Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-12-04
CONTINUED next weck)
WIVES OF LITERARY HEN.
~EnH,.nco in Helping or I~;ctarding
Thcir Husbands Efforts.

-
That a prophet j. frequently withou.
honor in bis own domain is shown by
the fact that very many famous writers
have wives who do not even take the
trouble to read their husbands prOduc-
tons. II is said that Mrs. William
Dean IIoWells does not read the novels
80 freely turned out by Americas nov
%eiist," and that, were il not for his
daughter MIldred's criticism, be would
not discuss his works al home. Per-
laps Mrs. Hoael,s thinks he should free
his mind o and then from his writ
hugs. says the y. Y. Sun.
Mrs. Rudyart kipling enjoys her
husbands stories immensely. Il was
these that first made her like him. She
il not 4 very great critic, though, and
il content 10 take his books a. sue finds
them after they are written.
To.stoi. Until recently had TO audi
nee in his wife. She did not approve
the course he took 10 antagonizc the
Russian rnlers. and begged him to de-
SIS: and write the stories az which he IL
so apt and which pay him 50 handsome
ly. After 4 time, though. she, too, was
converted 20 the severe style OF think
ing followed by her husband, and nov
callers see the couple evenings bending
over a plain wooden table, while the
count reads aloud his written pages
with the days ink fresh upon them.
John Stuart Mill had the most appre-
ciative wife I writer ever had. In one
OF his books he has 4 dedication in-
scribed 10 her. declaring that but for
her "Egight, clear light he could never
have penned 4 line worth reading. To
her criticism he attributed all his sue
cess.
Mrs. Gladstone i,no- IN intellectual
woman, yet her husband SAYS she has
-as.esd- TIA yeLI mater.a..y il ms
> dOaC Than Ter actnas Gecis. ror on
. thing-and She herself boasts OF this
. she mas not bothered him when re wa,
getting ont "a new speech or writing
|, something on the vast number OF sub.
jects he has treated in the last sixty
years, and she has kept the children
quiet, too. Not always has he read his
written documents To her. becaUse they
Nere often on topics which she did not
clearly appreAcnd. Yet 10 her Nj.
Gladstone gives AL the praise Showered
upon himself. Once she had A carriage
door slammed upon her hand ~ she
vas getting in on her way to hear her
husband speak, and she did not tell him
until afterward. lest il keep him from
doing himself justice in his speech.
Charles Dickens did not have this
kind of a wife. When the truth is told.
after tine has sottened is hard outlines,
it will he learned how dillicu.t it was
90. 49,. ..... La,ls q. ,rAnl~ - hn,,.
until he and MS wife agreed to disa-
gree in he way they did. Both ar
nov ut rest.
Thackeray had p terrible time with
his wife. She neither would listen 10
his writings nor allow him TO continue
to work with his pen. Finally it was
discovered that the poor lady vas hope
lessly insane. And Tor years the great
hearted mau supported her in luxury
in Il private asylum while he brought
up his bright children the best he could.
Mrs. Thackeray died only last spring,
having outliyed her husband thirty
years.
Many living writer's hay. wives that
are true helpmatcs. Among these help
ing wives are the beautiful Mrs. Eugene
Field, Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson,
who herself writes well. and Mrs. Julian
Hawthorne. George Parsons Lathrop
has an authoress wife, Mr.. Peary, writer
and explorer. has a wife who, in script
ural u~tterance, holds up both his hands
toward heaven Thomas Nelson Page
has a wife who, though not long mar
ried 10 him. is intensely interested in
every written word, and Will Carleton
has a home and appreciative household
! second to ao.,S o;aer IN the world.