The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-27
Youns Men with Old wiuas.

asa Il is surprising how rapidly even the
great fall out of notice. Carlyle and
George Elliot were literary wonders,
and they are already dropping from OBJ
servation. The latter was buried at
Highgate, which is already known as
the resting place Of Coleridge. The fact
that her husband John Walter Crosse
was SO much younger (twenty years)
than herself oceasioned much comment.
This, however, Is not without precedent
in literary and social life. One of the
leading clergy In this city is married
TO woman ten years his senior, and
the union appears congenial. Moham-
med'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 philanthropist, mar
RED, out of gratitude, a woman who
was equally his senior. She died in a
few years, however, and his second
ever. also dissolved by the death of his
philanthropy Napoleonss first wife,
Josephine, was his senior by five years,
being 80 at the time of their marriage,
while he was 25. It would have been
well for him had he valued her coniu-
gal love, whose violation was the be-
ginning of his ruin. Aaron Burr also
married a widow 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 him that large liberty with
the fair sex to which he had been &C.
customed, and thus avoided domestic
quarress. John Wilkes, the famous
London aoitator of the last century.
married a lady who was ten years his
senior; but she was not willing to over
look his irregularities, and hence OBJ
tanned divorce.
johnson, the photographer, married
the widow Porter. who had small
property. He was acquainted with the
family before the death of her usband,
and this helped in the matter of court
ship. Mrs. Porter was 4S, while her
husband was only 21, at the time of the
wedding, The parties started horse
back for the place where the ceremony
was to be performed, and johnson thus
describes the journey to Boswell: Sir,
she had got into her head from old ro-
mances that q woman of spirit should
use her husband like dog. At first
she told me / rode loo fast, and she
could not keep up with me; but when
Stacked my pace she passed me and
complained that L Jagged. was not
to be made the slave of caprice, and
therefore pushed on till 1 was out of
sight. When she got to the destination
j observed that she was in tears
johnson always mourned the loss of
his wife, and although he was only 43
at the time of her death, be never mar
ried again How often in his subse-
quent writings he refers to his lost COM
panion in the most affectionate man.
neri ge
When only IS, Shakespeare was mar
ried to Annie Hathaway, whosa age
was %. Six months from the wedding
day the first son was born to this i'll
mated pair. The husband and father
had no means of supporting family,
and when the latter increased the
number of son and two daughters he
fed to London. The deserted vito
supported her children as best she could,
and twenty years afterward her hus-
band returned, and by his subsequent
conduct srrove to atone for his early
error. Such facts as these prove that
John Walter Cross. in marrying Marian
Evans, had some striking precedent
Boston Courier.