The Washington herald., 1909-10-11
MEN MAKE
UNHAPPY MARRIAGES.


NO sun warmed my roof-tree; the mar
riage was a blunder; she was nine years
my senior" Seldom did the last OF thsi
great Victorian novelists. George Mere
dith. refer 10 his first marriage. in 1891
with Mary Ellen Nichols. widow u
Lieut. Nichols and daughter OF Thoma4
Love Peacock. But on one occasion Ia
broke his silence concerning taat un-
happy episode in his life with the fore
going pathetic words. says the Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
Several other men OF genius conter-
porary with George Meredith had reason.
10 regret the matrimonial woke. Iob7
Ruskin, for instance. after falling in love-
as boy with a beautiful French girl.
whom he wooed with poems, rornances.
dramas, and mute worship. receiving
nothing In reply but chilly indifference
and lively ridicule. married. al the aga
or twenty-nine. a lady OF great beauty.
Euphemia c. Gray. OF a family long in
innate with the Euskins. Ruskin wa
immersed In his studies and projects
while his wife was devoted 10 society.
and six years after the marriage she lefti
him, and ultimately became the wife Of.
John Everett Milais.
Then there was George FredericL-
Watts, the famous Royal Acadenician.f
who, when he was forty years OF age.
married Miss Ellen Terry. who was nou
1 then out OF the teens. As might have.
/ been anticipated. the union of two such.
artists. only one OF whom was permitted
20 pursue his arr was tempting disaster.
and after a short thine the marriage was.
dissolved. Subsequently Watts married
a Scotch lady with whom he lived for
years in great happiness.
Tragic IN the extreme was the mar.
rage of Carlyle 10 Jane Welsh. whose
| heart had been given 10 Edward Irving
but the gifted orator was engaged 10 ai
Miss Martin, and was held 70 his vow.
/ The absence OF love. coupled with the
bad temper and irritabiIlty OF the famous
I historian led 10 much unhappiness for
himself and his wife, who confessed thatt
the years were 10 her the bitterness
OF death"
Most OF rs have read Of the unfortu-.
nate union Of Lord Byron to Miss Mill
banke the only daughter and heiress oEi
Sir Ralph Mllbanke. a wealthy ba~onet.
and how. after the birth OF a child. Iadvi
Byron went 10 her father and refused To-
return 20 her husband. Then there wasi
Shelley. who married the sister or al
school fellow without being really IN love-,
He separated from rs wife. and ultimate
" married a second time.
In the annals OF literature. however. Ir'
would be difficult to find. even in fiction.
more amazing example OF enmity be-;
tween husband and wife than that which,
existed between Lord Lytton and Rosinal
Wheeler. a beautiful Irish girl. whom he
married in 1877, despite the protests OF,
his mother. Il was a most unhappy mar.
rage and even after the separation. IN
1876, they referred 20 one another in tha.
most embittered tones
One day, continues Tit-Bits. when Lord
Lytton called at a certain house. hel
found the mistress deeply engaged in a
book. What have you got there that
interests you so much2" he asked. " The.
Schools for Husbands. she answered.
You don't mean 20 say" he replied,
that YOU consider life long enough to.
waste it on such unmitigated trash7--'
ION, but I assure you, Sir Edward, Il
consider Il very clever very smart andi
witty. You should look az IL again. and
you would discover that you have quite.
misappreciated it," NO, thank YOU Z
have neithers read nor intend 70 read
that wretched book: and you may rely
upon it, II you have found any sense
within the covers. those pages are no. by
the supposed author" (The author IN.
question was Lady Bulwer)
And Lady Lytton did not mince words
when speaking Of her husband.