, the sculptor John Flaxman,
Thomas Moore, Lord and VIM. Russell. In con-
Guiding he said 81 leave you to judge whether or
no the principle laid down has anything in it or
not Hyou think am ight, then say it is time
to take warning, and if is too late tor YOU take
| warning, you can warn Others"
City Loans.
The general editor of the Maine Farmer, hav-
ing looked up his law, says, in the last issue of
that paper, that he finds the decision of the Su-
preme Court of the United States to which he re