El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-03-09
Cowper's First H
LoUe Disastrous
| POETS Mind Gives Way When He
Loses in Love: Mary Urwin's II
n Devotion. H
BY MADISON c. PETERS. \
copyright. 1917. by Madison c Peters 4
" JULIAN cowPER's disappoint-

w JULIAN COWPER'S disappoint-
Nv ment IN winning his cousin
Theodore Cowper's hand. be-
cause Of the fathers opposition to the
marriage. due mainly TO cousiniv re-
lationship. first deranged the poets
mind.
But for his friendships with brilliant
and lovely women. the sensitive. shy
and shrinking genius would have no
place in literature. except as a mad
man.
Theodore remained true TO her first
love. never married. and preserved with
tender care all the love poems he had
written TO her under the name of Della.
Touching verses and innumerable
references in his letters attest his ap-
probation Of his cousins tenderness.
the angelic Lady Hesketh, cousin OF
his first love.
The accomplished. charming. witty
and much Travelled Lady Austin. was AT
one period of his life an tneNpressihle
blessing to him He christened her
sister Ann" and wrote cordial verses
20 her. She directed the poets thoughts
and the result was The Task and
John Gilpin." his most laudable
works, the latter having been inspired
by a story told him by Lady Austin
Lady Austin soon became tiresome
and her tiresOmeness consisted in this:
She loved Cowper a great deal more
than she was loved by him and she
was always calling for those little
demonstra lions that women delight in
Every one knows the poets portrait,
his muslin night cap and his passion
for hares. but the poet had the facil-
ity for flattering women by lifting the
common places Of life into sweetness
and nobieness. This very weakness
made him attractive to women. for
women like nothing better than to do
a great deal for the men they love
The Mary of His Poems.
But far above all the poets female
friends must be ranked Mary Irwin.
who came into the life OF this most
melancholy Of men in 1765. when he
was 81 years OF age Mrs Irwin was
painfully pious and was first drawn
10 CoWper by a sectarian interest She
was the Mary" OF his poems. Through
her gentle musings and patient watch
fitness Cowper recovered from his at
tacks of insanity. She devoted her
life to wait on this most unfortunate
man. with his dark soul. his fitful tenn
per and who had at times nothing TO
give her but hatred.
Mrs Irwin was seven years older
than Cowper and he always declared
their affection was purely platonic
That woman" he wrote to Lady Has
keith, lis a blessing to me; 1 never
see her without being better for her
company" She was the greatest sup
port the hopeless poet knew In ms
fits of insanity she watched him day
and night defying alike personal hard
ships and slanderous remarks OF heart
less gossips. She completely ruled
him and their friendship continued un-
I'll death and what that woman went
through during that attendance for up
wards OF 20 years is the story OF
devotion unique in literature.
Paralyzed in body. decayed in mind.
almost blind. sitting by his side, he
composed for her those exquisite and
imperishable lines. the first verse of
the eight running:
The 10th year has well nigh past
Since first our sky was overcast
All; would that this might be our last,
Ny Mary.
COwper was never so happy as when
h was miserable He enjoyed" poor
health that was his specially
Mrs. Unwin died in 1897, and Cowper
wrote mis- most sordid poem.
The Castaway-" When in 1900 Cowper'
TO use his own words, plunged IN
deeps unvisited b. any human soul
save his" followed his faithful friend
in the spirit world. Lady Hasketh. built