Daily globe., 1882-09-10
A TALE OF TWO POETS.
How MisS Barrett Married Robert
Browning Oh a Sick-Red.
From TinsleY's Magazne.l

From TinsleV's MagaZne.l
siLady Geraldine's Courtship'' was
written in twelve days by the invalid.
1t contained several illusions to living
poets, and among others to Mr.. Robert
Browning, whose "Belis and Pome-
granates" was referred to in these lines:
Or from Browning some &c 'Pomegranates" which, II
cut deeply down the middle,
Show heart within biood-tnctured OF a veired hu-
manity.
Pleased with this compliment, the poet
called upon Elizabeth Barrett, In order
to have an opportunity of thanking her
personally. Fate oftentimes takes the
shape of accident The poetess was
never at home save to q few intimate
friends, and new servant, who opened
the door for Mr.. Browning, mistaking
him for one OF these, unhesitatingly
ushered him into the invalid's room,
where they met for the first time. Pre-
viously, when she had finished that
magnificent poem, :'The Dead Pan"
which teaches us strange mysteries OF
melodies. and flows fervent, free and
puTe, like great crystal stream, down
the swift, sweet current of sound into the
vast voiceful sea Of profound thought,
Elizabeth Barrett sent the manuscript
to a friend In order to have his criticism,
who in turn showed it to Robert Brown
ing. The poet was much impressed by
it, and wrote letter to his friend full Of
enthusiastic appreciation, which found
its way into Elizabeth Barrett's hands.
This incident, no doubt, paved the way
to a friendship between them which AFT.
erward resulted in one of the happiest of
unions. This part OF her LIES story
reads more like fiction than fact, but
fiction we're colorless beside such reality.
Mr.. Barrett refused his consent to his
daughters marriage. She was his favor
ite, the object of his pride as well as his
love; he it was who helped to form her
mind and store it with the riches it con-
tanned; he could not endure the idea OF
severance Altogether the idea of her
union was painful to him, and from the
day of her marriage to the end of her
life he refused to be reconciled to her,
notwithstanding her appeals to his affec-
ton. However, she now loved IN her
39th year, and for the first time, and for
conception of the great depth and SUBJ
lime fervor OF this new affection, which
broke over her still life and woke her to
noble conception of humanity, to a
clearer vision OF that subtle soul power
which binds heart to heart, we have only
to turn TO those most-glorious "Sonnets
from the Portuguese. In these we see
and feel that her heart has overfown
from very force of its happiness, and has
broken out in rapturous songs which
chain us with the unbreakable and un-
broken spell OF deepest harmony, tremu-
lous with all the glow and fire of ardent
and pure affection, fresh as morning,
sublime and sweet as the direct tnspira-
tions of mind rapt and overwhelmed
| by the first ecstasy of virgin love, and
| full of music never before equaled, never
since excelled. Perhaps there are no
two lines in the English, or any other
language, which with such simplicity
and force express so much as these:
| yield the grave for Thy sake and exchange
My near sweet view of heaven for earth with thee
And they help to show us and make
us comprehend, as far as we are capable,
the new spirit which awoke in her. Two
years after her first interview with Mr..
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett was liter
ally assisted from her couch and married
to the poet, and Immediately after the
ceremony they departed for Italy. "Oul
plans were made up at the last, and In
the utmost haste and agitation precipi
tated beyond all intention" she writes
to friend; and further adds: "Perhaps
it has struck you that a woman might
act more generously than to repay E
generous attachment with such a uues
tionable gift and possible burden as thai
of uncertain health and broken spirits
to which can olly say that I have beer
overcome in generosity rs in all else
though not without long struggle il
tits specific case; also there was the ex
perience that all my msladies came from
without, and the hope that, if unpro
voked by English winters, they would
cease to come at ALL The mildness O
the last exceptional winter has left me
different creature, and the physician
helped me to hope everything from Italy
SO you see how it all ended"