character-第69节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　her　dear　lord。　　And　when　his　last　hour　had　nearly　come；　and

his　wife　and　children　waited　to　receive　his　parting　embrace；

she；　brave　to　the　end；　that　she　might　not　add　to　his　distress；

concealed　the　agony　of　her　grief　under　a　seeming　composure；

and　they　parted；　after　a　tender　adieu；　in　silence。　　After

she　had　gone；　Lord　William　said；　〃Now　the　bitterness　of

death　is　passed！〃　（16）



We　have　spoken　of　the　influence　of　a　wife　upon　a　man's　character。

There　are　few　men　strong　enough　to　resist　the　influence　of　a　lower

character　in　a　wife。　　If　she　do　not　sustain　and　elevate　what　is

highest　in　his　nature；　she　will　speedily　reduce　him　to　her　own

level。　　Thus　a　wife　may　be　the　making　or　the　unmaking　of　the　best

of　men。　　An　illustration　of　this　power　is　furnished　in　the　life　of

Bunyan。　　The　profligate　tinker　had　the　good　fortune　to　marry；　in

early　life；　a　worthy　young　woman　of　good　parentage。　　〃My　mercy；〃

he　himself　says；　〃was　to　light　upon　a　wife　whose　father　and　mother

were　accounted　godly。　　This　woman　and　I；　though　we　came　together

as　poor　as　poor　might　be　（not　having　so　much　household　stuff　as　a

dish　or　a　spoon　betwixt　us　both）；　yet　she　had　for　her　part；　'The

Plain　Man's　Pathway　to　Heaven；'　and　'The　Practice　of　Piety；'　which

her　father　had　left　her　when　he　died。〃　　And　by　reading　these　and

other　good　books；　helped　by　the　kindly　influence　of　his　wife；

Bunyan　was　gradually　reclaimed　from　his　evil　ways；　and　led　gently

into　the　paths　of　peace。



Richard　Baxter；　the　Nonconformist　divine；　was　far　advanced　in　life

before　he　met　the　excellent　woman　who　eventually　became　his　wife。

He　was　too　laboriously　occupied　in　his　vocation　of　minister　to

have　any　time　to　spare　for　courtship；　and　his　marriage　was；　as　in

the　case　of　Calvin；　as　much　a　matter　of　convenience　as　of　love。

Miss　Charlton；　the　lady　of　his　choice；　was　the　owner　of　property

in　her　own　right；　but　lest　it　should　be　thought　that　Baxter

married　her　for　〃covetousness；〃　he　requested；　first；　that　she

should　give　over　to　her　relatives　the　principal　part　of　her

fortune；　and　that　〃he　should　have　nothing　that　before　her　marriage

was　hers；〃　secondly；　that　she　should　so　arrange　her　affairs　〃as

that　he　might　be　entangled　in　no　lawsuits；〃　and；　thirdly；　〃that

she　should　expect　none　of　the　time　that　his　ministerial　work　might

require。〃　　These　several　conditions　the　bride　having　complied

with；　the　marriage　took　place；　and　proved　a　happy　one。　　〃We

lived；〃　said　Baxter；　〃in　inviolated　love　and　mutual　complacency；

sensible　of　the　benefit　of　mutual　help；　nearly　nineteen　years。〃

Yet　the　life　of　Baxter　was　one　of　great　trials　and　troubles；

arising　from　the　unsettled　state　of　the　times　in　which　he　lived。

He　was　hunted　about　from　one　part　of　the　country　to　another；　and

for　several　years　he　had　no　settled　dwelling…place。　　〃The　women；

he　gently　remarks　in　his　'Life；'　〃have　most　of　that　sort　of

trouble；　but　my　wife　easily　bore　it　all。〃　　In　the　sixth　year　of

his　marriage　Baxter　was　brought　before　the　magistrates　at

Brentford；　for　holding　a　conventicle　at　Acton；　and　was　sentenced

by　them　to　be　imprisoned　in　Clerkenwell　Gaol。　　There　he　was　joined

by　his　wife；　who　affectionately　nursed　him　during　his　confinement。

〃She　was　never　so　cheerful　a　companion　to　me；〃　he　says；　〃as　in

prison；　and　was　very　much　against　me　seeking　to　be　released。〃　　At

length　he　was　set　at　liberty　by　the　judges　of　the　Court　of　Common

Pleas；　to　whom　he　had　appealed　against　the　sentence　of　the

magistrates。　　At　the　death　of　Mrs。　Baxter；　after　a　very　troubled

yet　happy　and　cheerful　life；　her　husband　left　a　touching　portrait

of　the　graces；　virtues；　and　Christian　character　of　this　excellent

womanone　of　the　most　charming　things　to　be　found　in　his　works。



The　noble　Count　Zinzendorf　was　united　to　an　equally　noble　woman；

who　bore　him　up　through　life　by　her　great　spirit；　and　sustained

him　in　all　his　labours　by　her　unfailing　courage。　　〃Twenty…four

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