The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-02-12
GENIUS AND MARRIAGE.
Points for Ladies Welded to Ext 'emsly
Clever Husbands.
Lessons Drawn from the Matrimonial
Experiences Of Several Dis
tinguished Men.
chambers Journal


1t has been said by George Sand that love
and courtship end together; SO that he who
would be always in love must be ever
wooer. Such, however, was not the opinion
Of the famous physician, DIR. Alternately,
whose courtship, like his prescriptions, was
short and to the point The doctor had been
attending lady for several weeks and had
observed during those hurried visits certain
qualities in the daughter which he consId-
cred would render her invaluable as wife.
Accordingly on a Saturday, when taking
leave of his patient, he addressed her to the
following purport: You are now so well
that need not see you after Monday next,
when shall come to pay you my farewell
visit. But in the meantime 1 wish you aud
your daughter seriously to consider the pro-
posal l am now about to make. 1t is abrupt
and unceremonlous, l am aware; but
the excessive occupation of my time by
my professional duties affords me no
leisure to accomplish what l desire
by the more ordinary course of attention
and solicitation. My annual receipts
amount to - pounds, and l can settle
pounds on my wife; my character is
generally known to the public, SO that You
may readily ascertain what it is. / have seen
in your daughter tender and affectionate
child, an assiduous and careful nurse, and
gentle and ladyiike member of family.
Such person must be all that a husband
could covet, and / offer my hand and for
tune for her acceptance. On Monday, when
1 CALL shall expect your determination; for
T Co., ~ ze
courtship." It would have been interesting
to know how this wasreceived by the patient
and her daughter. The blunt intimation of
annual receipts; the "my character is known
to the public, SO you may readily ascertain
what it isl then the declaration, "and no
tims for courtship;" shall expect an an
swer on Monday" all this must have been
somewhat startling to the patient s'who was
now so we'll" To medical men, who above
all others long TO kill two birds with one
stone, the above prescription may prove a
useful one. and might with advantage be
placed in the Pharmacopoea 1t was at least
thoroughly successful in the case recorded,
for happier couple never existed.
JoHNsoS's WIFE.
A woman of mean intelligence. one
might imagine. would seldom be chosen by
men OF great intellect as lifelong com pam
ion. Yet such meselliances seem to be the
most fascinating for our greatest geniuses
The wife OF DR.. Johnson is described as
vulgar woman. She was so years of age
when the doctor, (who was only 271 married
her, and according to Garrick she was very
fat, with swelled cheeks of fiorid red pro-
duced by thick painting, and increased by
the liberal use of cordials. She was fiaring
and fantastic in her dress, and affected bo til
IN her speech and general behavior 1t must
no ad dpNiftad hnUavar that Tnh0ao,, n, al q
was not altogether a "braw wooer'' He
was then" Miss Porter (the lady's daughter)
tells us, "lean and lank, so that his immense
structure of bones was hideously striking
to the eye, and he often had seemingly con-
yulsive starts and odd gesLiculaiions, which
tended to excite at once surprise and ridi-
cule." But as johnson said to Beauclerk
with much gravity: "Sir. it was a love mar
riage on both sides" 1t certainly was on
the doctors part, and his affection and es-
TEEN for ''Tetsy'' remained as strong up to
the day of her death as it was on that OF
their marriage.
But if johnson, with his rugged exterior,
could scarcely hope for great prizs in the
lottery, no such reward can be made of the
courtly, handsome, intellectual Goethe.
This great man, an intimate friend of his
Prince. and the idol of the Weimar court,
was captivated by his girl in humble life,
whose father was q drunkard and who her.
| self made artificial flowers for livelihood.
So sensible was the girl of the mesalliance
that she herself refused Goethe's offer of
marriage. The marriage did take place.
however, but not till the lapse OF years had
stolen away all her charms, and the family
Observation-Disclosures seized upon
her. Still Goeths's affection remained, and
the great poet worked patiently, if sorrow.
| fully, by the side of a foolish and drunken
wife.
RoUsssEAU's BRIDE.
! Such another bride did Rousseau choose
| and he himself gives the following account oi
| her abilities. 81 wished from the first to
form her mind, but my toll was in vain, |
do not blush to avow that she has never been
able to read; though she writes fairly. When
| l went to live in the Rue des Petits Champs
there was a clock opposite my windows upon
which l strove to teach her the hours foI
more than month. She does not quitS
know them now (after twenty years. She
has been able to follow the ordel
of the twelve months of the year;
and knows not how to do the simplest sum
notwithstanding all the trouble have taker
to tesch her. She does not know how to
count money, and has no idea of what co!r
| to give or how much change to get back il
any marketing transaction. What she say.
is often the opposite of what she wishes te
saw At one time made a dictionary of hel
phrases for the amusement of Madame d,
! Luxe mbourg; and her Qui pro quo have be
| come celebrated in the CIRCLES Ifrequented.'
One would think that with such a catalogue
of defects the husband could scarcely muct
esteem the wife; what follows sufficiently
enlightens us on this point. 'But this per
son, so shallow, so stupid if you will, is ar
excellent adviser upon difficult occasions
Often it has happened In Switzerland, II
England and in France, in the misfortune
which had overtaken me, she has given m.
advice which was the best in the circum
stances; she has removed me from danger
into which / was blindly rushing; and befor,
women of the highest rank, before noble!
and princes, her good sense, her replies ant
her conduct, inspired universal esteem; ant
compliments. which L knew to be sincere
were repeatedly addressed to me upon he
merit" And TO the end of his life the phi
losopher loved aud admired his Therese, a.
he did in his younger days when they lives
in their Parisian garret, looking for hour
together upon the pale moon, until tn
/ 10