The sun., 1891-07-12

| nav. when he came Of age. By the compul-
sory reimbursement OF sll the exnenses
which his father had incurred for him. and
| also by the loss OF his mothers fortune. which
had not toen settled upon her. 1t was prob
ably in despair OF doing anything better that
soon after, in his twenty-second year. he also
became n clerk In the Bank OF England. He
married and settled In that most prossic Of
| London suburbs. Camberwsll. In 1911. There
| his son. the poet and his daughter we're born.
respectively. in 1912 and 1914. He became q
widower In 18A9: and whom, four yenrs later.
he had COMPLETED his term OF service at the
bank, he went with his daughter to Paris,
where they resided until his death in 1856.
II was DR.. Furnivall who originated the
theory that Mr.. Browning's grandmother. Miss
Title. was more than creole In tho strict
sense OF tho term 10 person born OF white
parents In the West Indiesl and that an un-
mistakable dash Of negro blood passed from
her to her son and grandson. In favor OF this
hypothesis. II was asserted that the poets
father was % da.k In early lifo that q nephew
who saw him in Paris In 1887 mistook him for
an italian. As n matter OF fact he neither
had. nor could have had. . nephew; and he
was not out OF England at the time
specified. It is also said that when
tho poets father was residing on his
mothers sugar plantation at St. kits his
appearance was held TO justify his being
placed In church among the colored members
OF the congregation. That this story has no
foundation Mrs. Orr has been assured In the
strongest terms BY gentleman whose author
fly In all matters connected with the Browning
family DR.. Furnivall has otherwise accepted
as conclusive. II tho proofs OF negro strain
are to be looked for In the colorine OF the eyes
hair. ard tkin. they were consplcuously ABB
sent In the poets father and his two children.
Tho former had light blue eyes, and. accord.
ing to those who know him best. clear. rudy
complexion. His appearance. indeed, Induced
strangers passing him In tho Paris
streets to remark. I'oiM nm anod's."
Tho absolute whiteless OF his daughters
skin was. It is true. modified in her brother.
the poet. by q sallow tinge sufficiently ex-
planned By frequent disturbances OF the liver.
but 1t never affected the clearness OF his large
blue-Rray eyes f: and his hair. which grew dark
MS he approached manhood. though 1t mover
became black. is spoken OF by those who re-
membsrcd nim In childhood and youth 90
golden. We may add. finally. that tho follow
Ing piece OF evidence seems almost conclusive:
The portrait OF the tlrst Mrs. Browning. which
gave so much umbrago to her husbands
second wife. was afterward to hang for many
years in her erandson's dining room. 1t rep
resents stately woman with an unmistaIably
fair skin. and II tho face betrays any indica-
ton OF possible dark blood 1t is impercep-
t!ble to the general observer. and Is. In
Mrs. Orr's opinion. OF TOO sliRht and fugitive
a nature to justify discussion. As to the ltal-
ian characteristics which were sometimes
thought to be dscernlble in tho roet's face.
these are recalled BY the biographer In order
to introduce curious fact which. though 1t
has no bearing on tho main lines Of his descent.
may have held collateral possibilities His
mo hers name. Wiedemann. appears In q con-
tracted form as that OF one OF the Oldest Cor
man families naturalized in Venice. 1t became
united by marriage with the Rezzonicos. and.
by an Interesting coincidence. the last Of these
who occupied the palace now owned by Mr..
Barrett Browning was q Widmsn- Rezzonico
The poet 9 father did not like bank work. and
he did not rise so high nor draw SO large sal
ary as the poets grl lndlather. Still. the emoiu-
ments OF his position were larger than they
have since become. and. eked out with his
small private means. they enabled him to
crafty his own scholarly and artistic tastes
and to Rive his children the benefit Of a very
liberal education. Much that was to hssh out
as genius In the poet existed as talent In the
father, and their moral natures, on the whole.
were similar. though they had points OF
contrast also. The most salient intellectual
characteristic OF the poets father was his
passion for reading He not only read but he
remembered. Az . sohoolboy he knew By
heat tho frst book OF the Iliad and all the
odes OF Horace. and It shows how deeply the
classical part OF his training had entered into
him that he was wont in later life to soothe
his little boy to sleep BY humming to him an
ode o, Anaci con. Even moro remarkable than
his delight In reading was tho manner In
which he read. 1t was his habit whom he had
kn0 ~ - only
paper bound into It. These he would nll with
notes. chronological tables. or such other
supplement ary matter as Would enhance tho
interes, CT assist the mastery Of its coutents
The elder Browning had moreover. an
extraordinary power OF versfyinG. and
he taught his son. from babyhood. the
words he wished him TO remember BY joining
them to gro,esque rhyme: the child learned
all his Latin declenslousin in this way. His love
OF art hal been proved by his desire to adopt
1t as q profession: his gift for 1t was demon
strated by the lie and power OF tho sketches.
often caricaturss. which fell from his pen or
pencil as ensily rs written words. In all his
facultie. and attainments. as we'll ss In his
pleasures and appreclations. he showed the
simplicity and genuineness OF child. He re-
peatedly exhibited u moro than chi!dlike In
difference to pecunlary advantages. and he
wns singularly Indifferent to creature
comfortA His daughter was convinced
that H. ON any occasion. she had
said to him. There will be NO dinner to-day"
he would only have looked up from bis book 10
reply: "All right my dear. It ia OF no conse-
qusncp." He would never take tho trouble Of
specifying what he would have to eat. but q
hundred times that trouble would not have
deferred hin, from u kindly act Wo may add
that tho poets father enjoyed splendid physi-
cal health. His carly love OF reading had not
precluded wholesome enjoyment OF athletic
sports. and ho was. as boy. tho fastest run
nor In his school. Like his fatEer. hs
died at ths age OF "a. but. unlike him,
10 had never been III; o French friend
exclaimed whom all was over. )" HWa janiais
de pieur." 30 unolouded were his faculties up
To the last moment that he could watch him
self do and speculate on tho nature OF the
change which was before him. What do you
think death TO- HobsrtY he said to his son.
lis 1t a fninting or is 1t a pang?" Astonished
at his serenity. the attendant physician turned
to his daughter and whispcrsd Does this
Rna