character-第58章

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more　direct　way。　　Niebuhr　was　accustomed　to　discuss　with　his　wife

every　historical　discovery；　every　political　event；　every　novelty

in　literature；　and　it　was　mainly　for　her　pleasure　and　approbation；

in　the　first　instance；　that　he　laboured　while　preparing　himself

for　the　instruction　of　the　world　at　large。



The　wife　of　John　Stuart　Mill　was　another　worthy　helper　of　her

husband；　though　in　a　more　abstruse　department　of　study；　as　we

learn　from　his　touching　dedication　of　the　treatise　'On　Liberty'：

〃To　the　beloved　and　deplored　memory　of　her　who　was　the　inspirer；

and　in　part　the　author；　of　all　that　is　best　in　my　writingsthe

friend　and　wife；　whose　exalted　sense　of　truth　and　right　was　my

strongest　incitement；　and　whose　approbation　was　my　chief　reward；　I

dedicate　this　volume。〃　　Not　less　touching　is　the　testimony　borne

by　another　great　living　writer　to　the　character　of　his　wife；　in

the　inscription　upon　the　tombstone　of　Mrs。　Carlyle　in　Haddington

Churchyard；　where　are　inscribed　these　words：…　〃In　her　bright

existence；　she　had　more　sorrows　than　are　common；　but　also　a　soft

amiability；　a　capacity　of　discernment；　and　a　noble　loyalty　of

heart；　which　are　rare。　　For　forty　years　she　was　the　true　and

loving　helpmate　of　her　husband；　and　by　act　and　word　unweariedly

forwarded　him　as　none　else　could；　in　all　of　worthy　that　he

did　or　attempted〃



The　married　life　of　Faraday　was　eminently　happy。　　In　his　wife　he

found；　at　the　same　time；　a　true　helpmate　and　soul…mate。　　She

supported；　cheered；　and　strengthened　him　on　his　way　through　life；

giving　him　〃the　clear　contentment　of　a　heart　at　ease。〃　　In　his

diary　he　speaks　of　his　marriage　as　〃a　source　of　honour　and

happiness　far　exceeding　all　the　rest。〃　　After　twentyeight　years'

experience；　he　spoke　of　it　as　〃an　event　which；　more　than　any

other；　had　contributed　to　his　earthly　happiness　and　healthy　state

of　mind。。。。　　The　union　（said　he）　has　in　nowise　changed；　except

only　in　the　depth　and　strength　of　its　character。〃　　And　for　six…

and…forty　years　did　the　union　continue　unbroken；　the　love　of　the

old　man　remaining　as　fresh；　as　earnest；　as　heart…whole；　as　in　the

days　of　his　impetuous　youth。　　In　this　case；　marriage　was　as



〃A　golden　chain　let　down　from　heaven；

Whose　links　are　bright　and　even；

That　falls　like　sleep　on　lovers；　and　combines

The　soft　and　sweetest　minds

In　equal　knots。〃



Besides　being　a　helper；　woman　is　emphatically　a　consoler。　　Her

sympathy　is　unfailing。　　She　soothes；　cheers；　and　comforts。　　Never

was　this　more　true　than　in　the　case　of　the　wife　of　Tom　Hood；　whose

tender　devotion　to　him；　during　a　life　that　was　a　prolonged

illness；　is　one　of　the　most　affecting　things　in　biography。　　A

woman　of　excellent　good　sense；　she　appreciated　her　husband's

genius；　and；　by　encouragement　and　sympathy；　cheered　and　heartened

him　to　renewed　effort　in　many　a　weary　struggle　for　life。　　She

created　about　him　an　atmosphere　of　hope　and　cheerfulness；　and

nowhere　did　the　sunshine　of　her　love　seem　so　bright　as　when

lighting　up　the　couch　of　her　invalid　husband。



Nor　was　he　unconscious　of　her　worth。　　In　one　of　his　letters　to

her；　when　absent　from　his　side；　Hood　said：　〃I　never　was　anything；

Dearest；　till　I　knew　you；　and　I　have　been　a　better；　happier；　and

more　prosperous　man　ever　since。　　Lay　by　that　truth　in　lavender；

Sweetest；　and　remind　me　of　it　when　I　fail。　　I　am　writing　warmly

and　fondly；　but　not　without　good　cause。　　First；　your　own

affectionate　letter；　lately　received；　next；　the　remembrance　of　our

dear　children；　pledgeswhat　darling　ones！of　our　old　familiar

love；　then；　a　delicious　impulse　to　pour　out　the　overflowings　of　my

heart　into　yours；　and　last；　not　least；　the　knowledge　that　your

dear　eyes　will　read　what　my　hand　is　now　writing。　　Perhaps　there　is

an　afterthought　that；　whatever　may　befall　me；　the　wife　of　my　bosom

will　have　the　acknowledgment　of　her　tenderness；　worth；　excellence

all　that　is　wifely　or　womanly；　from　my　pen。〃　　In　another　letter；

also　written　to　his　wife　during　a　brief　absence；　there　is　a

natural　touch；　showing　his　deep　affection　for　her：　〃I　went　and

retraced　our　walk　in　the　park；　and　sat　down　on　the　same　seat；　and

felt　happier　and　better。〃



But　not　only　was　Mrs。　Hood　a　consoler；　she　was　also　a　helper　of

her　husband　in　his　special　work。　　He　had　such　confidence　in　her

judgment；　that　he　read；　and　re…read；　and　corrected　with　her

assistance　all　that　he　wrote。　　Many　of　his　pieces　were　first

dedicated　to　her；　and　her　ready　memory　often　supplied　him　with

the　necessary　references　and　quotations。　　Thus；　in　the　roll

of　noble　wives　of　men　of　genius；　Mrs。　Hood　will　always　be

entitled　to　take　a　foremost　place。



Not　less　effective　as　a　literary　helper　was　Lady　Napier；　the　wife

of　Sir　William　Napier；　historian　of　the　Peninsular　War。　　She

encouraged　him　to　undertake　the　work；　and　without　her　help　he

would　have　experienced　great　difficulty　in　completing　it。　　She

translated　and　epitomized　the　immense　mass　of　original　documents；

many　of　them　in　cipher；　on　which　it　was　in　a　great　measure

founded。　　When　the　Duke　of　Wellington　was　told　of　the　art　and

industry　she　had　displayed　in　deciphering　King　Joseph's　portfolio；

and　the　immense　mass　of　correspondence　taken　at　Vittoria；　he　at

first　would　hardly　believe　it；　adding〃I　would　have　given

20；000L。　　to　any　person　who　could　have　done　this　for　me　in　the

Peninsula。〃　　Sir　William　Napier's　handwriting　being　almost

illegible；　Lady　Napier　made　out　his　rough　interlined　manuscript；

which　he　himself　could　scarcely　read；　and　wrote　out　a　full　fair

copy　for　the　printer；　and　all　this　vast　labour　she　undertook　and

accomplished；　according　to　the　testimony　of　her　husband；　without

having　for　a　moment　neglected　the　care　and　education　of　a　large

family。　　When　Sir　William　lay　on　his　deathbed；　Lady　Napier　was　at

the　same　time　dangerously　ill；　but　she　was　wheeled　into　his　room

on　a　sofa；　and　the　two　took　their　silent　farewell　of　each　other。

The　husband　died　first；　in　a　few　weeks　the　wife　followed　him；　and

they　sleep　side　by　side　in　the　same　grave。



Many　other　similar　truehearted　wives　rise　up　in　the　memory；　to

recite　whose　praises　would　more　than　fill　up　our　remaining　space

such　as　Flaxman's　wife；　Ann　Denham；　who　cheered　and　encouraged　her

husband　through　life　in　the　prosecution　of　his　art；　accompanying

him　to　Rome；　sharing　in　his　labours　and　anxieties；　and　finally　in

his　triumphs；　and　to　whom　Flaxman；　in　the　fortieth　year　of　their

married　life；　dedicated　his　beautiful　designs　illustrative　of

Faith；　Hope；　and　Charity；　in　token　of　his　deep　and　undimmed

affection；such　as　Katherine　Boutcher；　〃dark…eyed　Kate；〃　the

wife　of　William　Blake；　who　believed　her　husband　to　be　the　first

genius　on　earth；　worked　off　the　impressions　of　his　plates　and

coloured　them　beautifully　with　her　own　hand；　bore　with　him　in　all

his　erratic　ways；　sympathised　with　him　in　his　sorrows　and　joys　for

forty…five　years；　and　comforted　him　until　his　dying　hourhis

last　sketch；　made　in　his　seventy…first　year；　being　a　likeness　of

himself；　before　making　which；　seeing　his　wife　crying　by　his　side；

he　said；　〃Stay；　Kate！　just　keep　as　you　are；　I　will　draw　your

portrait；　for　you　have　ever　been　an　angel　to　me；〃such　again　as

Lady　Franklin；　the　true　and　noble　woman；　who　never　rested　in　her

endeavours　to　penetrate　the　secret　of　the　Polar　Sea　and　prosecute

the　search　for　her　long…lost　husbandundaunted　by　failure；　and

persevering　in　her　determination　with　a　devotion　and　singleness　of

purpose　altogether　unparalleled；or　such　again　as　the　wife　of

Zimmermann；　whose　intense　melancholy　she　strove　in　vain　to

assuage；　sympathizing　with　him；　listening　to　him；　and　endeavouring

to　understand　himand　to　whom；　when　on　her　deathbed；　about　to

leave　him　for　ever；　she　addressed　the　touching　words；　〃My　poor

Zimmermann！　who　will　now　understand　thee？〃



Wives　have　actively　helped　their　husbands　in　other　ways。　　Before

Weinsberg　surrendered　to　its　besiegers；　the　women　of　the　place

asked　permission　of　the　captors　to　remove　their　valuables。　　The

permission　was　granted；　and　shortly　after；　the　women　were　seen

issuing　from　the　gates　carrying　their　husbands　on　their　shoulders。

Lord　Nithsdale　owed　his　escape　from　prison　to　the　address　of　his

wife；　who　changed　garments　with　him；　sending　him　forth　in　her

stead；　and　herself　remaining　prisoner；an　example　which　was

successfully　repeated　by　Madame　de　Lavalette。



But　the　most　remarkable　instance　of　the　release　of　a　husband

through　the　devotion　of　a　wife；　was　that　of　the　celebrated

Grotius。　　He　had　lain　for　nearly　twenty　months　in　the　strong

fortress　of　Loevestein；　near　Gorcum；　having　been　condemned　by　the

government　of　the　United　Provinces　to　perpetual　imprisonment。　　His

wife；　having　been　allowed　to　share　his　cell；　greatly　relieved　his

solitude。　　She　was　permitted　to　go　into　the　town　twice　a　week；　and

bring　her　husband　books；　of　which　he　required　a　large　number　to

enable　him　to　prosecute　his　studies。　　At　length　a　large　chest　was

required　to　hold　them。　　This　the　sentries　at　first　examined　with

great　strictness；　but；　finding　that　it　only　contained　books

（amongst　others　Arminian　books）　and　linen；　they　at　length　gave　up

the　search；　and　it　was　allowed　to　pass　out　and　in　as　a　matter　of

course。　　This　led　Grotius'　wife　to　conceive　the　idea　of　releasing

him；　and　she　persuaded　him　one　day　to　deposit　himself　in　the　chest

instead　of　the　outgoing　books。　　When　the　two　soldiers　appointed　to

remove　it　took　it　up；　they　felt　it　to　be　considerably　heavier　than

usual；　and　one　of　them　asked；　jestingly；　〃Have　we　got　the　Arminian

himself　here？〃　to　which　the　ready…witted　wife　replied；　〃Yes；

perhaps　some　Arminian　books。〃　　The　chest　reached　Gorcum　in　safety；

the　captive　was　released；　and　Grotius　escaped　across　the　frontier

into　Brabant；　and　afterwards　into　France；　where　he　was　rejoined

by　his　wife。



Trial　and　suffering　are　the　tests　of　married　life。　　They　bring　out

the　real　character；　and　often　tend　to　produce　the　closest　union。

They　may　even　be　the　spring　of　the　purest　happiness。

Uninterrupted　joy；　like　uninterrupted　success；　is　not　good　for

either　man　or　woman。　　When　Heine's　wife　died；　he　began　to　reflect

upon　the　loss　he　had　sustained。　　They　had　both　known　poverty；　and

struggled　through　it　hand…in…hand；　and　it　was　his　greatest　sorrow

that　she　was　taken　from　him　at　the　moment　when　fortune　was

beginning　to　smile　upon　him；　but　too　late　for　her　to　share　in　his

prosperity。　　〃Alas　I〃　said　he；　〃amongst　my　griefs　must　I　reckon

even　her　lovethe　strongest；　truest；　that　ever　inspired　the

heart　of　womanwhich　made　me　the　happiest　of　mortals；　and　yet

was　to　me　a　fountain　of　a　thousand　distresses；　inquietudes；　and

cares？　　To　entire　cheerfulness；　perhaps；　she　never　attained；　but

for　what　unspeakable　sweetness；　what　exalted；　enrapturing　joys；　is

not　love　indebted　to　sorrow！　　Amidst　growing　anxieties；　with　the

torture　of　anguish　in　my　heart；　I　have　been　made；　even　by　the　loss

w