The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-09-26
"ONLY A WOMAN'S HAIR"
To the Editor OF The State:
..0rl.. u ,ronnan'. ha l.. -

To the Editor OF The State:
Only woman's hair"
These were the four words, in the
handwriting OF Dean Jonathan Swift,
which marked the paper inclosing a
lock OF the hair Of Esther Johnson.
The little package was foun3 among
his effects after his death, and about
II years after her death.
Justin Mccarthy says:
"Swift's life, character and works
nave been the subject of writings
which would almost make a library in
themselves. He was in certain sense
a puzzle to his contemporaries and
is apparently puzzle to oiographers,
esSayists and critics down to the pre-
sent day."
And the relation between him and
Esther Johnson (the Stellar" of his
writings) has excited more discussion
than that between any two other per-
sons IN the world We know that she
was his ardent admircr and devoted
friend, from her childhood until her
death at 46 years of age; and we
know that he wrote Of her as "tne
truest, most virtuous and valuable
friend that I or perhaps any other
person, was ever possessed Of We
know that they lived in the closest
intimacy from her ninth year till her
death. We know that when separas-
ed they engaged in constant affec-
tionate correspondence. We know
that she came to his bedside and
nursed him through desuerate i'll
ness. And she was beautiful, intel
lectual and accomplished.
Yet we do not know whether they
were ever married. Some writer's
among them Samuel Johnson, Sir
Walter Scott, Orery, Thomas Sheri-
dan, Thackeray and Craik-thinh
that they were, while others-among
them Forster, Leslie Stephens, Ait
ken, Hill and Collins-think they
were not. And other writer's are in
doubt. l feel pretty sure that they
were not, for reasons that will appear
later.
Their acquaintance began when
Swift, at % years Of age, entered as
secretary to Sir William Temple, the
household of that nobleman, where
Esther Johnson, a girl of eight years
of age, resided. Swift became inter
ested in the bright child and, with
out being employed to do so, gave a
good deal of assistance in her educa-
ton. Four or five years later, he
withdrew from employment there cut
he resumed it in about two years and
held his position as secretary to Sir
William until the death of his en-
.ployer in 1899, a period of somewhat
more than two years, Esther Johnson
(Stella) being still member Of Sir
Williams household. Swift, at the
termina ton of this last residence of
the two here, was nearly 80 years OF
age and Stella snearly II. In the
year 1701, when he had returned to
Ireland, she, at his suggestion, went
thither from England and, with her
friend, Mrs. Dingley, took residence
at Laracos, near him, and, for the
rest of her life, was most intimately
associated with him. Some unkindly
people there suggested that she was
his mistress, but l have found no
writer entertaining or even tolerat-
ing the slanderous suspicion. Swift
was no amorous Abelard; nor was
Stella in any degree fantastic Hell
oise. Still the relation between them
was a very peculiar and noticeable
one, implying something hardly less
than positive infatuation on the wo-
mans part.
We are naturally led to inquire
what sort of man was this Swift?
Well, he was only moderately good
looking; had lot rank, nor wealth;
had no accomplishment, such as mu-
sic; poetic or artistic talent; had not
even insinuating or attractive man
ners; and certainly was not at all a
wooer. And he was intensely ambi-
tious, rude and domineering. He
avowed that he hated every woman
whom ne could not govern. Macaulay
likens his submissiveness to his en-
ployer, Sir William Temple, to the
tameness Of a captured tiger, adding
that he was ''the haughtiest, the most
aspiring, the most vindictive, the