Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-10-22
VAGAR|ES N MATRINONY
How Some of the Worlds
Great Men Won Brides.
NO ACCOUNTING FOR IT
But Great Men Sometimes Show
Strange Tsstes-iow Some Won
Their WiVes-eismarcks Love.
making.

That there is no accounting for the
eccentricities of lovers is sufficiently
proved by the odd methods in which
many of the worlds great men have
wooed and won their wives.
When Schumann, the famous COM
poser, fell head over heels in love
with Clara Week, his masters daugh
ter, his path Of courtship was by no
means one of roses, for Herr Week
had no wish 10 see his only daughter
the wife of a penniless musician, and
he forbade the young lovers to hold
any communication with each other.
But love laughs at parental frowns;
and as Schumann could not even write
to his lady love he poured out his
soul to her in a series of Letters to
Clara" printed in a musical journal
of which he was editor.
when the time was ripe for settling
his destiny he made music the vehicle
of his passion, and actually proposed
to Clara on the piano under the very
nose of her father, without single
word being uttered, and received her
joyful assent through the same me-
dunn.
Spohr won his wife with equally dra-
matte suddenness. After playing
duet at court concert with Dorette
Schneider, a beautiful and gifted harp
list, and while the tumult Of applause
was still ringing in their ears, he said
to his companion: "Shall we play to-
gether thus through life?" For answer
the lady burst into tears and sank
into his arms"
One day, when DR.. Dawson, an elo-
quent preacher of century ago,
called to see Miss Corbett, a wealthy
admirer of his oratory, for whom he
had conceived a not altogether platoon
lc affection, he found her reading the
Bible. Stealing up behind her he
looked over her shoulder to see what
she was reading, when without
showing any recognition Of his pres
ence, the lady's forefinger rested on
the words of Nathan to David: Thou
art the man." Even a less marked
hint would have been sufficient for DR..
Dawson, and we cannot wonder that
Miss Corbett soon changed her name.
Gainsborough's wooing was made al
most absurdly easy for him. He had
completed a portrait Of Miss Burr, a
charming young lady of sixteen SUM
mers, when his fair sitter was so de-
lighted with her presentment that she
more than limited that while she took
the copy the artist might claim the
original. Gainsborough did not de-
cline such a tempting offer.
For constancy it would be difficult
to find rival for Jeremy Bentham.
In early manhood Jeremy Bentnam
proposed for the hand OF young
lady. who promptly refused him. For
ty years later he renewed his offer
with the same result; and, still Loyalty
cherishing his love in old age, he pro-
posed again at the age of eighty in
touching letter in which he wrote:
"Since the day when you presented
me with the flower in the lane, not a
single day has passed in which you
have not engrossed my thoughts"
Bismark's iron resolution was never
better demonstrated than in his love
making. At his first meeting with the
lady who was to share his life for so
many years he proposed to her and
was accepted, and on the following
day, presenting himself at the house
of her parents, who knew him only as
a young man of undesirable reputa-
ton, he demanded the young lady's
hand, and refused to leave the house
until his suit was granted.
Probably no gallant who ever laid
his heart at a fair lady's feet was
more undecided than Lord Byron
when he wrote the letter which COM
mitted him to his unhappy marriage
with Miss Ailbanks. lie had just
proposed to another lady. and, as he
held her letter of refusal in his hands,
he said to a friend. 1T seems that it
is to be Miss NIilbanks, after all; |
will write to her" He sat down and
wrote the fatal letter." handing 1t to
his friend for perusual
"a very pretty letter" the friend
remarked after reading it.; lit is
pity that it shouldn't 60" Then it
shall co." exclaimed Byron, and thus
opened one Of the most tragic chap
tiers of his checkered life story-Pub-