Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-09-08

would well deSerVe, noNans
upon herself, by her own unpardonaDie Io.iy.
Mr.. Meridith's harsh Judgment was ous tne
summing up of what was everywhere ssia;
Not few of their friends made deterhiheu
effort to break on the match, from . senss
of duty no doubt persuaded as tney
were that it would result only In misery
and disappointm mt. With all TINS opposiIon
60 contend with the lovers had haru oattie
to fight: but when Miss Thackeray mao oeen
won. az soon as they thoroughly unders.ooo
each other, they proved strong enough "
sake their destiny in their own naioS' m
.ieiiance OF the world -
And never was there case IN wnicn 'ne
riabtful supremacy OF true, predeseIneo
love was more triumphantly yindicated. Inc
mans Judgment, and the worlds Judgment,
proved, as has often happened, aosoiute.y
wrong-that of the weak woman trusting IN
her affections and intuitions the truth OF 1od
Instead of remaining an invalid aicer her
marriage, Mrs Ritchie recovered her neaith'
instead Of growing old, she grew younger
each year; instead Of seeing her husoands al,
fection diminish, it became more strong ana
tender day by day. Their home was vef1-
table oasis Of rest and peace, and the TWO
children who crowned their happy married
life were of such rare beauty and promise
that their angel presences alone would nave
been sufficient to unite the most uncongeniai
partners, and render the most discordant
household serene and harmonious Inc
dread presence that had stood by Annie
Thnckeray in her hour of trial proved to be,
as Mrs. Browning sang divinely OF her own
heart history, mot Death, but Love; anu
she was led forth by the strong hand Of love.
from the dark valley Of gloom, TO the sunny
heights of corjugal felicity.
I have SPOKEN of tho girl Annie Thack-
cray as she flashed upon me in the spring
time of her youth. Shall eadeavor to de
scribe Mrs. Richie as she now appears in
Ler pleasant London homel No woman ever
| lived. let me say at once, who gives so little
| tine impression of being u woman OF htera-
ture and fashion She is simply and solely,
as far as appearances go, goodness and kind
ness combined She is not beautiful; nay,
more, she is distinctly plain, il any one can
be called plain whose features are beaming
with intelligence and kindliness. She dresses
with great simplicity, is absolutely without
preterlsion or self consciousness, betraying,
| indeed, in her manner a certain timidity and
self distrust that belongs to her character.
So completely does she herself ignore the
| fact that you find il difficult TO remember
when with her that you are in the presence
of a distinguished authoress, and think Of her
| merely us the tender wife, devoted mother
| and loyal, afrectionate friend. Perhaps
| you will hesitate to call upon her in the fear
OF intcrrupting some literary task in which
you know her to be engaged, and on ventur-
| ing in find her. not at her writing desk, but
If you have the privilege of being admitted
! into that sanctuary-in the nursery, ut play
with the children, on the floor with tho baby
crawling over her and Hester cooing in her
arms. She is one of tho women in whom
the maternal instinct is a sublime and exalted
enthusiasm.
| 1t may appear that am seeking to detract
| from, Mrs. Ritchies intellectual ability by
! insisting thus upon the simple goodness Of
her character This is not the case. am
seeking mainly to describe her faithfully as
she really is-a woman of brilliant gifts and
endowments, whose dominant qualities ore
nevertheless the sweet, gentle feminine traits
that give tone to her personality and impress
10 strongly those whom she meets in. social
intercourse With her gentle and generous
nature need scarcely say that she is always
doing good, helping and planning for those
! less fortunate than herself-tbe animating
spirit of endless philauthropies and charities.
! Society too makes endless claims upon her
which she cannot neglect, and what with her
domestic duties the problem Of her life re-
mains how to command the few hours Of
daily seclusion requisite for pen work-in
ior,ier that she may write those lovely, poetic
tales and novels which have endeared her to
| the public and given her q conspicuous posi-
ton among the representative women of this
generation
| do not feel inclined to drop my pen with
cut paying a more direct tribute to those
iovely children of whom have spoken with
| 20 much admiration When / called to bid
Mrs. Ritchie farewell, on returning to this
| .ountry, her little daughter Hester was in
the room, a child of 4, with large, dark, un-
fathomable eyes and solemn brow, sibyl
in embryo if one ever lived; the mother
took the little girl upon her knee, and
began to tell me about her wise sayings and
the sweet stories which she was ..,,ieady be-
ginning to write, when, in the n.e.st of our
talk, the baby was brought in, with great
liquid eyes shining like stars and COM
plexion more softly tinted than the most
exquisite roseleaf. In a world over which
countess lovely babies cast a gleam of
heaven, despite its crime and misery, my
opinion remains unchanged that these two
infants were the most beautiful that / have
ever seen. So was | captivated, SO inly
stirred by their beauty ON that day, that
was constrained on returning home. despite
myself, to write a poem in their praise, and,
moreover, hope that the mother followed my
urgent desire and had their portraits painted
forthwith, in time to catch On their brows
tho fleeing, evanescent charms of infancy,
as quick TO vanish as the smiles of tine dawn,
lost in the fuller radiance and completeness
Of the day.
The ldtchics are not wealthy; their posi-
| tion is q most fortunate one, that of q modest
Independence sustained by earnest effort, the
social status which is perhaps tho most favor
able OF all for true development Mr. Richie
is q man of fine taste and culture and real
ability; he has some government Office, and
amuses himself with literature in his leisure
hours His wife has never ceased to be q
| faithful worker with her pen, save when
| incapacitaIed by feeble health. Her
1 liability to physical suffering has been
the only shadow that has rested upon
their domestic life. Their house in West
kensin2ton is one OF the many in London
whose treasures are all within. 1t is plain
and uninviting on the outside, but when you
cross the threshold you find yourself in
veritable shrine, for here every book, pic
ture, engraving. ornament, is associated with
some venerated name. The long, low draw
ing room, furnished with the most perfect
taste, opens into q large secluded garden,
where cedar tree is standing, remote and
majestic, as though oershadowiag the sacred
soil Of Lehanon. GEORGE PERCY
A Trick op N Jeweler.
A practical matchmaker played a mean
trick on a jeweler at Asbury Park last week.
He had brand new watch of expensive
| maka md of tha utmost a,r.uracv He took