Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-06-20

SO much has been said concerning the do
nestle infelicities of eminent men of all times
and countries, that many have been led TO
believe that those Of great endowment find
nothing but misery and discomfort in their
matrimonial ventures, making far worse mis-
takes than do those in the lower and obscure
walks of life. Celebrated men-kings in the
domain of science, literature, art philosophy
seem to have shown the same diversity Of
taste in choosing wives as do those unknown
to fame but, it is scarcely to be doubted
that for every instance of conjugal misery
which has fallen to their portion, an equal
number Of cases could be found in which n
large share of happiness has been youchsafed
to them. What manner of women do great
men marry Let MS see: -
John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost
married the daughter of country squire
From all accounts, she appears to have been
nn Ignorant, pleasure-loving girl fond of
balls and dancing, as unsuitable a person as
well could be for the wife of grave austere
student. The gloom and solitude of her
husbands house soon became intolerable to
her. and after brief sojourn there, she went
on a visit to her parents, refusing to return
to him. The breaking out of civil war, how
ever, at last drove her back to the shelter of
her husbands roof, beneath which she re-
mained until her death Milton's other mar
riages were little more fortunate, and his
last days were embittered by continual strife
between wife aud step-daughters.
If the first marriage of Shelley was an ILL
advised affair. his second one was a model
union. Harriet Westbrook, his first wife,
was an ignorant, commonplace schoolgirl of
IT, totally incapable of understanding so d-
vinely gifted a man. There is such a
thing" says Hamerton, in his admirable pa
per on Women and Marriage, 'as the intel
lectual marriage, in which the intellect itself
is married" Shelleys union with Mary God
win seems to have been one of this kind
With an intellect SCARCELY inferior to his own
she combined the graces and virtues of q true
woman. Shelley once wrote to her MY
greatest delight would be utterly to desert
all human society. l would retire with you
and our child to solitary island in the sea !;
would build a boat and shut upon my retreat
the food g..i,s of the world. would read
no reviews, talk with no authors If l dared
trust my Imagination. it would tell me that
there are one or two other companions be-
side yourself whom l should desire but to
this | would not listen where two or three
are gathered together, the devil is among
them"
Tradition tells us that Dante married a
shrew, who led him a terrible life. Domen-
ichino the celebrated artist, found his fate
in a woman of similar character 1t is said
that the wife of Whitlock took delight in
destroying his manuscript and the marks of
her nails have come down to posterity in the
numerous lacerations still to be seen in his
Memorials
The wife of Peter Paul Reubens was n
model of goodness and womanly devotion.
At the height of his prosperity and glory, he
was plunged into the deepest grief by her
death. He thus writes of her Il have lost
an excellent companion. Through my rea-
son alone she would have been dear to me,
for she had none of the faults of her sex-no
ill-t"mprr, no female foibles, nothing but
goodness and d,licacy."
The great DR.. johnson married a buxom
widow, old enough to have been his mother.
Despite the great differences in their ages
they lived very happily together; and bi-
ographer informs us that he continued to be
under the illusions of the wedding day till
the lady died, in her Gath year, her husband
being but 81.
Talleyrand, the brilliant diplomatist, mar
ried n lady of considerable beauty but she
was far from being clever, as the following
story will show A certain Sir George Robin
son, who had travelled in the East, being in
vitcd to dine at the minister's house, Talley-
rand said to his wife, II will leave book for
you on my study-table please read it, and
you will then be able TO talk to Sir George
when he comes" Talleyrand forgot to leave
the book, however, and the wife, anxious to
please her liege lord searched about the
study, and finding the adventures of Robin
son Crusoe, at once concluded that the author
was their expected guest; and when Sir
George made his appearance, he was much
astonished when his beautiful hostess piled
hat
Friday"
John Wesley, the founder of Methodsm
after numerous love affairs, in which he ex-
hibited wOful amount of vacillation and in
decision, the like of which is hardly met with
in the annals of courtship, married the wo-
man who nursed him through long illness.
A lively writer thus tells the story '"There
was the slippery bridge, the sprained ankle,
and the Widow Yazeille lying in wait to nurse
him, and it was all over with John Wesley.
In eight days from the sprained ankle, she
and her four children were married to him.
She robbed him, she wounded him, she Sc
cretly sped upon him, she searched his pock-
cts, she dragged him about by the hair and
pulled it out by the roots" At last his spirit
rose in rebellion against the temper of such a
vixen, and he wrote 10 her Suspect me no
more provoke me no more be content TO
be an insignificant person, known and loved
by God and me-" After 20 years of continu-
al strife, she one day left, and thus ended the
turbulent married life of John Wesley
Lamartine, the French poet, chose wisely,
marrying woman every way worthy of him.
She excelled both in music and painting, and
was also a writer of much merit In her
home she was most gracious and fascinating.
After her husbands entrance into political
life, she gave herself up wholly to his inter-
ests, attending faithfully to every household
detail, copying his poems, and arranging and
preparing his writings for publication.
The famous philanthropist, John Howard,
married his nurse. She was altogether be-
meath him in social life and intellectual Gu
pacity, and, besides this, was many years his
senior Notwithstanding these seeming draw
backs, they lived very happily together until
her death.
Our own DIR. Franklin, after much delay
and tribulation, married the girl who laughed
at him as he wandered through the streets of
Philadelphia, with his pockets stuffed full
of dirty clothes" She was an energetic,
business-like woman and did much toward
building up the fortunes of her husband.
After Franklin became rich and famous, Mis-
tress Deborah acquitted herself as well in his
fine drawing-room as when in his little shop,
behind whose counter she made herself use
full, selling rags. paper and other wares per-
tanning to the business of printer.
Thomas jefferson married n young woman
who brought him a large fortune She
proved herself genuine helpmate in all the
relations of life. After their marriage, it is
said that she mounted the horse behind the
future statesman and rode to their home. It
was late ut night and the fire was out, but
jefferson hustled about and rebuilt it, while
his wife seized the broom aud put things to
rights. Their whole married life was emf
nently happy.
John Stuart Mill married woman of whom
he could say that all that was best and worth