The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-11-23
Women and Famous Men.
Boston Advertiser.

Recent books of biography, notably
Carlyle's "reminiscences, and the
Memoirs of Madame de Remusat, have
afforded fruitful topic Of conversation
in the relations of women to famous men.
In the case of Carlyle it is hardly posi-
Bile to withhold some amazement IN
reading his remarks about his wife.
John Stuart Mill spoke of his wife with
a similar unreserved adminiration, only
to be compared with the exaltation of
spirit in which fond parents sometimes
speak oftheir children. Mr.. Yates init
Inmates that Carlyle lacked some OF the
domestic graces, and this theory partly
explains the "reminiscences, so far as
they deal with Mrs Carlyle. But
neither Mill nor Carlyle seem to have
reasoned much about what they were
saying. They had a similar experience,
and by common mistake, they seem to
have thought their wives women OF
genius because they themselves-men
Of genius-fell in love with them.
They never outgrew this subjective stage
of affection In the case of Carlyle 1t
was felt with the greatest intensity after
the death of its object.
1t is remarkable that Goethe, who
knew women so well, is happiest in de-
scribing the sentiments and actions OF
Young women, such as Margaret,
Claerchen, Iphigenia and Dorothea,
while his practical relations to women
were, to say the least, more curious
than admirable. He possessed in a
rare degree the talent of winning the
affection of girls, although Charlotte
Buff, the most spirited girl whom he
ever wooed, resisted to his rival. Per-
haps Goethe illustrates better than any
other writer the fact that literature
deals rarely with the love Of matured
men and women for each other. 1t de-
scribes youthful affection in almost all
its phases; frequently it alludes to ma
tured love as a reality; but what author
describes a love which begins at twenty,
retains all its earthly charm, at the same
time becomes calm and deep and satur-
ated with reason, and reaches its golden
heights at forty and fifty? Yet such
an experience is fortunately not eXces-
sively rare, and the ripened love OF for
ty means just so much more than love
first bIusha the beauty of matured
woman is superior to that of girl, how
ever pretty. The difference between a
violet and perfect orange holds good
throughout the economy of nature
and human reason as well as human sen.
| timent.
The malice of Madame de Remusat-
or was she conscious of what she did =
tells us with astounding details OF
Napoleon's relations with women. He
began with Indifferent women, then ad
dressed himself to the daughters Of no
blemen, and finally married an Austrian
princess. This alone shows how super
ficially the great commander judged the
soul of woman. Deeply engrossed in hi;
military and political enterprises, not
bred to friendship for men, he looked
upon them as if they were simply human
animals, to be judged by the economic
and social services which they could ren
der. Hence he hated them when the.
had what most fine women have-selt
possession and a spirited tongue. Ate
describing one of his preposterous ad
ventures Remusat exclaims justly
Bon Dieul Quel!e .facon daimer! Napo
leon tried to conquer women preclsel.
as he attacked battery. What wa
the effect? CONSERVATION, confusion
indignities. Many women would hav
admired and loved just such a man a
Napoleon was, with all his glarini
faults but the very homage with whicI
they received him was destroyed roo
and branch by his insolence, his gaa
cherie, his everlasting supicious, his in
pertinence and bis cruelty. He ma
have appreciated the nicely of affection
he never understood its slow growth
while Schiller's first love letter expresse
the exquisite hope that the sentimen
which he had experienced and excite
, might be permitted to grow-as graf
: grows in the fields.
r What are the noblest gifts whic
noble women can bestow on men
Lord Beaconsfeld declares that all hi
successes gave him full satisfaction onl
. in so far as he could lay his laurels a
: the feet of his wife. Women then
t selves are rarely aware of the suprem
!. charm which they exert, not only upo
! the imagination and sentiment OF mel
! I, but also upon their intellectual talent
and their reason. Schelling, perhal
n the most inspired writer in the whol
e literature of Germany, began to writ
IS when he saw his wife; when she die
he ceased to be an author. The pr
n funditv and the marvellous depth of
. woman's affection are notorious
father can cast away his daughter,
: mother is forever the safe refuge OF
g graceless son. Yet almost all gre'
i men have tried to reach the very e.
d treme of the love which they tried
y excite, by allowing perhaps brI
q q month for that growth which natu
: has prudently and benefcently d
tributed over decades and the bett
= part of lifetime. A famous rhyn
le saws of the passionate but uneerta
e, lover that
II "Either he fears his fate too much,
q Or his desert is small,
a Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all.
Win or lose what? Is the one wo
yes, all lqle cream. AAoW many
- altar has witnessed what was thought
/ religious yes, and within few mont
= nature itself revolted at the aberratlo
= of human rashness. And does natu
I make mistakes? The finest exampl
- of affection that began slowly, b
= i grew for fifty years, proceeding frt
3 !: Unconscious sentiment through de
! I passion, fiery ordeals if need be, q
~ honest reason to fine maturity and
3 lures perfection-these examples
IN not found in literature, however M
I I but in the silent homes of Christendo
ne wherever men and women can OF
= = nature and at the same time rem;
AZ loyaI to the State, dutiful IN socle
ne and the servants of high interests VIII
gs endure. Life is after all fairer a
!. finer than literature is. But the tin'
'al ael examples of human happiness are
- in the famous novels nor in recorc
- - history, but those who lead an inner
~ ~ as we'll as visible existence. Luc
'n There is such thing, but no one
- afford to wait or search for it, while