The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-26
- HCWDWOU .WRITEA
W. LOVE'LETTER ?ss@@4ll @4ll
HOW LORD MORGAN wR orE TO LADY MORGAN

Sydney OWenson, Lady Morgan, claimed
the inalienable female privilege of betray-
ing the secret of her age to no mortal
man; and hence her biographers are un-
able to furnish that usually important fact
in all biography. the date of birth. But
there is a general understanding that it
was either 1777 or ITS.
The father of Lady Morgan was an
Irish actor who had taken his name Mac
Owen and anglicized it when he went On
the stage. As with most clever girls sgd
ney's education owed more to herself than
to her instructors.
We get little glimpse of this piquant
and picturesque creature in one of her let
ters dated January, 1903: IT must tell
you," she writes, Il am ambitious far,
far beyond the line of laudable emulations.
perhaps beyond the power of being happy.
Yet the strongest point of my ambition Is
to be every inch a woman
AT an early age Sydney became a sue
cessful writer, and she was 'petted' by
her indulgent public In private circles
the adulation offered with true Irish fer
vor to her beauty, her talents, and her
Lovers sighed at her feet and whis-
pered soft nothings in her ear, but though
she played with the fire, her good sense
and her clear perception of right and
wrong prevented her from incurring any
real danger
Sir Thomas Charles Morgan was the
physician to the Duke of Abercorn, and
Sydney Owenson was the protege of Lady
Abercorn. The doctor and the authoress
met at Baron's Court. the Abercorn seat,
and after a brief courtship were married
January 12, 1912.
1t wa sin the following playful style that
Sydney wrote to Sir Charles previous to
their marriage: 81 am not half such lit
tie rascal as you suppose; the best feel
ings only have detained me from you; the
feelings better than the best will bring
me back to you. I must be more or less
than woman to resist tenderness, good
ness. excellence, like yours, and am SIM
ply a woman, aye. dear, every inch
woman / feel a little kindly tinglins
about the heart, at once more feeling my
self nestled in yours; do you remember
we'll, dear, if you don't. | will soon re-
vive your recollection. l said l would mol
write to you today, but could not resist
it, and l am now going off to a man OF
business, and about Lady Abercorn's
books, in the midst of the snow and
pinched with cold. God bless you, love.
"S. o."
And to this letter the surgeon replies In
part: II wish l had something to confess
just to satisfy you; but, ah, alas you have
the best security in the world for my
fidelity-the want of opportunity for me
to go astray. For unless / made love tc
young diablesse or an old witch, and be-
came the papa of an incubus, the devi
chance have of doing wrong.
II should like to know the where ano
the who of your thoughts perhaps il
would give me an idea. Seriously, my
love, if you doubt me, come and clailr
your own, for am yours and yours only
And In a second letter shortly after.
wards: my yesterdays letter was partio
ularly dull and faded; I am very much
pleased, fiattered, delighted at your second
letter; 1t is SO decisive a mark of your ten.
derness and affection. Dearest Glorvina
have no love for any but you; you have
my whole. whole heart, and II my letters
vary 1t is because my spirits vary, and
with them my tone of thinking. Wheu
when Will the day come that shall make
me yours forever? Glorvina we have botl
| scuffered much on each others account;
| feel, however. conscious we shall both b.
ultimately happy In each other. God. God
| bless you'll"
| For middle-aged lover and q widower
the foregoing may be considered SUM-
ciently effusiye. Quite an extensiv