New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11

stocks. a machine for cutting turnips. But the
reader may by this time be weary OF Mr.. Edge
woIth's mechanics. ! really cannot find that ne
ever invented anything which TUNED out to be OF
the least possible USE and there must have been an
unconscionable number of relics in tho lumber
room at Edgeworth Town.
At Lichfeld. Mir. Edgeworth knew Dr. Darwin,
who was large man. fat and rather clumsy ana
with an impediment in his speech. There too. was
Miss Seward not then the evergreen Of later days,
but in the height of youth and beauty, OF an
enthusiastic temper a votary of the muses., ana OF
the most eloquent and brilliant conversation" But
MIR Edgeworth being now able to experiment. upon
an infant he naturally turned his attention 70 'ne
trial of various educational theories. being ae'er
mined to educate this unfortunate man-ohllu ao
cording to the system of Rousseau az set ioSIn in
Emile, Mrs Edgeworth. for a wonder complied
with her husbands wishes. and the little Edge
worth's body and mind were left as much as pos
sible TO the education of nature and OF accldeh'
ought not TO DO forgotten that this PHILOSOPHERS
papa had himself attained the age OF only twenty
three years. The boy was dressed without s'ooA-
ings with his arms Bare 4" in jacket and trousers
such as are common at present but when We're az
that time quite extraordinary" He had all the
virtues OF a child bred in the hut of savage, ana
all the knowledge of things which could well he
acouired hy a boy bred in civilized society,"" lie
was backward in his books, and appears TO nave
been purposely kept so. He turned out. according
10 the paternal account, bold. free. fearless anu
generous but with invincible dislike to con'roi.
Afterward | believe. this wonderfully educated
boy became remarkable for nothing bui disagree
able eccentricty his fate being very much tna' VI
the machine which went to destruction IN Inc chalk
pit Edgewor:h subsequently acknowledged ms
error and philosophers upon the causes OF HIS
failure through number OF pages
The friendship of Mr.. Edgeworth and of MIR. Day.
the eccentric autbor of aSandford and Merton" is
we'll known. He took Day with him to Ireland. and
saws. As we passed through the country, the
novels in which the poor were lodged, the black
tracts of bog and the unusual smell of the turt ue
were to HIM never-ceasng topics OF reprosch anu
Lamentations" Mr.. Day had deep-seated preJu-
dice in favor of savage lie. which was meNha'
shaken bv this view of want and misery winch .nc
NH osophers of the Rousseau school were wont al
that tim, to dignity by the namo oil simplicity
DAVIS table manners shocked the elder Edgeworth'
who was man of scrupuous good breeding Inc
philosopher fell in love with Edgeworths sister, out
nothing came of it. Mr.. Day resolved 10 preed up
two girls as equally possible under his own eye
His hope was that they might be companions 10
each other while they were children ana that' DC
fore they reached womanhood he might be able to
decide which Oh lutin uc hau WV
named one Sabrina from the river Severn, and the
other Sidney. from his favorite Algernon Sidney.
The story has often been told, and need not he re-
heated here Sidney turned out to be incorrigiOly
stuuid and Day married her off to small shop
keeper giving her a portion of e40O. Neither did
Sabrina become Mrs. Day, the philosopher iaiiiiB
in love with Miss Honora Sneyd. AS his passion
was not returned, he went into fever, so that the
great Dr. Darwin was obliged to order him 10 DE
bled The unfortunate Major Andre was one OF
Miss Honoras lovers. The usual story IS that he
entered the British army and came to this country
because she Tilted him. Mr. Edgeworth gives us the
historical truth The fact is he says that
Major Andres first commission was dated March the
4th, l77l and Miss Honora Sneyd was married tne
18th of Jnly. 1773-that Is two years after Mr..
Andre went into the army. Despair on hearing OF
the marriage of Honora Sneyd could not have
driven him to quit his profession and his coun-
try: he having quilted both two years before
thar marriage Edgeworth fell in love with
Honora but being a married man. he honorably
ran away from temptation. He went to France
where in a few days he was rewarded for ms noole
conduct. for he received an account OF his wlies
death He returned to England aud meeting Day
the tirst words which greeted him from his friend
were: " Have you heard anything OF llOnora
Sneyd" He learned that she was i'll perfect health,
sttll beautiful and unmarried He thus enjoyed the
invaluable reward of his own virtue. He wen I'M
| uedately to Lichfeld, renewed his addresses and
was married to her in the Cathedral in 1878. This
is the first year stated the book since l77l All
we learn of the death of the first Mrs. Edgeworth is
| that il occurred in the month Of March" sup
pose that at least she buried before the second
| nuptials Mr.. Edgeworth with his new wife re-
turned To Ireland where they STAYED for three years
| and then went to England. Mr.. Day consoled him.
self by marrying Miss Mines, Sabrina having
been discarded, as Edgeworth says silly, because
she did or she did not wear certain long sleeves
| and some handkerchief, which had been the sub
| ject of mis- dislike or OF his liking" Mr.. Edge
| worth devoted himself again 10 mechanical amuse
ments, making a clock upon new principle. The
son who had been educated upon infallibe princi
Piles was sent to seq. Afterward he came TO thii
| country, married Elizabeth knight, an American
lady. and settled in South Carolina near George
town. He died in 1895 leaving three sons Are
there any descendants of this Edgeworth still living
beref
While Edgeworth was in Ireland, engaged in {
| lawsuit and improving his estate, Honora. who ha(
remained IN England. fell ill., and soon after sh'
died He says Z" She was the most beloved as
wife, a sister and friend of any person have eve
| known" Just as she died he heard something fal
| on the foor-it was hor wedding ring which sh'
had held on her wasted finger to- the last instant
| Edgeworth passed the night before the funeral be
side her coffin. The day began TO dawn. liz
opened the window shutters and the sash " tn
lark sang ont. the morning smiled" a strange sens
of life and vigor came over his senses. After tb
funeral he went away to be cousoed by Mr. Day
conversation, which did not console him. His VIII
had expressed the hope that he would marry again
and that he would marry her sister Elizabeth. IA
| IL cha Nvaa mt
marry him. but difficulties arose. the subject o
the marriage became public; many persons inter
| fered. and in the Birmingham and other news
papers various replies and rejoinders appeared. VI
the very morning appointed for the ceremony tn
| clergyman received letter which alarmed him s.