Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-08-25
unknown HUSBANDS
Of Well-KnoWn Wives and How
Handicapped.
If Man Cannot be Great Himself,
Ie5 Him Marry a Woman Who
Cana Class Of Men to Whom
the World Owes Much.
Copyright 1880

III q man CtluUs uC t7A~eN~
he cannot distinguish himself in any Oh
the business or pursuits OF llfe-tne
newt hest thing is 10 marry some wo-
man who can. for the Scripture says
that man and wife are one nesh' anu,
therefore. any distinction that she may
attain must necessarily be MS ~ "eil'
Yet it cannot be denied that many mes
are handicapped by having a IaIIOus
wife-that is, they may nave suulclohe
ability of their own to enable them 10
make their names known 10 certain
extent but the ability or their wives 10
so much greater, and the reputation
achieved bv these wives is so much
wider than that which is possible IoF
the men. that the latter mus be content
/ IN he known all their lives simply as
such md such a woman's husband ne
world at large considering that qulue
| distinction enough.
And vet did no one ever stop 20 lhiAh
| how much Of all that is worthless III inc
! life or achievement Of any married WO-
man is due to the influence or her nus
/ hand? OF great women who have never
married every one-almOst without eX-
ception-has at some period of her lie
/ baen Intimately associated with IaJn-
er. a brother. or a lover who has eXerted
| Q marked influence upon her Whole ca
reer Most women-even OF those
whom the world calls greatest-are le-
g9llv dependent upon the controlling
/ and directing influence Of some man.
and without that influence they are Ike
a shin at sea that has lost is rudder ana
/ comnass when beset by heavy gale IL
| is frne that there have been women
! encb as Oueen Elizabeth. Joan of Arc,
| Catherine OF Russia and Ouida, TOT eN-
annie who have seemingly peddled
/ their own canoe down the stream OF
time without ever permitting Jne " rant
man TO take a hand at the paddle DuI
! H. is even more than probable that even
such noteworthy exceptions, when III
arv event would only prove the RUE,
| have been really Influenced and guided
bv some male friend who have been
careful to keep in the background.
Who can doubt that the dreamy spir-
i+ueTe musician. Chopin, was largely
responsible for the romantic, sensuous
messages that abound in the novels Oh
his chere annie GeOrgen sand! FOR
how much that is best in the writings
of George Elliot are we indebted TO that
nrofound scholar and brilliant writer
and thinker, George Lewes!
In view of such considerations as these
all that pertains TO the husbands, lovers
and close male friends Of women whose
talent or genius has raised them ABOVE
the common level Of their sex possesses
as strong an interest as any
PERSONAL TRAIT OR PECU-
LIARITY
Of the women themselves. Is 1t consld-
ering TOO curiously to ask how mucn Oh
the career of famous wives is due 70
their unknown husbands, or what tnaJ
career would have been if those same
! famous women had chosen other lie
mariners than those to whom they are
united? However unanimously the
whole world may agree that marriage IS
failure. no thoughtful observer can
doubt for a moment that It eXerts a
very profound influence upon the lie
and character Of all who enter the MAJ
rimonial relation. The prOverD says
[ that man is what a woman makes MIN,
and the converse Of the proposition IS
equally true. for woman is undoubtedly
what man makes her. Therefore, the
} unknown husbands Of famous women
are a class of men TO whom the world
owes much. for in many instances all
that is nohlest and best In the charac-
fer and achievements of the wife is d.
rectlv traceable to the influence OF the
husband. az wa shall see when we come
10 consider who are the life partners OF
some Of the most distinguished women
Of our time.
ELLA WHEELER WILCOXS HUS-
BAND.
Probably few women are better
known to the great army Of American
newspaper readers than Ella wheeler
Wilcox. For many years she was one
of the most prolific Of all the writer's
Of newspaper poetry, which was COPIED
bv the press all over this country. The
aesthetic Oscar Wilde style of some Of
her pOems reused considerable discus
sion as 10 the advisability Of writing or
publishing such effusions, and this
tended 10 make Ella still more widely
known. for that innate desire to do
something that is naughty or forbid
den that IS born in every son and
daughter Of Adam and Eve made eve
rvbody anxious to read her Poems Of
Passion" as soon as the critics said we
mustn't Then. again, some years ago
she got into newspaper controversy
with a San Francisco female writer, as
to the relative merits OF their respect
i've charms These and some other
eccentr.c.tles of the fair Ella caused
/ the small wits of the country TO regard
/ her as a fair subject upon which 70 eX-
erc.se their talents. with the result
that she was soon the worst guyed wO-
man in America. So much So indeed,
: that the Philadelphia Times and some
( other papers came 10 her rescue and IN
sisted that the funny men of the news
paper should find some other butt for
/ their wit and give poor Ella rest.
! The husband of this gifted but some
what eccentric woman IS commonly
! known 10 his friends as Bob Wilcox"
! He is a big. athletic-lOoking man with
brown mustache Though wholly un-
! able 20 soar with hs wife 10 the lofty
heights Of the blue empyrean and 70
/ feel all the "bliesas" and kisses" and
"tr.lls" and thrills" which she has 50
/ graphical described In her Poems OF
| Passion being only plain every day
manufacturer, he has evidently exer--
ed a soothing influence upon Ella, and
has materially restrained the exuber-
ance Of her young feelings, as her writ
/ ings have not contained nearly 50
much of the poetry Of passion" since
! her marriage as they did before. and
for the past three OF four years she Ia:
/ appeaed in print but seldom Mr.. VIII
cox IS not at all literary, but like Mrs.
| Unntnr PIN hnr in Dinknns, nnr--s ns