The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-15
OLD MAID S.
The old Adage "Never
too Late to Mend"
Presidents for the Ashmead
-coutts Wedding.

Speaking of oblivion. it is surprising
how raj idly even the great fall out Of
notice. Carlyle and George Eliot were
| literary wonders, and they are already
| dropping from observation. The latter
was buried at Hiehgate. which is already
known as the resting-place of Coieridge
The fact that her husband John Walter
| Crosse was so much younger Twenty
years. than herself oecasioned much COM
ment This. however, is not without pre-
cedent in Itinerary and social like. One oil
the leading clergy OF this city 10 married to
woman ten years his senior. and the
union appears congenia'. Mohammed's
wife was twenty years older than
| her husband. and it is much to the
credit of the latter that he honored her
to the last. He ascribed much Of his
/ success to her assistance and influence.
John Howard. the phiIanthropist. mar
ried out of gratitude a woman, equally
his senior. She died in few years, how
ever. and his second union was one OF
leve. It was, however, also dissolved by
| the death of his wife. aud then he devoted
himself to philanthropy. Napoleon's first
wife. Josephine, was his senior by six
years, being 80 at the time of their mar
| riage. while he was "a. 1t would have
copjagal love. whose violation was the
married awidow. who. like Josephine.
| had two children. Mrs. Burr was ten
years older than her husband, but the
union was very harmonious. She prob
ably allowed that large liberty with the
fair sex to which he had been accustomed,
and thus avoided domestic quarreIs.
j ohm Wilkes, the famous London agitat
or of the last century. married lady who
was ten years his senior, but she was not
willing to overlook his irregularities, and
hence obtained divorce.
johnson, the photographer, married the
| widow Porter. who had small property
He was acquainted with the family before
the death of her husband, and this helped
in the matter of courtship. Mrs. Porter
was IS. while her husband was only q at
the time of the wedding. The latter was
certainly one of very peculiar character.
The parties started on horseback for the
place where the ceremony was to be per-
formed, and johnson thus described the
journey to Boswell: Sir she had got it
into her head. from old romauces, that a
woman of spirit should use her lover like
dog. At first she told me rode too
fast, and she could not keep up with me,
but when slaskened my pses she passed
me, and complained that Jagged. / was
not to be made the slave of caprice. and
therefore pushed on til! was out of her
sight. When she got to the destination I
observed she was in tears. johnson
always mourned the loss of his wife, and
though he was only forty~three at the
time of her death he never married again.
How often in his subsequent writings be
refers to his lost companion in the most
aGectionate manner.
When only lSShakspeare was married to
Anne Hathaway. whose age was IS. Six
months from the wedding day the first son
was born to tha i'll mated pair. The hus-
band and father had Do means of support
ing a family, and when the latter had
Increased to the number of son and two
daughters he fed to London The desert
ed wife supported her children as best she
could, and twenty years afterward
her husband returned, and by
his subsequent conduct strove to
atone for his early error. Such facts as
these prove that John Waiter Cross in
marrying Marion Evans had some striking
presidents.
On The 18th ult. William Ashmead
Bartlett. aged 81, married Miss Burdett-
Coutte, aged Ct The wedding, which
LUpk place III AluIGbs has UlanS 10 SLQ&II
sensation, since the bride was one of the
richest women in the world She inner
tied from the duchess Of St. Adams
sum Of ready money equal to $1,000, 900.
in addition to which was an in
terest in the clearinghouse of Coutts &
Co. The terms of the will were that If
she married an alien the last mentioned
item was to pass to another heir, and it is
therefore. forfeited. The groom was born
in Philadelphia. His father died early.
and be was then taken to England by his
mother, who had some wealth, He be-
cane the BRIDES private secretary and
confidential friend, which gradually led
to the marriage. Miss Coutts is one of
the most beneicent ladies of the present
age Her donations have reached an
aggregate which is almost marvellous. and
the groom was very useful in dispensing
her charities. They expect TO continue
the latter. and the groom will probably
have plenty OF occupation. He is fine.
looking young man. Of respectable talents
and has written a clever book on the
Russo~Turkish war. He retains bis
Come citizenship, and may be mentioned
as the most remarkable American fortune
in the records of society
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