Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-28
VOL. Ii. NEW SERIES. VOL. XIV.
Wives and Mothers.
Z Ernrn tho I.1ly's JOurnal

| FROM the Llul Jour
Providence has so ordained lt-in thu
words of Octave Feuillet-that only two wo
men have true interest in the happiness @
a man-his own mother and the mother o
his children. Another eminent writer says
at is universal rule, which. so far as
know, has no exception, that great mel
always resemble their mothers, who impres,
their mental and physical mark upon theil
brows."
From their mothers, We are told, the Yves
leys inherited. the one his placid temper, hi:
calm perseverance, and his dauntless cour-
age, and the other his fluent speech and gift
OF song. From his mother Sir Walter Scott
imbibed his love OF poetry and painting
and his writings prove that 1t was no COM
mon gift Byron's fine gifts were crippled
with an unfortunate temper-an inheritance
from his mother Old La Mere Bopaparte
was never beaten in any project she under
took. Her energy was simply lndomitable
and this last trait has been strikingly illus
trated throughout the whole of the great Ma
poleon's life 1t was from his mother that
Bobby Burns" as Scotchmen love to call
him, imbibed his love for song : for she used
to ''give wings to the weary hours of her
checkered life by chanting songs AID ballads
herself composed" Patrick Henry had many
a lesson in conversational power, his mother
|
Johnson's mother always argued with him
in order to do him good, although she knew
| that willful, bury boy sometimes deliberate
| ly took the wrong side Philip Doddridge's
| mother created his tastes for scripture scenes
and scripture subjects by teaching him from
the Dutch tiles around their old-fashioned
hearthplace. Mary Shakespeare, though of
humble parentage herself, and possessing
| but little of learning, yet with her shrewd
| a
TO the development Of the mind of her son,
who grew up, gathered II share of knowledge
at school, reaping yet richer store from the
| sights and sounds daily around him, learn
ing to think, to dream and TO do.
Campbell acquired from his mother his
earliest taste for song and ballad literature.
And We may recall in this connection the
early lives of Goethe, Hugo, Schiller, the
Schiegels, Canning, Lord Brougham and
Curran, who attributed to his mothers liber-
al endowments from the treasure of her
own mind" the gifts which resulted in his
greatness. DIR. Watts has, too, enlarged
upon the methods adopted by his mother,
who sought to stimulate his early taste for
verse and song 10y incentives and rewards.
Bishop Hall has uttered hefi.ting compli-
ment IN tn following words. in the acknowl
edgment of his mothers influence upon his
early life She was "a woman OF rare sane
tity never have lips read me such feeling
lectures OF piety neither have | known any
soul that more accurately practiced them"
Pierre Vidal, French poet, thus pays to
his mother a similar acknowledgment
"If aught Of goodness or OF grace
Be mine, hers he the glory
She led me on in wisdom path,
And set the light before me-"
John Stuart Mil has said that he owed
everything that was excellent in his writings
to the influence of his wife and Thomas
Carlyle credited the same influence to a SINH
lar source. John ElaNman, the sculptor. it
is said, had made considerable progress in
his work when he married Anne Denman, q
noble, spiritual, intellectual woman, full OF
love for art, and with an intense love for him
as an artist. 1t happened that soon after
the event he met Sir Joshua Reynolds, in |
whose opinion no man could become an ar
tist who did not devote himself entirely to |
art, and who had not studied patiently and |
reverently the works of the great masters in
Italy itself. He bluntly told FlaXman that
he was ruined for an artist, which impressed |
him so deeply that he at once sought his |
wife, TO whom he declared that he was ruined, |
repeating the words of Sir Joshua Il |
should like to have been great artist, he |
exclaimed despondingly. "And so you !
shall be, and go TO Rome too. If that will |
make You one, said the resolute wife And |
the couple worked and economized, patiently |
and hopefully for five years, keeping their
own council and purposes. until at the end |
of that time, they went TO Rome together,
where Tlaxman studied and worked to such
purpose that he achieved both fame and COM
potency. His success was in great part due |
to his wiie's perseverance and encourage
ment, but she did not live TO share with her
husband the fruits of their noble efforts.
Thomas Hood payn "A fOuplipp frlbufa In
his wife excellence in the following words
81 WAS never anything, dearest, till | met
you, and have been II better, happier, and /
more prosperous man ever since. W. atova.r
may belall me- the w3ia Of my bosom will
have the acknowledgment of her tenderness,
worth, and excellence from my pen.
The wife of Prince Bismarck, Joanna Won
Putkammer. is said TO be perfect type OF
the German haus fran (housewife), and the
great chancellor has gracefully said. on more
occasions than one, 'She il is who has made
me what | am" lie made her acquaintance
at the marriage of one of his friends, where
she acted as bridesmaid, and, two years later
in lS41-he asked her to become his wife.
Her family was not at first disposed to coun-
tenance the union. Bismarck, however, was
not to be defeated and conscious OF her de
termination, he, on one occasion, approach
ed the lady of bis choice in the presence of
her relatives. Folding her in his arms, he
said, addressing the witnesses present,
What God has unit ID, no man shall put
asunder. The princess is OF quiet, self
possessed disposition on all OCCASIONS and.
It is said, bears her honors as the most natu-
raj thing in the world.
The wife Of Garibaldi was a heroine in her
day, and the event may well be chronicled
with the deeds of daring which mark the
career of her distinguished partner in life.
In oil IA ,ft la Ito o.1.
and patriot she is alone mentioned by her
Christian name of Anita. She was "a bru-
nette, with black, piercing eyes Of beau
tiiul hgure and queenly majesty IN her de
pertinent active, daring, high-spirited, and
In every respect worthy of her husband
Her courage was remarkable 4 short
time after their marriage she participated in
an engagement at sea with her husband, re-
fusing to go ashore, during the fight insisted
on remaining on deck, where she armed her
self and cheered the men. In the heat of the
battle she maintained position near the
hourishi8g saber and inspiring
the men to leeds of valor, when she was at
last, hurled to the deck by the wind of a
passing shot which killed two men near her
Garibaldi sprnng to her, believing that he
would find her corpse, when she arose to
her feet, covered with tine blood of the men
who had fallen at her side, but quite unhurt
'ailOhiuI oegBeu her 10 90 below ana remain
until the action was over. Il will 60 was
her reply, but only to drive out the sneak
ing towards who are skulking there - for,
moment before she had seen two or three
men desert their posts for place of safety.
And going below, she Immediately reap
peared. driving before her the men filled
with shame at being thus forced to duty by
O resolute woman. She remained in the
heat of the battle to the end and after the
struggle accompanied her husband in all his
and died while flying with him