The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-10-26

The Humorist Describes His Life Com
panion On Thirty-Sixth Anniversary.
tMark Train in North American Re
view)

tMark Train in North American Re
view.)
Tomorrow wifi be the thirty sixth
anniversary Of our marriage. My wife
passed from this life one year and
eight months ago, in Florence. Italy.
after an unbroken Illness OF 2e months
duration.
/ saw her first in the form of an
ivory miniature in her brother Char
ley's stateroom in the steamer Quak-
er City, in the Bay OF Smyrna, in the
summer Of 1857, when she was in her
22nd year. I saw her in the flesh for
. the first time in New York in the fol-
lowing December. She was slender and
beautiful and girlish-and she was
both birl and woman. She retained
both girl and woman TO the last day
Of her life. Under a grave and gentle
exterior burned inextinguishable fires
of sympathy, energy. devotion. enthu-
siasm and absolutely limitiess affec-
ton She was always frail in body.
and she lived upon her spirit, whose
hopefulnesS and courage were indie
structible. Perfect truth, perfect hon
esty. perfect candor. were qualities of
her character which Were born with
, her. Her judgments OF people and
things were sure and accurate. Her
intuifonS almost never deceived her
In her judmentS of the characters and
acts Of both friends and strangers.
there was always room for charity. and
this charity never failed. | have COM
pared and contrasted her with hun
dredS of persons, and my conviction
remains that hers was the most perfect
character / have ever met. And may
add that she was the most winniGgly
dignified person ! have ever known.
Her character and disposition were Of
the sort that not only invites worship.
| but commands IL. No servant ever
| left her service who deserved TO re-
main in it. And, as she could choose
with a glance of her eye. the servants
I she selected did in almost all cases de-
serve to remain, and they old remain.
| She was always cheerful; and she was
always able to reason me out of my
despairs, and find a bright side To the
| clouds, and make me see it. In all
that time, never knew her to utter
a word of regret concerning our alter
| ed circumstances, nor did ever know
her children to do the like. For she
had taught them, and they drew their
fortitude from her. The love which
she bestowed upon those whom she
| loved took the form of worship, and
| il that form it was returned-return-
/ ed by relatives, friends and the ser
wants Of her household. 1t was a
strange combination which wrought
| into one individual, so to speak, Oy
marriage-her disposition and char
| acter and mine.
! She poured out her prodigal affec-
| tions in kisses and caresses. and in a
vocabulary of endearments whose pro-
fusion was always an astonishment to
me. I was born reserved as to en-
dearments of speech and caresses, and
| hers broke upon me as the summer
! waves break upon Giberalter. / was
reared in that atmosphere Of reserve.
! AS I have already said, in another
chapter, I never knew a member of my
| fathers family to kiss another mem
| Der of it except once, and that at
deathbed. And our village was not
a kissing community. The kissing
and caressing ended with courtship-
along with the deadly piano-playing
of that day.
She had the heart free laugh Of a
| girl. 1t came seldom, but when It
I~oke upon the ear it was as inspiring
as music. I heard it for the last time
when she had been occupying her
sickbed for more than year. and
I made a written note Of it at the time
"a note not to be repeated.