Year: 1866

The simple, but characteristic and
touching inscription, prepared by Mr.
Carlyle for the monument of his wife
could not fail to remind the reader that
some of the most effectiag episodes in
the lives of literary men have been con
nected with domestic bereavements. The
tribute of Sir James Mcintosh to his
wife Is among the most remarkable In
the languages


Il vas guided in my choice" he says,
'only by the blind affection of my youth
found an intelligent companion and
tender friend, a prudent monitress, the
most faithful Of wives, aud a mother as
tender as children ever had the misfor-
tune to lose l met woman who, by the
tender management of my weaknesses,
gradually corrected the most pernicious
Of them. She became prudent from af-
fectiOu. and though of the most generous
nature, she was taught economy and fru-
gaiity by her love for me. During the
most critical period of my life, she pre-
served order IN my affairs, from the care
Of which she relieved me She gently
reclaimed me from dissipation; she prop
ped my weak aud irresOiute nature she
urged my Incidence to all the eXertiOns
that have been useful or creditable to me,
and she was perpetually at hand to ad-
monish my heedlessness and imprOVi-
\
her whatever I shall be-


It detracts somewhat from the romance
of case, perhaps, that Sir James became
eOnsOled for his loss, in just one year
from the time of his great bereavement,
by a second marriage. And here we may
venture the somewhat obvious remark
that the domestic histories of remarka-
Bile men are the most pleasing records of
literature, for the reason that in these
i L l.
has a sort of personal interest in the mar
ratiVe readily recalling his own feelings
in similar circumstances, or the history
of his own friends, and so having COM
munity of joy or sorrow with the dIstin
guished persOnages of other times. LII
must be confessed too that the cool and
business like way In which biographers
sometimes dispose of affecting domestic
events is noticeable, especially when, as
In the case mentioned, the reader has
hardly got over his emotions of sadness
at the end of one chapter, and is told att
the commencement of almost the next
one of the happy marriage of the man
for whose intense grief his eyes are still
moist. 1t rarely happens that man who
Is his own Boswell does not manage this
matter with more delicacy. The case of
Rev. DR.. Spring may be regarded as a re-
markable exception. This we'll known
Octogenarian has recently favored the
public with lively personal "reminiscences
of his life and times, IN which he copies
extracts from his private journal, that
are not seldom rich and rare" Thus,
under date of August z, 1860, he writes.
This morning, at halt past 8 clock, my
sweet wife was reieased from this scene
of debility aud suffering" and after a
particular account of her sickness, and
statement that she was the mother of 10
children, he INDUCES IN a strong expires
sion Of his feeling-not unnatural, but
perhaps as well suppressed IN the printed
Yolume-8nd winds up with some verses,
IN which the soundness of doctrine IS
more remarkable than the poetic express
ion. Just five pages further on, IN the
very next entry in the diary, the worthy
Doctor, after admitting that his sweet
wife was too valuable a woman ever to be
forgotten, and that he never thought
he could love another, says that he had
advanced beyond three score years and
ten, was partially blind and needed a
helper fitted to his age and condition:


''No one needs such helper more than
man in my advanced years. [ sought
and God gave me another wife. A few
days only more than year after the death
Of Mrs. Spring on the l4th day of August,
1861, I was married to Abba Gr0svenor
Williams, the only surviving child of the
/ late Elisha Williams, ESQ, distinguish
ed member of the bar. She is the heir
ess of large property, and retains it 10
her own hands She is intent on her du-
ty as wife, watchful of my wants, takes
good care Of me, is an excellent house
keeper, and instead of adding to the ex-
penses of my household, shares them
with her husband.


In addition to which remarkable cir
eumstanee, the autobiOgrapher asserts
that


Not until after our mutual engage
ment was entered into, did we know that
we were descended from the same stock,
and that our grandmothers were sisters.