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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

which　caused　me　this　anguish　and　these　anxieties；　inexpressibly

happy！　　When　tears　flowed　over　our　cheeks；　did　not　a　nameless；

seldom…felt　delight　stream　through　my　breast；　oppressed　equally

by　joy　and　sorrow！〃



There　is　a　degree　of　sentiment　in　German　love　which　seems　strange

to　English　readers；such　as　we　find　depicted　in　the　lives　of

Novalis；　Jung　Stilling；　Fichte；　Jean　Paul；　and　others　that　might

be　named。　　The　German　betrothal　is　a　ceremony　of　almost　equal

importance　to　the　marriage　itself；　and　in　that　state　the

sentiments　are　allowed　free　play；　whilst　English　lovers　are

restrained；　shy；　and　as　if　ashamed　of　their　feelings。　　Take；　for

instance；　the　case　of　Herder；　whom　his　future　wife　first　saw　in

the　pulpit。　　〃I　heard；〃　she　says；　〃the　voice　of　an　angel；　and

soul's　words　such　as　I　had　never　heard　before。　　In　the　afternoon　I

saw　him；　and　stammered　out　my　thanks　to　him；　from　this　time　forth

our　souls　were　one。〃　　They　were　betrothed　long　befo