FAMOUS PEOPLE IN LOVE. COURTSHIPS THAT HAVE CHANGED HISTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2362, 1 June 1899, Page 56

FAMOUS PEOPLE IN LOVE. COURTSHIPS THAT HAVE CHANGED HISTORY.

Although some great men have remained unmarried throughout their lives, it is remarkable that of the world's celebrities today, Mr Rhodes, Mr Arthur Balfour, and Lord Kitchener are almost the only bachelors. Nearly all the great men m the world living have enjoyed the happiness of married state, and some of them faced life's journey with their wives under the most romantic circumstances,

What could bs more ideal than the Prime Minister's early struggle after marriage? When he was about 26 years old, a struggling journalist and politician, he fell in love .with Miss Alderson, a daughter of ouo of her Majesty's judges. She was poor, and the then Marquis of Salisbury refused to sanction the engagement. Eventually father and son came to terms, according to .vhich the lovers were to cease seeing and writing to each other for a year.

The clever young nobleman's affection otood this test; and at the end of that period he insisted on his father's approval of the match. Then he married her on a paternal allowance of a few hundreds a year. With this sum the future Prime Minister of England faced life with his brave young wife, who Avas almost as skilful a writer as her husband was. Between them they suqeeeded in earning as much as £2000 to £3000 a year.

The late Mr Gladstone's marriage was no less romantic. Early in the century a beautiful Welsh heiress, known as the handsome Miss Glynn, was at a dinner party in Paris. Amongst the guests was a handsome and clever young man in whom the principal people at the table took a friendly interest. Miss Glynn first observed him through hearing her neighbour declare : '" That young man will be Prime Minister of England."

She met him again the following winter, when he was spending a holiday in Rome. There they renewed their acquaintance. One night young Gladstone took the Welsh, heiress to view some ancient ruins by moonlight, and in that romantic spot delivered the sweetest speech even he ever made. All the world knows how happy and blessed the marriage was.

The most perfect bliss was enjoyed by Lord Beaconsfield and his wife, who was a widow named Mrs Wyndham Lewis. There is hardly anything to equal their devotion to each othei. On one occasion when they were driving down to the House of Commons, preparatory to a big speech by the Conservative leader, the door of the vehicle was shut upon one of Mrs Disraeli's fingers. Knowing that the accident might cause anxiety to her husband, and that this might diminish the success of his speech, the plucky -little lady bore the pain for the whole of the journey, and concealed her sufferings from him till they were returning from the House of Commons.

One of the most delightful pictures ever drawn of a British statesman is recorded by Lord Rowton, who served as Lord Beaconsfield's private secretary. On one occasion, when "Dizzy" had made a speech of greater success than usual he found Mr and Mrs Disraeli dancing gleefully around the table like a pair-of children.

When Wm. Cobbett, the famous pamphleteer and reformer, was a soldier serving in Canada he saw an artilleryman's daughter, about 14 years old, working at a washingtub. There was a good deal of character as well as of beauty in the girl's face, and Cobbett, the moment he saw her, exclaimed " That's the girl for me ! " Some years afterwards he sent her money to come to London, and they were married. The match proved a very happy one.

There are many eminent men living now whose choice of a wife was the result of love at first sight. That was the case with Sir Squire and Lady Bancroft (nee Marie Wilton), who met each other for the first time at the theatre where they were playing in the same piece. Mr Joseph Chamberlain met his present wife at a dinner given in his honour^ when he visited America a few years ago, and they were engaged in les.-> than a week.

Amongst literary men there arc innumerable instances of romantic and passionate devotion.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was induced by his wife to write, so was Mr Thomas Hardy, whom Mrs Hardy persuaded to abandon the occupation of an architect. Mr Rider Haggard has paid the same compliment to his wife, and so has Max O'Rell. Lord Tennyson's was, as we all know, a perfectly ideal marriage.

Many of Tom Hood's writings were dictated to his wife.

Of all poets' marriages, probably the happiest were those of Robert Browning and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The former was told by his friends that it was risky to marry an intellectual woman who was also a poet, like Miss Barrett. But he did so secretly, and the marriage proved one of perfect happiness. After returning to England from their honeymoon abroad, # Browning .vent to the church where he was mar ried xnd kissed the paving-stones in front of the door out of gratitude for the ble^j,'niH the partnership had brought him.

The first volume of Rossetti's poem? touched upon his devotion to Mrs Rossetti. On the day of her funeral he walked into iho room where the body lay, carrying the manuscript under his arms, and, disregarding vhe company present, he spoke to her is though she were still living. He declared that the poems were addressed to and that she must take them with her; and then, placing the manuscript bcv £Aa Ac*; in the coffin, left it to be buried in

Highgate Cemetery. Seven years later Rossetti consented before he died to have the body exhumed and the poems published. Anothei touching love-match is the great Duke of Wellington's. When he wa,*= Captain Arthur Wellesley he met Lady C. herine Packenham, daughter of the Karl of Longford, a lady of much beauty. This, too, was at a dinner party, and the gallant young officer fell in love the moment he saw the society beauty. She returned his affection, but the earl would not listen to a proposal which coupled his daughter's name with that of a penniless young officer. Secretly, however, the young people plighted their troth, and young Wellesley went off to the wars. He was away nine years, and meantime greatly distinguished himself, returning home with feelings of joy to claim the girl of his choice. A severer trial than any he had faced in the wars was in store for him. Two years after his departure from England smallpox had ravaged the district where Lady Catherine Packenham resided and destroyed all her personal beauty. When Wellesley came to claim his bride it was to -offer his hand to an unhappy and disfigured young woman. Sobbing bitterly, she besought him to go away and to release himself from the engagement. He declined to do anything of the sort, and insisted on marrying hei.

Still more pathetic is the history of C4cneral Wolfe's attachment. He, too, had fallen in love with a maiden to whom he Wa-3 -passionately devoted. Her name was Miss Lowthe, and an engagement was entered into. Before its termination Wolfe was sent to Canada. On the night before the fall of Quebec the hero of that siege had a presentiment that death was approaching. He entrusted her locket to a brother officer, bidding him carry it to the girl of his heart in case the presentiment was fulfilled. Nor are the marriages of the great soldiers of today without their romantic interest. Lord Roberts married when a young man the daughter of a non-commissioned officer, who af lei wards, became quartermaster, and her knowledge of military matters has proved of immense assistance to her husband in his career.