Year: 1876

BENJAMIN West, the Painter, and How


BENJAMIN Franklin Helped him to n Wife.


Writ 6 of the early days of Phila-
delphia, Rebecca Harding Davis gives
us an interesting account of an elope-
ment that in its day created something
of q sensation


Mad Anthony Wayne, then hand
some, gallant, showily dressed young
fellow, was often seen on the streets
with the mild hammered, apple checked
Quaker lad, Benjamin West, afterwards
the noted painter. Hebrought as many of
his fashionable friends as he could per-
suade to sit for their portraits to the
hungry young artist, and it is limited
not only made military man of him,
but introduced him to charming Miss
Betty Shewell, with whom West, in his
orderly proper way, fell in love. Miss
Shewells brother, however, being
man with an income, had no mind that
his pretty sister should marry a man
who had none, and whose occupation
was held to be not half so genteel as that
OF tailor. He therefore locked Miss
Betty up in her room, jrst about the
time that one of the Aliens, who was
sending a ship laden with grain to the
starving Italians, offered BENJAMIN q
passage on her to Leghorn. But love
laughed at locksmiths then as now. The
Quaker Romeo and his Juliet saw each
other, though one was in the garden
and the other in the window, and vowed
eternal faith. West promised to win
fame and money, and his sweetheart
promised to come to him to the ends of
the earth as soon as he should send her
word he had enough of the latter neces-
sary to keep them from starvation. The
remainder OF the story Bishop White
told to DIR. Swift, of Easton, Pennsyl-
vanla. West, as we all know, succeeded
rapidly in winning both the fame and
money, and as soon as he was established
first favorite at Hampton Court, sent to
Miss Shewell to claim her part Of the
promise. Her brother was still inexora-
BILE, and did not consider painter,
though he were Georges own, fit
match for the daughter Of q blue -blooded
Philadelphia family. He locked Miss
Betty up again in her chamber. The
story went out through the town. Popu-
lar sympathy WAS with the lovers; Ste
phen Shewan was denounced as O tv-
rant; and many glances of pity and en-
ccuragement were cast at the high lat
ticed window behind which was the fair
captive maiden. The ship was in the
harbor, ready to sail, in which West had
arranged that his bride should como to
him. under the escort of his father. The
day arrived for her departure. eat this
crisis DR.. Franklin appeared as the good
angel, and proved himself quite as COM
petent to direct love affair as the light
ming or the draught in stove. With
Bishop White, then lad of eighteen,
and Francis Hopkinson, he went to the
ships captain, and arranged with him to
delay starting until night, but TO be
ready to weigh anchor at n moments
warning. Old Mr.. West was then taken
on board, and at midnight Franklin,
young White and Hopkinson repaired to
Stephen Shewell's house, fastened a rope
ladder to Miss Betty's window, held it
while she descended, and conducted her
safely to the ship, which set sail as soon
as she was on board. The lovers were
married when she landed, and lived long
and happily together. But Stephen She
we'll never forgave his sister, nor did she
or her husband ever return to the
United States.