character-第70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！



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。



Not　less　touching　was　the　devotion　of　Lady　Hamilton　to　the　service

of　her　husband；　the　late　Sir　William　Hamilton；　Professor　of　Logic

and　Metaphysics　in　the　University　of　Edinburgh。　　After　he　had　been

stricken　by　paralysis　through　overwork　at　the　age　of　fifty…six；

she　became　hands；　eyes；　mind；　and　everything　to　him。　　She

identified　herself　with　his　work；　read　and　consulted　books　for

him；　copied　out　and　corrected　his　lectures；　and　relieved　him　of

all　business　which　she　felt　herself　competent　to　undertake。

Indeed；　her　conduct　as　a　wife　was　nothing　short　of　heroic；　and　it

is　probable　that　but　for　her　devoted　and　more　than　wifely　help；

and　her　rare　practical　ability；　the　greatest　of　her　husband's

works　would　never　have　seen　the　light。　　He　was　by　nature

unmethodical　and　disorderly；　and　she　supplied　him　with　method　and

orderliness。　　His　temperament　was　studious　but　indolent；　while　she

was　active　and　energetic。　　She　abounded　in　the　qualities　which　he

most　lacked。　　He　had　the　genius；　to　which　her　vigorous　nature

gave　the　force　and　impulse。



When　Sir　William　Hamilton　was　elected　to　his　Professorship；　after

a　severe　and　even　bitter　contest；　his　opponents；　professing　to

regard　him　as　a　visionary；　predicted　that　he　could　never　teach　a

class　of　students；　and　that　his　appointment　would　prove　a　total

failure。　　He　determined；　with　the　help　of　his　wife；　to　justify　the

choice　of　his　supporters；　and　to　prove　that　his　enemies　were　false

prophets。　　Having　no　stock　of　lectures　on　hand；　each　lecture　of

the　first　course　was　written　out　day　by　day；　as　it　was　to　be

delivered　on　the　following　morning。　　His　wife　sat　up　with　him

night　after　night；　to　write　out　a　fair　copy　of　the　lectures　from

the　rough　sheets；　which　he　drafted　in　the　adjoining　room。　　〃On

some　occasions；〃　says　his　biographer；　〃the　subject　of　the　lectures

would　prove　less　easily　managed　than　on　others；　and　then　Sir

William　would　be　found　writing　as　late　as　nine　o'clock　in　the

morning；　while　his　faithful　but　wearied　amanuensis　had　fallen

asleep　on　a　sofa。〃　（20）



Sometimes　the　finishing　touches　to　the　lecture　were　left　to　be

given　just　before　the　class…hour。　　Thus　helped；　Sir　William

completed　his　course；　his　reputation　as　a　lecturer　was

established；　and　he　eventually　became　recognised　throughout　Europe

as　one　of　the　leading　intellects　of　his　time。　（21）



The　woman　who　soothes　anxiety　by　her　presence；　who　charms　and

allays　irritability　by　her　sweetness　of　temper；　is　a　consoler　as

well　as　a　true　helper。　　Niebuhr　always　spoke　of　his　wife　as　a

fellow…worker　with　him　in　this　sense。　　Without　the　peace　and

consolation　which　be　found　in　her　society；　his　nature　would　have

fretted　in　comparative　uselessness。　　〃Her　sweetness　of　temper　and

her　love；〃　said　he；　〃raise　me　above　the　earth；　and　in　a　manner

separate　me　from　this　life。〃　　But　she　was　a　helper　in　another　and

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　t