The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-03

April 1915. ~ l35,0IllS o.
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"Reminiscences of Mrs. Browning.
1t must be at least thirty years ago that
| was startled by new pleasure-a pub
lished ballad, signed, think, with only in
itals--in the Men Monthly Magazine
1.-THE Romaunt of Margaret got it by
heart if copied it once, | copied it ten
times, and must have made myself nui-
sance, as immature enthusiasts are apt to
do, by talking of it, in season and out of
season, as an appearance of q strange,
selling, original genius. | was doubted
and put aside accordingly, in obedience to
| English law and usage, which Gas it were)
make us set our teeth and lean our backs
| against the door whenever the same is to
| be opened to real novelty. The chance,
however, that brought me to the knowl-
edge of that muniflcent man and indulgent
| friend, John Kenyon, Miss Barretts rea-
tive, brought me also the privilege of wr-
| ting to one whom | so sincerely admired,
| and of being on the list of those to whom
she was willing to write. In those days
| no other intercourse was possible for she
was an invaid-thought to be a hopeless
one-as such, not to be intruded on (were
the candidates as perscvering, gifted and
charming as the American "interviewers'O
save by very few old friends.
Her letters ought to be published. In
power, versatility, liveliness and finesse; in
perfect originality of glance, and vigor of
grasp at every topic of the hour in their
enthusiastic preferences, prejudces and in
constituencies, l have never met with
any written by men or by women, more
brilliant spontaneous and characteristic. This
was her plan of conversation. have never
done duty more against the grain than in
restoring those addressed to me to their
rightful possessor-the true poet whom she
married, after AN intimacy suspected by
none save a very few, under circumstances
J of no ordinary romance, and in marrying
whom she secured for the residue of her
amount of happiness delightful to think of,
as falling to the lot of one who, from a
darkened chamber had still exercised such
} a power of delighting others. 1t was
more like fairy tale than anything in real
life have ever known, to read, one morn
ing in the papers,of her marriage with the
I author of ''Paracelsus," and to learn, in the
, course of the day, that not only was she
married, but that she was absolutely on hel
way to Italy. The emergency and resolu
l ton implied were amazing on the part Of
Y one who had long, as her own poems tell
9 us, resigned herself to lie down and die
l cannot recollect when l have been more
: moved and excited by surprise, beyond thu
4 circle of my immediate hopes and fears
Every letter of hers from Florence told mi
of one prospect after another Frightening
of one hope after another fulfilled-tolC
with piquant originality and prejudice
+ not to be overstated or under-praised.
@ never met Mrs. Browning face TO fac
:, till after her return to England. The tint
is too recent for me to tell how we meta
G correspondents who had become friends
n And her indulgent friendship never faie'
eR enc 81 OF Option concerning matter whc
= she took terribly to hcart-thc strange
l. weird question of mcsmerism, includn
l. clalrvoyance. To the marvels of these tw
: phenomena admitting both as incomplet
=. discoveries) she lent an ear as credulous a
" her trust was sincere and her heart high
C minded. But with women far more ea
C perenced in falsity than one so noble an
J.. one who had been SO secluded from tn
;, world as herself, after they have ono
crossed the threshold, there is seldom
e chance of after-retreat. Only they be
:, come bewlldered by their tenacious notion
A of loyalty. 1t is over these very best an
y most generous of their sex that impostor
have the most power They are n
i matches, as men are, for these miserabl
G creatures who creep about with insinua
:, ting manners, and would pass off legerde
= main, the tricks of cup and ball, for real
portentous discoveries.
0 l have never seen one more nObly simple
G more entirely guiltless of the feminn
propensity of talking for effect, NOR
earnest in assertion, more gentle yet per
6 tinacious in differences, than she was
# Like all whose early nurture has chief
h been from books, she had child's curios
;, ty regarding the life beyond her books
. consisting with opinions accepted as Gel
), tainties concerning things of which (eve
10 with the intuition of genius) she coul,
/, know little. She was at once forbearin
4 anu uOSuIutlC, NlllluS " uCCCpJ ulllclCuCCs
" resolute to admit no argument withou
If any more practical knowledge of soca
VI life than nun might have when, afte
!. long years, she emerged from her cloiste
and her shroud. How she used her e1
periences as a great poetess is to be fe
and is evidenced in her "Aurora Leigh,
after every allowance has been made fo
n an extreme fearlessness in certain passage
10 of the story and forms of expression, an
# that want of finish in execution with whic
' almost all her efforts are chargeable.
te The success of "Aurora Leigh" (wit
= all its drawbacks) was immediate, widt
At and conceive, IS one like to last. TIL
" noble and imprisoned passages whic
d print themselves on memory as | hui
re- ried through the tale, carried alon
n by its deep interest, the brillianc
r. Of alusion, the felicity of description, SEPT
at rate it from any effort of the kind which
:. could name. Those who care for compar
II son may come to something like right al
probation of this poem, on comparing
IN with efforts in the same form by M. i
4. Lamartine, or an English novel in vers
" which followed it by the accomplished br
initiative author of "Lucille." In Mrs
Browning's ballad poems the same pr
eminence in fantasy may be ascrbed
her | refer to the "Rhyme of the Duel
It. ess of May" "The Brown Rosario" "Tl
at Romaunt of the Page" ''Lady Geraldine
;. Courtships," and "Bertha in the Lane
1t is idle to talk of hating tones and o,
casonal platitudes (what fertile writer hi
n been exempt from them y when so muo
vigor and variety are to be counted on IL
other side of the question. Some of Mr.
Brownings minor lyrics can hardly be c.
ceeded in beauty and tenderness. The ver
from one entitled "Sleeping and Watcl