character-第78章

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years'　experience　has　shown　me；〃　he　said；　〃that　just　the　helpmate

whom　I　have　is　the　only　one　that　could　suit　my　vocation。　　Who　else

could　have　so　carried　through　my　family　affairs？who　lived　so

spotlessly　before　the　world？　　Who　so　wisely　aided　me　in　my

rejection　of　a　dry　morality？。。。。　　Who　would；　like　she；　without　a

murmur；　have　seen　her　husband　encounter　such　dangers　by　land　and

sea？who　undertaken　with　him；　and　sustained；　such　astonishing

pilgrimages？　　Who；　amid　such　difficulties；　could　have　held　up　her

head　and　supported　me？。。。。　　And　finally；　who；　of　all　human　beings；

could　so　well　understand　and　interpret　to　others　my　inner　and

outer　being　as　this　one；　of　such　nobleness　in　her　way　of　thinking；

such　great　intellectual　capacity；　and　free　from　the　theological

perplexities　that　so　often　enveloped　me？



One　of　the　brave　Dr。　Livingstone's　greatest　trials　during　his

travels　in　South　Africa　was　the　death　of　his　affectionate　wife；

who　had　shared　his　dangers；　and　accompanied　him　in　so　many　of　his

wanderings。　　In　communicating　the　intelligence　of　her　decease　at

Shupanga；　on　the　River　Zambesi；　to　his　friend　Sir　Roderick

Murchison；　Dr。　Livingstone　said：　〃I　must　confess　that　this　heavy

stroke　quite　takes　the　heart　out　of　me。　　Everything　else　that　has

happened　only　made　me　more　determined　to　overcome　all

difficulties；　but　after　this　sad　stroke　I　feel　crushed　and　void　of

strength。　　Only　three　short　months　of　her　society；　after　four

years　separation！　　I　married　her　for　love；　and　the　longer　I　lived

with　her　I　loved　her　the　more。　　A　good　wife；　and　a　good；　brave；

kindhearted　mother　was　she；　deserving　all　the　praises　you　bestowed

upon　her　at　our　parting　dinner；　for　teaching　her　own　and　the

native　children；　too；　at　Kolobeng。　　I　try　to　bow　to　the　blow　as

from　our　Heavenly　Father；　who　orders　all　things　for　us。。。。　　I　shall

do　my　duty　still；　but　it　is　with　a　darkened　horizon　that　I　again

set　about　it。〃



Sir　Samuel　Romilly　left　behind　him；　in　his　Autobiography；　a

touching　picture　of　his　wife；　to　whom　he　attributed　no　small

measure　of　the　success　and　happiness　that　accompanied　him　through

life。　　〃For　the　last　fifteen　years；〃　he　said；　〃my　happiness　has

been　the　constant　study　of　the　most　excellent　of　wives：　a　woman　in

whom　a　strong　understanding；　the　noblest　and　most　elevated

sentiments；　and　the　most　courageous　virtue；　are　united　to　the

warmest　affection；　and　to　the　utmost　delicacy　of　mind　and　heart；

and　all　these　intellectual　perfections　are　graced　by　the　most

splendid　beauty　that　human　eyes　ever　beheld。〃　（17）　　Romilly's

affection　and　admiration　for　this　noble　woman　endured　to　the　end；

and　when　she　died；　the　shock　proved　greater　than　his　sensitive

nature　could　bear。　　Sleep　left　his　eyelids；　his　mind　became

unhinged；　and　three　days　after　her　death　the　sad　event　occurred

which　brought　his　own　valued　life　to　a　close。　（18）



Sir　Francis　Burdett；　to　whom　Romilly　had　been　often　politically

opposed；　fell　into　such　a　state　of　profound　melancholy　on　the

death　of　his　wife；　that　he　persistently　refused　nourishment　of　any

kind；　and　died　before　the　removal　of　her　remains　from　the　house；

and　husband　and　wife　were　laid　side　by　side　in　the　same　grave。



It　was　grief　for　the　loss　of　his　wife　that　sent　Sir　Thomas　Graham

into　the　army　at　the　age　of　forty…three。　　Every　one　knows　the

picture　of　the　newly…wedded　pair　by　Gainsboroughone　of　the　most

exquisite　of　that　painter's　works。　　They　lived　happily　together

for　eighteen　years；　and　then　she　died；　leaving　him　inconsolable。

To　forget　his　sorrowand；　as　some　thought；　to　get　rid　of　the

weariness　of　his　life　without　herGraham　joined　Lord　Hood　as　a

volunteer；　and　distinguished　himself　by　the　recklessness　of　his

bravery　at　the　siege　of　Toulon。　　He　served　all　through　the

Peninsular　War；　first　under　Sir　John　Moore；　and　afterwards　under

Wellington；　rising　through　the　various　grades　of　the　service；

until　he　rose　to　be　second　in　command。　　He　was　commonly　known　as

the　〃hero　of　Barossa；〃　because　of　his　famous　victory　at　that

place；　and　he　was　eventually　raised　to　the　peerage　as　Lord

Lynedoch；　ending　his　days　peacefully　at　a　very　advanced　age。　　But

to　the　last　he　tenderly　cherished　the　memory　of　his　dead　wife；　to

the　love　of　whom　he　may　be　said　to　have　owed　all　his　glory。

〃Never；〃　said　Sheridan　of　him；　when　pronouncing　his　eulogy　in

the　House　of　Commons〃never　was　there　seated　a　loftier　spirit

in　a　braver　heart。〃



And　so　have　noble　wives　cherished　the　memory　of　their　husbands。

There　is　a　celebrated　monument　in　Vienna；　erected　to　the　memory　of

one　of　the　best　generals　of　the　Austrian　army；　on　which　there　is

an　inscription；　setting　forth　his　great　services　during　the　Seven

Years'　War；　concluding　with　the　words；　〃NON　PATRIA；　NEC　IMPERATOR；

SED　CONJUX　POSUIT。〃　　When　Sir　Albert　Morton　died；　his　wife's　grief

was　such　that　she　shortly　followed　him；　and　was　laid　by　his　side。

Wotton's　two　lines　on　the　event　have　been　celebrated　as　containing

a　volume　in　seventeen　words：



　　　　　　　　　　〃He　first　deceased；　she　for　a　little　tried

　　　　　　　　　　To　live　without　him；　liked　it　not；　and　died。〃



So；　when　Washington's　wife　was　informed　that　her　dear　lord　had

suffered　his　last　agonyhad　drawn　his　last　breath；　and　departed

she　said：　〃'Tis　well；　all　is　now　over。　　I　shall　soon　follow　him；

I　have　no　more　trials　to　pass　through。〃



Not　only　have　women　been　the　best　companions；　friends；　and

consolers；　but　they　have　in　many　cases　been　the　most　effective

helpers　of　their　husbands　in　their　special　lines　of　work。　　Galvani

was　especially　happy　in　his　wife。　　She　was　the　daughter　of

Professor　Galeazzi；　and　it　is　said　to　have　been　through　her　quick

observation　of　the　circumstance　of　the　leg　of　a　frog；　placed　near

an　electrical　machine；　becoming　convulsed　when　touched　by　a　knife；

that　her　husband　was　first　led　to　investigate　the　science　which

has　since　become　identified　with　his　name。　　Lavoisier's　wife　also

was　a　woman　of　real　scientific　ability；　who　not　only　shared　in　her

husband's　pursuits；　but　even　undertook　the　task　of　engraving　the

plates　that　accompanied　his　'Elements。'



The　late　Dr。　Buckland　had　another　true　helper　in　his　wife；　who

assisted　him　with　her　pen；　prepared　and　mended　his　fossils；　and

furnished　many　of　the　drawings　and　illustrations　of　his　published

works。　　〃Notwithstanding　her　devotion　to　her　husband's　pursuits；〃

says　her　son；　Frank　Buckland；　in　the　preface　to　one　of　his

father's　works；　〃she　did　not　neglect　the　education　of　her

children；　but　occupied　her　mornings　in　superintending　their

instruction　in　sound　and　useful　knowledge。　　The　sterling　value　of

her　labours　they　now；　in　after…life；　fully　appreciate；　and　feel

most　thankful　that　they　were　blessed　with　so　good　a　mother。〃　（19）



A　still　more　remarkable　instance　of　helpfulness　in　a　wife　is

presented　in　the　case　of　Huber；　the　Geneva　naturalist。　Huber　was

blind　from　his　seventeenth　year；　and　yet　he　found　means　to　study

and　master　a　branch　of　natural　history　demanding　the　closest

observation　and　the　keenest　eyesight。　　It　was　through　the　eyes　of

his　wife　that　his　mind　worked　as　if　they　had　been　his　own。　　She

encouraged　her　husband's　studies　as　a　means　of　alleviating　his

privation；　which　at　length　he　came　to　forget；　and　his　life　was　as

prolonged　and　happy　as　is　usual　with　most　naturalists。　　He　even

went　so　far　as　to　declare　that　he　should　be　miserable　were　he　to

regain　his　eyesight。　　〃I　should　not　know；〃　he　said；　〃to　what

extent　a　person　in　my　situation　could　be　beloved；　besides；　to　me

my　wife　is　always　young；　fresh；　and　pretty；　which　is　no　light

matter。〃　　Huber's　great　work　on　'Bees'　is　still　regarded　as　a

masterpiece；　embodying　a　vast　amount　of　original　observation　on

their　habits　and　natural　history。　　Indeed；　while　reading　his

descriptions；　one　would　suppose　that　they　were　the　work　of　a

singularly　keensighted　man；　rather　than　of　one　who　had　been

entirely　blind　for　twenty…five　years　at　the　time　at　which

he　wrote　them。