The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
| pressed In twelfth Night where the Duke
Let still the woman take

says to Viola:
Let atill the woman take
An elder than herself: 40 wears sha Ia him:
SO sways che level In her husbands heart.
There are, however, some very striking in
stances Of q reversal Of this order working
| tremendously. DR., Johnson married a woman
twenty years older than himself. He loved
her sincerely, and never ceased to mourn her
death. When this occurred he YVES forty
three, and yet he remained wdower, dying
at the age of s'venty-six. John Howard,
when very young man, married widow
twenty years his senior. This was an expires
sion of his gratitude for her kindness and at
tention during a severe illness. They lived in
great harmony until her death, which oc-
Cured q few years afterward second
union was also sundered by death, and then
Howard entered on that career Of philarl-
thropy which has rendered his name Inn
mortal It may be added that John Wilkes,
the noted political leader In London a century
ago, married woman ten years his senior.
Mohammed's first and favorite wife, Cadijah.
was fifteen years older than her husband.
10 this II might be added that the late Prince
Albert was six months younger than his royal
bride, and a happier union has never been
known i'm all the history of Wintlsor Castle The
brilliant young Benjamin Dlsraeli married
the widow of his friend and patron, Wynd-
ham Lewis, twenty years his elder, and has
remained since her death faithful to her
memory.
Among these horrible perversons of matri-
mony which occasionally deform social his
tory may he mentioned the instance of Dean
Swift and Stella. The mystery Of Swift's
conduct has never been explained but some
have extenuated its worst features ~ the
plea Of lifelong insanity. Stella Miss John
SOM was Induced To leave England and take
up her residence near hls own lin Dublin In
hopes Of a speedy marriage After seventeen
years of painful delay she was allowed ~ be-
come his wife, with the stipulation that they
were still to live apart and never to meet ex-
capt In the presence of q third person. The
history of "Nannessa also occurs In this
connection. and may simply be mentioned as
aggrava'ing the horrible and unnatural base
nrss of Swifts character.
Southey loved Edith Frieker. hut both were
poor and he was obliged to leave home (Btis-
tod IN order to accept an appointment in Por
tugal. Just before the vessel sailed they
formed their hands in matrimonial bonds,
the reason being IN order to permit the one to
receive remittances from the other without
scandal. Sonthey returned in six months.
and the union thus begun In poverty was one
~ prolonged happiness. Culorfge married
Sara Fricker. sister to Edith, hut though
more intense In his feelings than Southey, he
was vastly ha inferior in the duties Of do
NESTLE life. II seems strange that the man
who could write:
All thoughts. ell passions oil delights,
Whatever Stir this mortal frame
Are but the minsters of love.
And feed his sacred flame,
should desert his wife and family during half
n lifetime. Only Southey's charity kent the
latter from absolute want. Coletidge, how
ever was the slave of the opium habit. and
this IL sufficient to explain almost any degree
Of domestic neglect. Byron IL another In
stance of one who could write beautifully con
corning love- while his history proved how
little he could appreciate true womanhood.
keen disappointment of their objections were
Irving and Gihbon. both historians who after
ward reached fame. Gray, the author Of the
"Eegy," died a bachelor Of IS, and il ia prob
able that he was a similar victim. Such at
least Is suggested by line in that descrip-
ton of himself which marks the closing por-
ton of the "Elegy:"
Hard by yon wood. now smiling as In scorn
Muuer!ng his hayward fancie4 ha would rove.
Now dfooptng, .woeiul, wan. like one forlorn.
Or erazed with care or crossed in hopeless
love.
As Gray was never "craHed with care. the
latter clause in the verse is the only one that
can be applied to his case. He was of a sus-
ceptthle nature, but poverty stood in the way
Of a domestic life. He had a sure support Al
one Of the fellows Of Cambridge University
hut this would have been forfeited Nv mar
riage. Goldsmith stands on the same list
He was IN love with the beautiful Miss Her
neck whom he fondly termed the "Jessamine
bride, but the slender and uncertain earn
ings of n London literateur in the eighteenth
century were not sufficient TO Justify matri-
mony. Cowper, also, was disappointed In
love, but he found a faithful friend In Mrs
Unwin. whose mtnistrations were of the most
affectionate character.
Pope who is also on the list of literary
bachelors, had deep emotional power, as is
evident from some of his poems. It was
matter of tradition that he was much at
tached to Martha Blount, TO whom he not
only addressed poem but bequeathed his
entire estate He, however, was an invalid,
and spoke Of hts life As a long disease"
fact which may have had great influences In
keeping him celibate. The most incorrg-
ihle aud nnpardonahle 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 object of the af-
iections. On one occasion meeting Flaxman,
who was then young sculptor struggling
for a position, he exclaimed, well, sir,
learn that you have married. If SO. YOU are
ruined for an artist" Flaxman h viewer.
proved by his success that such was not the
case.