New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-16

ana YET ne renamed q W1Q0Wef, dying
at the age Of seventy.six. John How
ard, when q very young man, married
aWidow twenty years his senior. This
was aD expression Of his gratitude for
her kindness and attention during 8
severe illness. They lived ii great
harmony until her death, which oc-
CURED few years afterward. A SEQ
ond union was also sundered by death,
and then Howard entered on that ca
reer of philanthropy which has rem
dered his name immortal. It may be
added that John Wilkes, the noted po-
litical leader in London century ago,
marrieu q woman ten years his senior.
Mahomet's first and favorite wife, Cad
ijah, was fifteen years older than her
husband. To this it might be added
that the late Prince Albert was six
months younger than his royal bride,
and q happier union has never been
known in all the history Of Windsor
Castle.
While speaking on this theme, refer
ence may be made to the method which
the eccentric Thomas Day practiced to
obtain wife. He lived In England
during the last century, and was noted
for his benevolence as we'll as for his
peculiar views on social questions.
Being in want of q helpmeet he select
ed two poor girls whom he educated
with the expectation of making achoice
out of the pair. Although q man Of
learning he had not discovered that
love is not always controlled by the
will or even by a sense of duty. Neither
of the girls cared to accept their bene-
factor as a lover, and he very sensibly
allowed them to marry as they chose,
giving to each suitable portion. He
afterward married lady of similar
views with his own, and the union was
one of highly felicitous character.
Day is known as the author of Stanford
and Merton which stills retains dis
tinction in juvenile literature.
Among those horrible perversions of
matrimony which occasionally deform
social history may be mentioned the in
stance of Dean Swift and Stella. The
mystery of Swift's conduct has never
been explained, but some have extenu-
ated its worst features by the plea of
lifelong insanity. Stella (Miss John
sony was induced to leave England and
take up her residence near his own lin
Dublin) in hopes of q speedy marriage.
After seventeen years of painful delay
she was allowed to become his wife
with the stipulation that they were still
to live apart and never to meet except
in the presence of third person. The
history of "Vanessa'' also occurs in
this connection, and may simply be
mentioned as aggravating the horrible
and unnatural baseness of Swift's char
acter.
A sketch of literary marriages would
hardly be complete without reference
to Southey. He loved Edith Fricker,
but both were poor, and he was obliged
to leave home (BristoD in order to &C.
cept an appointment in Portugal. Just
before the vessel sailed they joined
their hands in matrimonial bonds, the
reason being in order to permit the one
to receive remittances from the other
without scandal. Southey returned in
six months, and the union thus begun
in poverty was one of prolonged happi-
ness. Coleridge married Sara Fricker,
sister of Edith, but though more in
tense in his feelings than Southey, he
was vastly his inferior in the duties Of
domestic life. 1t seems strange that
the man who could write.
All thoughts, all passions. all delights,
Whatever stir this mortal frame,
Are but the ministers Of love,
And feel his sacred flame.
should desert his wife and family dur
ing half a lifetime. Only Southey's
charity kept the latter from absolute
want. Coleridge, however, was the
slave of the opium habit, and this is
sufficient to explain almost any degree
of domestic neglect. Byron is another
instance of one who could write beauti-
fully concerning love, while his history
proved how little he could appreciate
true w0manhood. =
Among those men of genius who felt
the keen disappointment of their affec-
tons were Irving and Gibbon, both
historians, who afterward reached fame.
Gray. the author of the Elegy, died
bachelor of tifty-tive, and it is probable
that he was similar victim. Such at
least is suggested by line in that de.
scription of himself which marks the
closing portion of the Elegy:
Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
Muttering his hayward fancies he would rove,
How dropping, woeful, wan. like one forlorp,
As Gray was never "crazed with
care,' the latter clause in the verse is
the only one that can be applied to his
case. He was of susceptible nature,
but poverty stood in the way of do
mestic life. He had sure support as
one of the "fellows'' of Cambridge
University, but this would have been
forfeited by marriage. Goldsmith
stands on the same list. He was in
love with with the beautiful Miss Her
neck, whom he fondly termed the
"Jessamine bride, !" but the slender and
uncertain earnings of London litera-
teur in the eighteenth century were not
sufficient to justify matrimony. Cow
per also was disappointed in love, but
he found q faithful friend in Mrs. I'm
win, whose ministrations were of the
most atfectionate character.
Pope, who is also on the list Of litera-
ry bachelors, had deep emotional pow
er, as is evident from some Of his
poems. It is matter of tradition that
he was much attached to Martha
Blount, to whom he not only addressed
a poem, but also bequeathed his entire
estate. He, however, was an invalid.
and spoke of his life as ..long dis.
ease," fact which may have had great
influence in keeping him a celibat.
The most incorrigible and unpardona-
bic bachelor of genius was Sir Joshua
Reynolds, the famous painter, whose
immense wealth deprived him of anv
such excuse as has just been mentioned.
He was, however, intensely devoted to
art, and had no room for any other OBJ
ject of the affections. On one occa-
sion, meeting Flaxman, who was then
young sculptor struggling for posi-
ton, he exclaimed. g Well, sir, learn
that you have married. II SO, you are
ruined for an artist" Flaxman, how
ever, proved by his success that such
was not the case.-M. ?. Cor. Troy
Times.