The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-04-10
VHITTIER'S SECRET.
THE TRUE STORY OF HIS COURT
SHIP OF CORNELIA RUSS.


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Though She Did Not Marry Him, She Re-
NAMED Single and Never Told-A Love
Episode In the Poets Life That Made .
Deep Impression Upon Him.
The residence of Is months in Hart
ford introduced him to a vigorous anti
slavery circle of higher culture and a
more delicate refinement than any he
had known, and within that circle in
carnated in q most lovely woman he was
to find his fate.
Among the friends the biographer has
mentioned Judge Russ, q man well
known in that day for brilliant parts
and a handsome person. The family
was distinguished for beauty and bright
ness. OF those members whom Whit
tier knew, Mary, the oldest, married ST.
las E. Burrowes. Mrs. Burrowes died
of consumption in New York in 1S41,
al the g of "a. There snrvived only
an unmarried daughter, Cornelia, and
one son, Charles James Russ, who 20
years later was a prominent lawyer in
Hartford.
Cornelia, the youngest child, born in
1914, was but II. years old when she
parted from Whittier in 1881. He was
"a. The strong antislavery 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:
Eat 20 Cornelia was a most beautiful
woman. She had dark blue eyes, like
pansies, with long, dark lashes, black
hair and the most exquisite color. II
she was like the rest of her family, she
was q very brilliant woman
Judge Russ, who was a member Of
congress in 1890, had died in 1882. OF
this Whittier probably heard through
his friend Law, but that he yer 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 imbibed the poison and fol-
lowed her in the April of 1912.
The poem called Memories" to
which Whittier attributed a special sig
nifcance, was written during Corne.
lia's 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,
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
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 woul know.
He evidently expected to call next day
and learn his fate" Another who has
seen the letter writes: 1T was somewhat
stiff-such a letter as a shy Quaker lad
would be likely to write, for that he
was in spite Of his genius. He begged
her, il she felt unable to return his af-
lection, to keep his secret, for he said,
MY respect and affection for you are SO
great that / could not survive the NOR.
LITIGATION, 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 a 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 light brown hair which it com
memorates, and fancy perhaps that there
is some mistake. !. is &c. 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
years, they wished to publish it, and he
was very reluctant. He had not out.
grown his early passion, and before il
was printed undoubtedly changed a few
descriptive words to screen the truth, il
may be from Cornelia herself. She new
or saw it, but / think he died believing
that she had.
Rumors Of this story reached me Ions
ago, but l would not print a mere sur
mise and by long and devious ways
leading through probate offices and towr
registers, through church records ant
private papers, in a varied correspond
ence that has occupied two months
have followed the story as / tell it,
Springfield Republican. y
Gently Said.
Really, Mr.. Stalate." she per