The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-25
TENNYSON'S FAMILY. !
Sketch of the Women Who
Influenced the Poet
Laureate's Life.
HIS LOVING TRIBUTES TO THEN
Lady Tennyson'S Home and Inter.
ests-Her Daughters-in-Law.
HIS LOVING TRIBUTES TO THEM

description ever written of a woman, who
was in many peculiar ways specially a
mother, were the lines penned by the
laureate himself in the "Prlncess":-
Not learned save Ia gracious household ways,
Not perfect, nay; but full of tender wants;
No angel, but a dearer being, all dipt
In angel instincts.
A portrait of his mother always hung
in Alfred Tennyson's bedroom. and was
the only pictorial record which remained
of her in the family; he never would al
low it to be Photographed or copied be-
cause he frequently declared that 1t would
not nave her expression. He valued the
picture highly, and it migrated with him
whenever he moved from one of his
country houses TO the other.
Mrs. Tennyson was a most gentle and
charming woman. and it vas from her.
and not from his father, the somewhat
grim clergyman, that both Charles and
Alfred inherited their poetical and
highly sensitive Organization. Her kind
eaIteduess aud horror OF any Kind OF
physical suffering inflicted on others
was quite proverbial in the village OF
SomeIsby, where Tennyson was rector.
This was so well known O trait OF her
character, that the village children used
TO bring their dogs to her window to beat
them in order that she might br1be them
10 leave of their cruel sport.
THE POETS WIFE.
Alfred Tennysou first met his wife at
Somersby; she was the niece of Sir
John franklin, and was a ~siugularly
charming girl. She was described at
the time of the wedding by Thomas Car
lyle as possessing bright, glittering
blue eyes when you speak to her with
wit and sense; aud were 1t not That sne
seems so very delicate III health good
might be argued of T~ennyson's adven-
ture." Unfortunately. the gloomy phil
osopher's f~orebodings proved only too
true. and Mira, now the dowager Lady
Teunyson, has had a long life of extreme
delicacy and Ill health. From the day or
their marriage. which took place on June
10, 1850, his wife Emily exercised a won
trous Influence ove the poets mind. In
the dedication appended TO Enoch Arden
he addressed her as
Dear, near and true; no truer, Time himself
Can prove you, though he make you evermore
Bearer and nearer.
His beloved brother, Charles, married
another Miss Selwood. aud thus the poeti-
cal side of the family kept togsther.
Though extremely distrustful OF her own
power, Lady Tennyson seems to have
caught some of her husbands spirit, for
several verses from her pen are
in Prof. Palgrave's Treasury of Sacred
Song" and there is also q num-
Der of hymns couched in simple but ele-
queut language, intended for use in the
Gordon Boys Home, in which both she
and her husband took the greatest inter
EST. Her real power, however, lay In mu-
sic. Nearly every one of the songs scat
tered through the poets works have been
set 10 music by his wife, and ever since
his death his widow has found time and
- .-1f - o,1rf fha farr ltf, n ia
dedicated 20 her on his death bed. and
which were ung during the funeral ser
vice in Westminster Abbey.
- IN HER HOME.
Those who were privileged to visit the
Teunyson family at either Aldworth or
in their Isle of Wright home were always
Immensely impressed by the mistress of
the household. Although she had been
for years a complete invalid, her mental
power was of such a high order that from
her couch she managed everything and
everybody round her, including hus-
hand, sons and daughters-in-law.
When any act Of cruelty or in
Justice was mentioned in her presence
she would half rise from her sofa. and
with cleaning eyes and clenched hands
express her aUhorreuce of wnat she had
Just heard. Knowing her husbands
dread aud horror of strangers n of inn
pertinent curiosity, she endeavored TO
shield him in every way that lay in her
power, aud until the last few months
r even answered much OF his Indispensable
correspondence.
Lady TennySon was essentially a home
loving wife and mother. She never took
part In any of the great movement with
which women have been so honorable
associated in Great Britain during the
last fifty years. Alfred Tennyson's ideal
wife is expressed III these words:-
aaF--.po HE n r-o ,r;l1 81 IL +I;o --a.I
Yoked IN all exercise of noble end,
And so through those dark gates across the
wild
That no man knows
Nine hopes and thine are one;
Accomplish thou my manhood and myself
Lay thy sweet hands in mine and trust to ME. y
This picture was absolutely found by
him in Lady Tennyson. she never did
anything without first finding out
whether her husband would like it; and
she had no intimate friend ave her sis
ter. Mrs. Void, to whom the laureate was
also devoteuly attached. Lady Tennyson
was very fond of grey and wore in guise
Of Il cap,s during the latter years of he1
husbands life. a large square of lace;
when out of doors a close white Quaker
like bonnet formed a soft frame to her
Thin spiritualized face; aud blue eyes
which neither suffering nor age had
diInmed.
Next to his wife and mother the poetic
two sisters played the greatest part in
Lord Tennyson's family life. Miss Ma
Ihilda, the dear Aunt Tilly7' OF the
younger members of the household, is a
sweet looking old lady. She spent a con-
siderable porCion of the year both at Aid
worth and Freshwater, and although
with no leaning toward poetry, and never
having written a line of aLy sort, Is yet
a cultivated and well read woman, tax
ing a great delight in her brothers work.
ARTHUR HALLAM'S FIANCEE.
Mrs. Lusnington, the sister who was
originally engaged to Arthur Hallam, is
quite another type of woman from Miss
Mathilda. Tall aud of a commanding
presence, she strongly recalls the laur
9 tie in personal appearance, and like
him was celebrated In the family circle
for her remarkable Rotations. None
who nave heard Mrs. Washington reclte
one of her brothers. poems could ever
forget it. Standing in the doorway
with her back to the audience in {
fashion that caused her voice tc
reSound into the room, she utters in the
strong Lincolnshire acceut in which
LORD Tennyson himself always spoke up
10 the last day of his life, the noble lines
which are SO familiar TO all lovers of the
laureate's verse. The family
affection abouuded between the brothers
aud sisters, and to them all "Alfrddn was
a kind and trusted friend aud brother OH