San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-24
An Astonlsl,lng Husband.

Lippincott's Magazine for July con.
tains, under the title. "A Forgotten
American Worthy" a very interesting
account of Joel Barlow, q famous au-
thor and diplomatist of our Revolu-
tionary era. He wrote "The Colum-
biad," an epic poem, which passed
through several editions, also THE
Hasty Pudding" and other minor pro-
ductions, which, unlike his epic, are
still read. We shall only notice what
is necessary to an understanding Of the
extract we purpose making. In 1905
he was appointed by President Wash
ipgton consul at Algiers, with the OBJ
ject to negotiate for the freedom Of the
Americans held captive there, in which
he succeeded. The plague was prevail
ing there. and anticipating his prob
able death from it, he wrote a long
letter to his wife. to whom he was
most tenderly attached. The letter is
given in full in the article referred to-.
We make a single extract, which we
think exhibits a degree Of upsel6sh
devotion almost if not quite uuparal-
leled: i tJ.1EhH9
II will use every precaution for my
safety, as we'll for your sake as mine.
But if you should see me no more, my
dearest friend, you will not forget |
loved you. AS you have valued my
love, and as you believe this letter is
written with an intention TO promote
your happiness at time when it will
be for ever out Of my power to con-
tribute to it 10 any other way, 1gbeg
you will kindly receive the last advice
I can give you, with which | am going
to close our endearing intercourse ~
Submitting with patience to o destiny
that is unavoidable, let your tenderness
for me soon cease to agitate that lovely
bosom; Danish it to the house Of dark.
ness and dust, with the object that can
no longer be benefited by it, and trans
fer your affections to some worthy per.
son who shall supply my place in the
relation / have borne to you. 1t is for
the living, not the dead, to be render
ed happy by the sweetness of your
temper, the purity of your heart, your
exalted sentiments, your cultivated
spirit, your undivided love. Happy
man of your choice should he know
and prize the treasure of such wiiel
Oh, treat her tenderly. my dear sir:
she is used to nothing but kindness,
unbounded love and confidence. She
is all that any reasonable man can de-
sire. She is more than l have merited,
or perhaps than you can merit. MY
resigning her to your charge, though
but the result of uncontrollahle ne
cessity, is done with degree of cheer.
fulness-a cheerfulness inspired by the
hope that her happiness will be the OBJ
ject of your care and the long .continu'
ed fruit of your affection"
Poor Barlow did not meet the fate
he anticipated on this occasion, but in
1913, representing his country at the
court of Napoleon, and on his way to
meet the agent of the Emperor at
wilma, where he had gone to co-ope-
rate in thu campaign against Russia,
before reaching that place the Ameri-
can envoy was driven back with the
fleeing forces Of Napoleon. was seized
with pneumonia, and died at Zirrow,
an obscure village near Cracow, where
his grave is marked by q monument
erected by his devoted wife, who sur
vived him several years. and lived and
l;od HE u;dou-rED FREE PREss.