Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-10
NEW-CENTURY CLUB.


formed the entertainment for Library |
Day. OH Monday afternoon. On the |
stage pots Of blossoming primrDseH and
a vase OF pink roses were reminder5 OF
the Surrey nrimrnaes and the Florentine
roses Mrs. Browning loved so we'll.
Mrs. Frances S. Garrett had been asked
10 give a sketch Of Mrs. Browning's
life, and in her absence the duty was
kindly and ably performed by her sister,
Mics Martha Sellers OF the New Cen.
fury Club of Philadelphia. She said
To tell about the life ut Elizabeth
Barrett Browning Is delight to me.
She was one of my youthful idols from
the time when | was presented with
her "Drama OF Exile" In this edition
ehe "kisaes the soil OF America 10
thanks to those sons OF the soil WIN, II
strangers and foreigners, are yet kina'
men aud frierds. and who. it never seen
by eyes Of mine, have already caused
them 10 glistsn by words OF kind
ness and courtesy. " Then we only
know her through her poems, but her
hiographer, Frederick q. Kenyon, has
shown us her charming personality.
Much of her life was spent within the
walls of sick room; she saye herself,
"A bird in a cage would have RH good u
story" Her life OF invalidism hegau
when che was 10; il was well she had
the resource Of hor literary occupation
when so much else was denied her.
Sho said, cit is perhaps the least
ignuble part Of me that | love poetry
better than l love my own success
in It,
From their early home among the
Malvern Hills, the Barretts moved for
few years to Sidmouth apd then to
London, but abe Gays my soul seems
to have Htad behind on the seaahore
which / love moro than ever now | can
not wink ON it in the body, but | dare
say ANAL soon be alile to see 10 my
Dungeon. ard begin to he amused with
the spidars, y Her life in London
brought her into connection with those
who became her closest friends, among
them her cousin and future biugrapher.
and with NJ ISIS Metford. The number
OF those admitted to hrr sick room was
small and TO this We owe the fact that
her correspondence was wide and full,
and that, by the modest tact OF her
biographer she uncousciously told her
own story. Tho failure in her health
became so marked that she was removed
TO Torquay and there occurred the
tragedy that for time wrecked her life
aud whose shadow nsvor wholly passed
away. This was the drowning Of hei
brother Edward, anil she had tho added
misery of remembering he had come tc
the place whore he met bis death in ut
tending upon her. She had much tt
contend with in her home relations; he'
love for her father aud pride in bin
had been a great inspirations, but hi
was used to thinking Of her as an in
valid and felt indignant that she some
times heat against tho bars, lie re
fused hia consent to her going south 70
/ her health and allowed hor 10 SEQ tina
: her imprisonment was more satisfactory
10 him than any additional health coult
be. This wolndeu her deeply, but j
freed her from his domination and pre-
, pared hnr 10 take her own fate IN he
hands latsr, when an important de
cision was to be made which was tina
OF her marriage, against her father
will. with Robert Browning, romano
80 unexpected to her as to her frienda
Her acquaintance with him was directl
, due to her poems, published IN ISL
lie expressed admiration of them t
. her cousin, Mr.. Kenyon, who urged hir
: to write to her, for she was distrnstfu
| "
getting deeper and deeper into COL
3 Tespondence with Robert Browning
+, poet and mystic, and wa are growing I
be the best OF friends. {" This tende
story OF how their friendship ripene
; into love ia told in letter to a frien
which is given in her biography. Til
. exquisite "Sonnets FROM the Portu
. . guese" were written during the court
= ship and engagement and Mr.. Brown
: ing never saw them until after the
; we're married. 1t waa their custom
write alone; he 10 o down stairs ROOF
. whore their meals were spread, she
= the room ahcve One morning he atou
a looking out Of the window, when som
y one came behind him, and his wife bel
! him by the shoulders to prevent b
looking ut her, and thrust some papa
into his pocket, telling him to reH
them and tear them up il he did nj
like them, ard then ran out of I'll
room. Imagine how he felt when /
y read
= How do love thee ? Let me count the way
=. love thee To the depth, and breadth ali
y height
: My soul can reach, when feeling out
10 sight
o For the ends Of Being and Ideal Grace.
ia love thee to the level of every DAYS
is Most quiet need, by sun and candle light,
a | love thee freely as men strive for right
!. love thee purely, as they turn from prais
% love thee with the passion put to use
}. In my old griefs, and with my childhood
faith
10 / love thee with a love seemed to lose
" With my lost saints-l love thee with Il
10 breath,
~ Smiles. tears of all my life and, if Gt
- choose
u shall but love thee better after death.
y These sonnets not only stand highe
m among her poems, hut also in the for
Ia front OF English love poems MIR. Ike
y. yon says with the single exception
ar Rosetti, no modern English poet b
nv written of love with such genius, bea II
v and sincerity as the two who gave Il
~ most beautiful example Of ii in the
N lives" The sonnsts were intended I
IL her husbands eys alone, and at frs
n not even for his, hut ne judged right
rs when he said II dared not reserve
- myself the finest sonnets written
any language since Shakespeare S.
ne Her enthusiasm for tho cause
Try liberty, in Italy, was intense; sne cou
- scarcely command her voice to speak
U; the death of Cavour, that great SO
o. that meditated and made Italy; +"
w. tears or blood could hive saved him
"; US, he should have had mine. I" On t
ISL Goth OF June, 1861, she died, slippi
AZ from life into death aiI unconsciousl
on Her husband, always anxious, was n
"a especially alarmed by tho attack, b
%; said afterwards; "1hen came what a
heart will keep till SOS hsr again a