Edmund Burke's Wife as He Saw Her

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 378, 19 June 1889, Page 3

Edmund Burkes Wife as He Saw Her

Bukke was sustained amid the anxiety and agitation of public life by domestic felicity. ' Every care vanishes,' he said, 'the moment I enter beneath my own roof.' His description of his wife is too long to quote, but wo must give an epitome of it. Of her beauby, he paid it did nob arise from features, from complexion, or from shape. • She has all three in a high degree, but it is not by these that she touches the heart ; it is all that sweetness of temper, benevolence, innocence and sensibility which a face can express that forms her beauty. Her eyes have a mild light, bub they awe you when' she pleases ; they command like a good man out of office — not by authority but by virtue Her stature is not tall ; she is nob made to be the admiration of everybody, but the happiness of one. She lms all the firmness that does not exclude delicacy ; she has all the softness that does nob imply weakness. Her voice is a low, soft music, not formed to rule public assemblies, bub to charm those who can distinguish a company from a crowd ; it has this advantage— you must come close to her to hear it. To describe her body describes her mind ; one is the transcript to the other. She discovers the right and wrong of things not by reasoning bub by sagacity. No person of so few years / can know the world better ; no "person was ever less corrupted by that knowledge. She has a true generosity of temper, the most extravagant cannoc be more unbounded in their liberality, the most covetous nob more caubious in their distribution. Her politeness seems to flow rather from a natural disposition to oblige than from any rules on the subject. • It is long before she chooses, but then it is fixed for ever, and the first hours of romantic friendship are nob warmer bhan hers after the lapse of years. 'As she never disgraces her good nature by severe reflections on anybody, &o she never degrades her judgment by immoderate or ill-placed praises, for everything violent is contrary to her gentleness of 'disposition and the even ness of her virtue.'

The following is a notfce that appeared on a church door : " Singers wanted) choii* (inquire) within,"