Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-26
DEAN SW|FT'S STELLA
Woman to Whom He Wrote a
Daily Record.
TREATED HER SHABBILY
Suffered Much From Remorse After.
Her Death.
SOME OF HIS IRREGULARITIES
Walter SCOTS Visit to St. Patrick's
athedral-Literary Reminis-
cences of Dublin.
SOME OF HIS IRREGULARITIES
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
DUBLIN. June 49, 1903.
That long-suffering woman known as
Stella. whose relations with Dean Swift
have been discussed for century and
half. and are still more or less of a mys-
terry. was Mrs. Hester Johnson. a depend
ent relative OF Sir William Temple. whose
private secretary. Jonathan Swift. her in
constant and selfish lover. was for several
years. Swift called her stella because
her name Hester is the Persian for
star and first met her while he was
curate of little village church at Lara
cor. four miles from Dublin, where she
lived with a Mrs. Dingley. companion
. or chaperon who seemed to be always by
her side, whether she was in Dublin or
London. From the beginning of their ac-
Quaintance she entered into the inner life
of Swift and exercised an extraordinary
influence over him. When he left Laracor
for London to become the private Secre-
tary of Sir William Temple their remark
able correspondence commenced. and he
wrote her very minute daily record of
his life. his thoughts. his whims and his
fancieS. Those letters have been pub
-lshed under the title of 'Swift's Journal
to Stella and the book has been de-
scribed as "A Giants Playfulness. written
for one persons private pleasure which
has had indestructible attractiveness for
every one since
She followed him to London and when
he became dean of ST. Patricks returned
with him to Dublin and lived near the
deanery with Mrs. Dingley as her chap
eron until her death. But Swift was not
true to her. This eminent author and
satirist: this merciless critic of the short
comings of others; this doctor of divinity
this dean of the most prominent cathedral
in Ireland had numerous firtations with
other women. and Stella must have known
of them. although there is no evidence
that her loyal heart ever wavered in its
devotion.
: In 1854 he fell desperately in love with
"a Miss Warning. but seems to have es-
capped without any damage to himself or
his reputation. A few years later he be-
came involved in an ENHANCEMENT with
Miss Van Homrigh. which ruined her life
and effectually destroyed his peace of
mind. The character Of their acuuaint-
ance is shown by series of poems which
passed between them as her passion de-
veloped. and he allowed 1t to drift on un-
interrupted from day to day, evidently
we'll as pen. His poetical communica-
tons to her were signed "Cadenus," an
anagram on the Latin word for dean, and
hers were signed ''Vanessa,'' a combina-
ton of her Christian and surname.
Scandal In Dublin.
1t was not very dignif1ed business for
1.-The dean Of st. Patrick's, and the firta-
ton caused decided scandal in Dublin
II appears that Vanessa expected Swift
TO marry her, and he undoubtedly gave
s.her good reasons. while Mrs Johnson
was regarded as his mistress to the day
of her death and bore the odium with
.suncomplaining resignation. Long after
-@both of them were buried under the tiles
;;of st. Patrick's Cathedral 1t vas dis
covered that they had been secretly mar
.tried In ZIG. But why he insisted and
:::has never been explained, except upon
...the theory that he was afraid of what
:.Vanessa Van Homrigh might do
: The latter, however, having lost her pa
thence and becoming historical with jeal-
.:ousy, wrote to Stella. inquiring as to the
Sreal nature Of her relations with Swift
land demanding that she should relinquish
Cher claims upon him. Stella replied
promptly by sending Vanessa indsputa bile
@fevidences of their marriage seven years
<tbefore. yanessa. who lived at Marley
abbey. Celbridse (now Hazelhatch sta
-:tion). ten miles from Dublin. on the rail-
SWAY to Cork. sent Stella's letter to Swift
sand retired TO the hOuseo a friend in
I.the country. where she died few months
.:later of broken heart. Swift never re-
spilled TO her farewell letter. He never
:<aw her or communicated with her after
that day, and seems to have dismissed the
affair with the same indifference that he
always showed concerning the interests
5: of other people.
!, Five years later Stella died and was
s.buried In the cathedral al midnight by
s,Swifts orders. but he did not attend the
t2funeral. She lived in the neighbour hood
-sof the deanery. and from one of its win
Sdows ne witnessed the passage of the
Icasket to the tomb. This is the night OF
1.-The funeral" he writes in his diary. land
Il moved into another apartment that 1
s.may not see the light in the church which
sis just over against the window of my
bedchamber He then sat down at his
Sdesk and described her devotion and her
love for himself and her virtues in lam
guage Of Incompatible beauty His trib-
ute. written at that moment, Is one Of the
most beautiful passages in English lit
-erature. He preserved a lock Of her hair,
upon which he inscribed the words:
Only a woman's hair
Only a womans hair" comments
Thackeray. only love. fidelity. purity.
Innocence. beauty: only the tenderest
heart in the world, stricken and wounded
and pushed away out of the reach of joy.
with the pangs Of hope deferred Love
insulted and pitiless desertion. Only that
lock Of hair left. and memory and re-
morse for the guilty lonely, selfish
wretch shuddering over the grave of his
victim
Swift's Vanity.
Swift's extraordinary vanity is illus
Hester JOhnsons grave and his selfish
ness by his neglect to vindicate her repu-
tation and his own by mentioning their
marriage. The mistress of a dean Is not
usually buried in a cathedral over which
he presides. but no one has ever ques-
toned the right of her dust to be there
Her epitaph which was written by his
own pen, runs:
Underneath is inferred the mortal re-
mains of Mrs. Hester Johnson, better
known to the world by the name OF
Stella. under which she was celebrated
in the writings of DR.. Jonathan Swift
Jean of this cathedral.
She was a person of extraordinary en-.
dowmentS and accomplishments in body
mind and behavior: justly admired and
respected by all who knew her on &C.
count of her many eminent virtues as
we'll as for her great natural and ac-
quired projections.
She died. January 81 1121. in tine
fnrty-sixth year of her age and by hei
will bequeathed one thousand pounds to.
ward the support of the hospital founded
in this city by DR.. Stevens"
Prey to Remorse.
Although Swift did his best work after
Stella's death he was never himself
again. He became sour. morose and mis-
an.hropic. His soul burned itself Out
with remorse. The last four years of hi:
,:fe were inexpressbly sad and the retri
= hutton he deserved came from inUarS