WIVES OF LITERARY MEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 9

WIVES OF LITERARY MEN.

Mrs. Andrew Lang: has been writing about the "Trials of tho Wife of a literary Man." It is mostly , that lady's social and public relations that- are"dis- | cussed. Doubtless the fireside companions iof some.of the irritable tri&e of writers haye theirpcrsonal domestic tribulations, I but the wife of Andrew Lang could scarcely have been one of these Unless ho was W. different in his married life from what he was,as the public and his friends saw him,,ho could.pot have been .a man , gar ill to ;liyo -with.''-.', Mrs. :Laiig> does, indeed/ speak as'.'ohe who knows from experience when .she refers to the duty;,of the jyifo of a literary celebrity-to be a. sort .of ■'. amateur Providence" to. himj : reminding him of his engagements, etc.; but this in--tirnate(tade of the matter she'passes over ligntly...; Her witty comments are expended'iipon other, aspects of the .life of a writer's; wife, which she plainly believes to be not nil beer and. skittles. . It carries with it, to bo sure, many social opportunities, but! also,how. many social embarrassments, how many ' disconcerting situations, how manj; awkward moments! Tho wife receives an. invitation, wo will say, to spend a week-end at some great- country house with.her-', husband. Instantly _tho feeling arises in her mind that sho is asked merely as a necessary encumbranoe. It is the genius -who is really wanted, and his frump or bore of a" wife- is included.' only for the sako' of politeness. She is as anxious as the Lady Clare to-bo loved for'her own true worth,, yet she has « horrid doubt lest she bo graciously accepted only as the woman who cooks and sews for,far husband, and who therefore hasa claim upon his hosts. And tho best-rolo'for her'to attempt to play under, such; dubious and trying-cir--cunistancea is-a vexing puzzle. Shall she< set up for a bliie-stockinfr? Or; shall/'she sardonically out-more of an ignoramus than even her entertainers believe her. to be? Shall sho smile sweetly and effaco herself?. Or-.shall she set out to be vivacious and take tho lead.in conversation? -It is not only, other people, but her husband, that she, has to consider. His reputation is, in a way, in her keeping, and she also knows that his comfort and peace, of. mind niay 'depend Jor tho mdment upou the. way in which sho conductsi herself x in . general company. Sho may be very gayly and successfully assuming a part, when his reproechful eye will meet hers to make them bdth' ill at ease. , One of 1 tho severest trials of the.wife of a literary man must arise out of.tho 'foolish talk sho is forced 1 to hear about ham. Some of this she overhears, all .'unbeknownst,-'-and can laugh to herself quietly, about it. Bat in person sho has to face tho compliments, often left-haii'S-«l, and the stupid remarks and ."silly questions which some people are forever pressing; upon, the , wives of 'famous' men: Don t you find.it.a'wonderful,privilege to live in daily companionshipwithVsuch' a towering intolloct?;';;-'VHbw-,does :, ' ; manage to/ discov.et.-Vvisuch-'.'rwdnderful thoughts? Do you".'talk ! :oVervth'o"plo'fs'bf' us novels with'him? Did he tako that lovely-ckaracter of Grisolda' partly from, youf.rHeisurely -has thousands of adders -It, must be great fun'to-read incur-loiters; ■: Do' you-.over let anybody come' in', to watch him. while he' is .writConfronted by. such impertinences and banalities, .what, is a woman married to a literary man to do ?' Probably her wisest course would be- to imitate Mrs; Carlylo, who, when ■ one' of the servilnts asked her if "Master" was not the greatest man in England, replied;"rVVe fondly hope.so", -.-_._ j.: : . :;. ';•.■.'.'■'■•'.'■■■-... ■'Mre. Lang goes upon :tho' supposition tnatithe literary marriage she' deals wit<i true minds. The wife is fitted to understand if not actually to help-tha husband in his chosen pursuits. ■' ■ But >it isi.iwell known that there have been two views about the-desirability of this. The matter was discussed by P. G. Hamerton, in that onoe-popular b00k,.-".Tho Intellectual Life.'-He presented two alternativesto tho litorary man in ;search of- a helpmeet. ■_;Let him either look for a.wife of high intelligence,'able to sympathise with' •S. 1"" ccourago him and co-operate witthiin in'his work, or for one who. will know, nothing whatever- about his writing; and will stand apart from it and let Uim golhis own way, giving, -mean-' wuilo slave-like attention to his comfort, iiiis last plan has had tho practical com,mendation of somo great names. Rousseau and his unaccountable'Therese have been oiten mentioned in this centenary year. Jot a few have, been wholly unable to explain,_ except; on the ground of the vagaries of genius, how Gosthe-the man who wrote, the letters to Erau von'Stein -could have been content to live all those years with his. unintelligent Christiane. union as that of the Brownings would be voted by most people to be vastly nearer tho ideal. But even in instances' like .that the wife'g «ials-of the, kind •Mrs. Lang refers to—would-not be wholly absent. Possibly tho literary man as husband also has ' his.—Now Tort "Nation,"' ' OTJC