THE EDGEWORTH FAMILY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 988, 24 January 1883, Page 3

THE EDGEWORTH FAMILY.

A memoir in CornhUl gives some facts in regarclfto Miss Edgeworth’s family. Her father had no loss than four wives, who all left children, and Maria was the eldest of the whole family. On her deathbed, Mr Edgeworth’s second wife, nee Honora Sneyd, urged her husband to many again, and assured him that the woman to suit him was her sister Elizabeth. Her influence was so great upon them both, that although Elizabeth was attached to someone else, and Mr Edgeworth believed she was little suited to himself, they were presently engaged and married, though not without many difficulties. The result proved that the dying wife had judged rightly. Mr Edgeworth’s second and third wives had both been unsuccessfully sought in marriage by Mr Day, the immortal author of “ Sandford and Merton.” It is related that Mr Edgeworth carefully concealed his regard -for Honora Sneyd, except from his host, Mr Day, who was beginning himself to contemplate a marriage with Miss Sneyd. Mr Day presently proposed formally in writing for the hand of the lovely Honora, and Mr Edgeworth was to take the packet, and bring back the answer. Being married himsedf, and out of the running, he' appears to have been unselfishly anxious for his friend’s success. In the packet Mr Day had written down the conditions to which he should expect his wife'to subscribe, JSlie would have to give up all luxuries, amenities, and intercourse with the world, and promise to seclude herself in his company. Miss Sneyd .seems to have kept Mr Edgeworth waiting while she wrote back at once and decidedly, saying that she could not admit the unqualified control of a husband over all her actions, nor the necessity for “ seclusion from society to preserve female virtue.” Fin ling that Honora absolutely refused to change her way of life, Mr Day went into a fever, for which Dr Darwin bled him. Nor did he recover until another Miss .Sneyd, Elizabeth by name, made her appearance. The Edgeworths lived in Ireland during troublous times. Once, when Mr Edgeworth was driving homo in a poslchaise one of his newly-married wives, something odd was noticed on the side of .the road. “ Look to the othersidc; don’t look at it,” said the bridegroom ; and when they bad passed be told bis bride that, it was the body of a man hung by the rebels between the shafts of a car.