The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-31
Great Mems Wives.

1t was a saying of Rosseau's that as
man is only what a woman makes
him." and this sentiment is slightly
varied in cur own old English proverb,
which says that " if a man would thrive
he must ask his wife's leave" The
records of history contain numberless
examples of women who have done for
their husbands what Aaron and Hur did
for Moses: they have held up their
hands and supported them at the great,
est crisis of their lives, and so turned
what would have been a failure into
triumph and success. And they con-
tain examples, too, of those who have
accomplished far more difficult task
that of sustaining and cheering when
endeavor and hope were dead. 1t IS
only necessary to mention the names OF
Gertrude Won der Vert and Lady Rachel
Russell in proof of this. 1t may not be
uninteresting to give few instances OF
women in our own generation who
have been to their husbands helpers
and fellow-workers, as well as sympa-
thizing companions, and who have thus
taken a position which is unanimously
acknowledged to be most proud and
honorable one-that of a helpmate
to man. Among these the
name that is first thought of,
probably because it has so recently been
brought before public notice, is that of
Lady Augusta Stanley, the wife of the
Dean of Westminster. Herself the
daughter of peer, and one of the most
intimate of the Queens personal friends,
she possessed largeness of heart and
strength of intellect which won respect
and kindly feeling from all who came
in contact with her. She sympathized
most heartily with her husband both in
thought and work, while the poor of
Westminster found in her tenderness
and kindness a frequent alienation of
their miseries. ..
Every one will remember the testimo-
ny of John Stuart Mill to the world of
his wife, which is to be found i'll the
dedication to her memory printed at the
commencement of one of his essays:
"To the beloved and deplored memory
of her who was the inspirer and in part
the author of all that is best in my writ
ings-the friend and wife whose exalted
sense of truth and right was my strong
est Indictment, and whose appreciation
was my chief reward dedicate this
volume" 1t is said that such was Mr..
Mills sorrow at her death that he con-
tinued to reside at Avignon, the place
where she was buried, so that he might
continually visit her tomb, and he never
ceased to lament her loss.
Thomas Carlyle, one of the greatest
intellectual lights of this century, has
recorded his testimony to the worth of
his wife on her tombstone: "In her
bright existence she had more sorrows
than are common, but also a soft ami
ability, a capacity for discernment, and
a noble loyalty of heart which are rare.
For forty years she was the true and
loving helpmate of her husband, and
by act and word unweariedly forward
ed him, las none else could, in all of wor-
thy that he did or attempted"
The wife of Sir William Hamilton,
Professor of Logic in the University of
Edinburgh, was true helper to her
husband; indeed, it was more than
probable that without her many of his
best works would never have been
written. When he was elected to the
professorship some of his opponents
declared publicly that he would never
be able to fulfill the duties of his posi-
ton, as he was nothing but a dreamer.
He and his wife heard of this and de-
termined to prove that it was not true.
They therefore arranged to work to-
gether. Sir William wrote out roughly,
each day, the lecture that was to be
given the next morning; and as he
wrote his wife copied it out; and again
and again they sat up writing till far
into the night. When Sir William was
strnck down with paralysis, the result
of overwork, Lady Hamilton devoted
herself entirely to him-wrote for him,
read for him, and saved him in every
way.
John FlaXman, the soul ptOr, had
made considerable progress in his work
when he married Anne Denman, no.
ble-spirited, intelligent woman, full of
love for art, and with an intense admir-
alton for him as an artist. 1t happened
that soon after the event he met Sir
Joshua Reynolds, in whose opinion no
man could hope to be an artist who did
not devote himself entirely to art, and
who had not studied patiently and rev.
erently the works of the great masters
in Italy itself.
"WeD, Flaxman "said Sir Joshua, 81
hear you are married. You are ruined
for an artist"
Flaxman went straight TO his wife
and said to her
"Anne, am ruined for an artist"
"Who has ruined you, JohnP"
"It happened in church," he replied,
Z" and Anne Denman has done it,
He then told her what Sir Joshua had
said, and added, 81 should like to have
been a great artist"
"And so you shall be, and go to
Rome too, if that will make you one"
"How?" said Flaxman.
"Work and econOmize,n she replied.
81 will never have it said that Anne
Denman ruined John Flaxman for an
artist"
And so the brave couple did work
and economic. They worked patient
ly and hopefully for five years, never
asked help from any one, never men
toned their intentions to any one, and
at ldsG went together 10 home, Wnere
Flaxman studied and worked to such
purpose that he achieved both fame and
competency. His success was not
shared to the full, however, by his faith
full wife, for she died many years be-
fore him.
The wife of the late Dr. auckland
considerably assisted her husband in
his labOrs. She used to write from his
dictation for hours at time. She her
self furnished many of the drawings
with which his works are illustrated,
and she skillfully and dexterously mend
ed many of the fossils which but for her
would have been useless.
The wife of Faraday was true help
er to her husband. After twenty-eight
Z / i