Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-24
MARY COWDEN CLARKE.
How Her Shakespeare Concordance
was Made.
Corr espondent Boston Advertiser

Corr espondent Boston Advertiser.
Like so many things. it owed its genesis to
a mere accident. 1t was in July, 1929, when
Mrs. COwd en- Clarke was sitting at the break
fast table Of some friends in Somersetshire,
that regret was expressed that there existed no
concordance to Shakespeare whose works
formed the Bible of the intellectual world.
Eager in everything, Mrs. Cowden Clarke re-
solved then and there that she would write this
desired concordance, and that very forenoon,
while joining her friends in walk through the
fields, she took with her volume of the poet
and a pencil and jotted down the first lines
of her book under B.
''BOatswain, have care" (Temp l. etc.
The following is an account she gave me OF
the mode or writing she ultimately adopted for
this work: II had separate portfolio for each
letter OF the alphabet. these portfolios We're
ranged around in front of me on my writing table.
l opened my fathers copy Of Shakespeare at my
sides. having two pages in view at a time. l
took the first word that presented itself at the
top Of the first page Eve will suppose this word
to begin with ''a), and entered each word
commencing with the same letter on the Ms.
page, which are headed by the word. and placed
it in its respective portfolio, going thus alpha
betcally through the whole OF the two spread
open ages, until every salient word therein
was duly culled and registered. / generally
worked from four to six hours per day and
always before and after breakfast till dinner
time. so that the outside of the house during
those hours of the day was little known to
me. We usually took our exercise, and recre-
alton OF an evening. Happy-supremely happy
were our hours then. Side by side. one
working at his book, the other writing his
lectures on our poetic idol When she had got
half way She was told that some other per-
son was engaged on the same task. Sadly.
very sadly. she packed up all her portfolios and
materials, resolved to abandon the task, think
ing with native modesty that the unknown
rival would surely do it better She told me
that to this day she can recall her feelings while
kneelng on the floor and pushing away the large
packet under her bed for safe keeping, for they
lived in small quarters then. and space had to
be economized- joyful. very joyful was she
when she could haul her packet forth again.
Some idea OF the vastness Of the undertaking
may be gained from the circumstance that the
paper alone for the work cost over f5. From
this careful study Of Shakespeare resulted some
original works. Of which the most notable is
the 'GirlhoOd of Shakespeare's HerOines,' in
which. with ingenuity and intutive imagina-
ton, Mrs. COwden Clarke has striven to trace
the probable antecedents In the history of
Shakespeare's women 10 conjecture what might
have been the first imperfect drawings of those
whom he has shown as in the meridian stare
of perfection. bold venture, truly this series
of fifteen tales, and only justified by its wonder
full success.
1T was in 1851 that the two sisters. with hus-
band and brother, settled in Genoa. the COwden
Clarkes married lovers as they were called to
the end, after fifty years of wedock occupying
| themselves with literature. reading working
thinking In unison: Sabia, obliged to refrain
from teaching from delicacy OF throat and sus-
ceptibility to damp, ever active in promoting
the cause of good music; and Alfred with engi-
neering skill and fertile invention, turning
! ramshackle old house into quaint and livabe
abode, and converting an intended area Of
ground into most variegated and delicious
garden. To this house flock all the eminent
visitorsthat pass through Genoa, glad to become
acquainted with the woman who still preserves
the gracious and courtly old world manner
rendering extinct, a charm only equaled BY her
mental viyac!ty. her cordial frank and gener-
GUS address. the zest and charm of her CONVEX
sation, and. above ALL by her perfect womanly
gentleness. She is truly sweet type of woman
hood in its noblest expression"