The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-01-08
go HOWDNOU'WRITEA
w. LOVE'LETTER
LADY RUSSELL TO SIR WILLIAM

Lord William Russell, the Englisl
politician, was a man of affairs an,
figured prominently in the exciting
events that marked the second half q
| the seventeenth century in England
He was accused of having been an in
stigator of the famous Rye House Plot
of which he was no doubt innocent, but
he refused to escape, and in conse-
quenee was arrested and sent to tn,
Tower on June 90, 1888. Before tht
committee of the council he acknow1-
edged his presence at the meeting, bui
denied all knowledge of the proposed
insurrection.
He would probably have saved his
life, but for the perjury of Lord How
ard. When he was tried at the OLD
Bailey. his devoted wife, who previous
to their marriage had been Lads
Vaughan. assisted him in his defense
When Russell was sentenced to die
many attempts We're made to save his
life. He behaved with his usual quiet
oheerfulness during his stay in the
Tower. and the night before he was
executed he supped with his wife. Their
parting was his great trial. He died on
the 21st of July, 1883, in the forty
fourth year of his age.
During his early life Sir William
Russell took no part in public affairs
but INDUCED rather in the follies oi
court life and intrigue. He was &c
years of age when he married Rachael
the second daughter of the fourth Earl
of Southampton, and the widow of Lord
Vaughan, who was three years his SEN
Tor. With his wife Russell always lived
on terms of the greatest affection and
confidence.
Three years after their marriage, We
ind the following letter, full of senti-
ment,. addressed by Lady Russell {
Sir William, dated May, 16, 1872:
Il will not endeavor to tell you whai
suffer by being parted from you, but
beg of you that we may meet agar
as soon as~may be. Yes, / said as yot
do, and a great many others did, il
was very dull time, but I changed
my note with the new day, being
awaked with a letter from my master
and I will tell you / can find any ont
of them charming enough TO make me
ood-humored all the day"
And few days later Lady Russell
wrote again to her husband as fol
| lows: THE few hours we have beer
parted seem too many to me to lei
this first post night pass without Civ
| ing my dear man a little talk, which
must be an account of how l have beer
spending my time, for intelligence
have none, and my heart and thoughts
are all known to Mr.. Russell.
ITO be absent from the best ant
most loved thing and friend in tn,
world and now, I may almost say, TIL,
only one l have in it. must cause some
alteration in the person sensible of hel
condition.
My dearest heart, flesh and blood
cannot have a dearer and a greater
sense Of their own happiness than YOU
| poor but honest wife. / am glad yo;
| find Stratton so sweet. / trust you viii
! do the same for 80 years more, and i,
God pleases 1 shall be glad 1 may keer
you company most of these years, un.
less you wish otherwise in time; Their
| / think l could willingly leave all in
the world knowing you would TAX,
care of our brats They are both well
and send their best love"
Sir William married Lady Rachael ii
1863, and he always lived with her OF
terms of the greatest affection and con-
| fidence. She herself was of "a literar,
turn of mind, and her correspondence
with Tillotson and other distinguis ed
men was collected and published IL
l1773.