Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-04-21

advances. The marriage was ill-choser, =
the new wife proving an unkind step-moth
er, and an uncomfortable companion 70
God win.
The years. as they now passed, were un
eventful. There was the same devotion t
literary labor as of old, resulting in con
tinual production of new works of variou.
character. Mrs. Goodwin found employ
ment for her activities in the establishment
of circulating library. and small pub
fishing house. which. in the end. failed dis.
astrously. In the meantime the two daugh.
tiers of Mary Wollstonecraft were going up
into womanhood. Fanny, the elder. was a
bright, amiable. and attractive girl, who
BY her loving and gentle disposition, con-
tributed greatly to Godwin's happiness.
Mary was less docile. but her beauty and
brilliant talents, recalling the beloved
mother. especially endeared her to her
fathers heart. In 1913, when Mary was
constant guest at Godwin's house. He
then first made the acquaintance of the
young girl, and interested in her genius and
her generous character, he contracted a
friendship for her that swiftly ripened into
love. Mary was unhappy in her home. and -,
to avoid the stepmother whom she disliked,
1t was her daily custom to spend her leisure
with her books by her mothers grave
Here Shelley followed her, and here - she
placed her hand in his, and linked her for
tunes with his own"
When Goodwin discovered the intimacy. he
sternly demonstrated with both Shelley and
Mary. and the former no longer visited his
house. But the discovery of their alta CHI
ment came too late. Itwas directly follow
ed by the elopement of the poet with bis
daughter. The intercourse between God
win and Mary, interrupted by this event,
was not resumed until after her marriage to
Shelley, on the death of the poet S first wife,
in 1916. II October of the last-named year.
Fanny Goodwin committed suicide in lit of
melancholy; and, one month later, Harriet,
the deserted and miserable wife OF Shelley,
drowned herself in the Serpentine. There
was now no obstacle to legal union be-
tween Shelley and Mary and, upon this
being effected, Goodwin once more found
comfort in the relation of parent to his
child.
From this time on until Godwin's death
in 1896, there occurred few events in his
history on which one may dwell with graft
fcation. The concluding twenty years of
his life were mostly given over to painful
struggles With pecunlary embarrassments,
which had sadly deter:Orating effect upon
his character His friends continued faith
fll, but poverty constrained him to dwell in
much seclusion. In 1882 Government
Office was bestowed upon him, which placed
him in a condition OF ease, and in the brief
term left there was a happy respite from
carking cares. Goodwin was buried by the
side of Mary Wolls,onecraft, in Old ST.
Panerss churchyard but, when the resting
place OF the dead was disturbed BY the en-
trance Of railways into Its precincts. the
remains of the illustrious pair were remoy-
ed TO Bournemouth churchyard. where
Mary Shelley had already been laid. Pa
rents and child now sleep side by side, with
one tombstone marking the spot, and bear
ing the names of the three. In the ances-
tral mansion near by, the home of Sir Percy
Shelley. the only surviving child Of Mary
Shelley, the ashes Of her husband are en-
shrined in silver urn. The heart of the
poet, taken from the body previous to ere
nation. was alone buried in the grave at
Rome