Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-20
HARRIsON's PERSISTENCE.
MARY COWDEN CLARKE.
How Her Shakespeare Concordance" Was
Mnhr.


A correspondent OF the Boston Adrer-
tiSer, writing OF Mrs. Mary Cowden Clarke,
SAYS OF her shakespeare Concordance:
Like so many things, it owed ITS gene
SIS to a mere accident. Il was in July,
1929, when Mrs. Cowden Clarke was sit
ting at the breakiast.table OF some friends
in Somersetshire. that regret was expressed
that there existed no concordance 10
Shakespeare. Eager IN everything, Mrs.
Cowden Clarke resolved then and there
that she would write this desired concord
ance, and that very forenoon, while join
Ing her friends in walk through the fields,
she toe with her a volume OF the poet and
pencil. and jotted down the first lines Of
her book under Il.
Boatswain, have care" Temp. /,
etc)
THE following is an account she gave
me OF the mode Of writing she ultimately
adopted for this work i had a separate
PORTFOLIO for each letter OF the alphabet;
these portfolios were ranged around in
front Of me on my writiug-table. opened
my fathers copy OF Shakespeare at my side,
having two pages in view at time. | took
the first word that presented ITSELF at the
top OF the first page I'VE will suppose This
word to begin with "a'l, and entered each
word commencing with the same letter on
the Ms. page, which was headed by the
word, and placed itin its rcspectiycp portfolio;
going thus alphabetically through the whole
OF the two spread open pages, until every
salient word therein was duly cullcd and
registered. | generally worked from four
to six hours per day, and always before
and after breakfast till dinner time, 50 that
tie outside OF the house during these hours
OF the day was litt known 10 me. Weusl-
aIv took our exercises and recreation OF IN
evening. IIappy-supremely hap2y-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 person
was engaged or the same task. sadly. very
sadly, she packed up all her portfolios
and materials, resolved 10 abandon the TASK,
thinking with native mOdesty that the I'M
known rival would surely DO it better. She
told me that TO this day she eau recall her
feelings while kneelins on the floor and
pushing away the large packet under her
bed for saiekeeping, for they lived in small
quarters then, and space had 10 be ecOnO-
mized. joyful, very joyful. was she when
She could haul her packet forth again. Some
idea OF the ya>tneSs OF the undertaking may
be gained from the circumstance that the pa
per alone for the work cost over Ej. From
this careful study OF Shakespeare resulted
some original works, OF which the most
notable J. the 'GirlhOOd OF Shakspeare's
Ucroines,' in which, with ingenuity and
ntuityc imagination, Mrs. COwdcn Clarke
has Siriycn TO trace the probable ante
cedenls in the history Of Shakspeare's wo-
men, to conjecture what might have been
the frs, imperfect drawings Of those whom
he has shown rs In the meridian stage OF
perfection. \ hold venture, truly, this
series Of fifteen tales, and only iustided by
its wonderful success.
at was in 1861 that the two sisters, with
husband and brother, settled In Genoa, the
Cowden Clarkes, married lovers, rs they
were called to the end, after more than iilty
years Of Wedlock, occupying themselves
with literature, reading, working. think
ing In unison; sabila, obliged TO refrain
from teaching from deicacy o. throat and
susceptibility 10 damp, ever active in pro.
noting the cause Of good music; anu
Alfred. with engineering skill and fertile
invention, turning ramshackle old
house into a quaint and liyeaLle abode,
and converting an INTENDED area o.
ground into q most yariegated and q 'liciOus
garden. 10 this house flock all the emf
nnt visitors that pass through Genoa,
clad 10 become acquainted with the WOmIn
who still preserves the gracious and courtly
old-world manner. which our modern lie
Of fret and hurry l. fast rendering extinct,
charm only equalled by her mental Vi
yacity. her cordial, frank, and generous
address, the zest and charm OF her CONVEX
sation, and. above all, by her Perfect, wo-
il ruFfn rt4l
type Of womanhood in its noblest express