Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-03-28
WRITTIER'S SECRET.
THE TRUE STORY OF HIS COURT
SHIP OF CoRNELlA RUSS.

Jnough she Ola NOT marry Him, She ke-
manned Single and Never Told-A Love
Episode In the Poets Life That Made .
Deep Impression Upcn Him.
The residence of is months in Hart
ford introduced him TO q vigorous anti
slavery circle of higher culture and a
more delicate refinement than any he
had known, and within that circle in
carnated il most lovely woman ne was
TO find his fate.
Among the friends the biographer has
mentioned Judge Russ, a man we'll
known in that day for brilliant parts
and handsome person. The family
was distinguished for beauty and bright
ness. OF those members whom Whit
tier knew, Mary, the oldest. married ST.
las f. Burrowes Mrs. Burrowes died
of consumption IN New York in IS4I,
at the age of "a There survived only
an unmarried danghter, Cornelia, ard
one son. Charles James Russ, who 30
years later was a prominent lawyer in
Hartford.
Cornelia, the youngest child, born in
1914, was but IL years old when she
"a. The strong antislayery zeal of the
family threw the two young people
much together, and the clear brain and
tender heart of the poet yielded to very
uncommon charms. One who saw her
during the last year of her life describes
her in this way:
AT % Cornelia was most beautiful
woman She had dark blue eyes, like
pansies, with long, dark lashes, black
hair and the most exquisite color. If
she was like the rest of her family, she
was a very brilliant woman .
Judge Russ, who was member of
congress in 1920, had died in 1882 OF
this Whittier probably heard through
his friend Law, Int that he ever heard
of the death of Mary Burrowes or Cor
nelia there is no evidence. When he
was writing his letter of sympathy to
the friends of Lucy Hooper, Cornelia
was lying on her deathbed. She had
nursed her sister through her fatal ill
ness, had mbibed the poison and fol-
i lowed her in the April of 1912.
The poem called Memories, to
which Whittier attributed special sig
nificance, was written during Corne.
/ las last illness He thinks of her as
still bright and living, and when in
! 1888 he desired the poem to be placed
/ at the head Of his Subjective verse,
I his heart was still true to her, but gave
/ no token that he knew hers had ceased
/ to beat.
/ After Cornelia's death her papers
/ passed into the hands of the only sur
viving member of her family, Charles
James Russ, who died in 1861. At that
time her private letters came into the
hands of his widow, who destroyed most
4 of them, but kept from pure love of the
poet the precious pages in which Whit
tier had offered himself to her kinswo-
man. ! have not myself read the letter,
which is still in existence, but one who
has read it, the present possessor, writes
me as follows: THE letter was short,
simple and manly, as you would know.
He evidently expected to call next day
and learn his fate - Another who has
seen the letter writes: ''It was somewhat
stiff-such a letter as a shy Quaker lad
would Re likely to write, for that ne
was in spite of his genius. He begged
lection, to keep his secret, for he said
My respect and affection fol You are so
great that l could not survive the NOR
tifcation, if your refusal were known. =
Cornelia Russ was sought in marriage
by several distinguished persons. but
she died unmarried, and she kept Whit
tiers secret. His poem suggests that the
stern creed of Calvin held them apart
a thing very likely to happen in Con-
necticut half century ago, but if he
had known that she had changed her
early connections for the more liberal
associations of the Church OF England
he would have seen yet more distinctly
that shadow of himself in her, . of
which the poem speaks.
Those who are familiar with Mem
cries" will recall the ''hazel eyes
and eight brown hair which it com
memorates, and fancy perhaps that there
is some mistake. 1t is not likely that
Whittier forgot the color of Cornelia's
eyes or hair. In some ELUSIVE moment
he had shown the poem to James T.
Field and Edwin p Whipple. In 1850.
when Cornelia had been dead eight
JNoAcs obOy 0AchON W pQDA1Sb H. anu Ac
was very reluctant. He had not out
grown his early passion, and before it
was printed undoubtedly changed few
descriptive words to screen the truth, it
may be from Cornelia herself She new
CT saw it. but think he died believing
that she had
Rumors of this story reached me long
ago, but would not print mere sur
mise and by long and devious ways
leading through probate Offices and town
registers. through church records and
private papers, in varied correspond
ence that has occupied two months.
have / followed the story as / tell it
Springfield Republican.
z
Gently Said.
Really. Mr.. Stalate,' she per-
sisted, ''you have given me four hours Of