The life and letters of Frederic Shields . The young bride, so strangely left on her wedding day,in the great empty house, to the care of the old house-keeper, was a girl of unusual beauty, with abundantauburn hair, finely cut features, and fair delicate com-plexion, the model, both before and after their marriage,for many of his most beautiful subjects. The previous year, when in London staying with MadoxBrown, he wrote to her:— Sunday, August ith, 1873. My Beloved,—I am anxious about you, surely Iought to have heard from you this morning if letters weredelivered in London on Sunday—but they
The life and letters of Frederic Shields . The young bride, so strangely left on her wedding day,in the great empty house, to the care of the old house-keeper, was a girl of unusual beauty, with abundantauburn hair, finely cut features, and fair delicate com-plexion, the model, both before and after their marriage,for many of his most beautiful subjects. The previous year, when in London staying with MadoxBrown, he wrote to her:— Sunday, August ith, 1873. My Beloved,—I am anxious about you, surely Iought to have heard from you this morning if letters weredelivered in London on Sunday—but they are not—thepostman rests on this day, and so I must wait until to-morrow. You know how much I dislike writing letters,yet for you look how I have written this week. Youmight have spared me a few poor lines. I have just re-turned, having had to walk six miles to Chapel and back,and am too tired to write more than God Bless care of this poem, please, a good lady gave it to meand you will like it.—Ever your own The Artists WifePainted in 1874 THE AMAZING MARRIAGE 165 When a year later they married, her age, according tothe marriage certificate, was only sixteen, he was life of rigorous self-denial, intense religious devotion,seclusion from worldly frivolities of every kind, and anecessarily rigid economy in expenditure, could hardlyhave been ideal for a high-spirited, beautiful, but entirelyuneducated child—for she was little more than a child inyears or experience—and the mistake was dearly paid forby both the sufferers. The great disparity in age, educa-tion, and tastes eventually, though not for some years,caused what might have been expected to be the sad butinevitable end of such .a marriage. It would be difficultto attempt to explain the circumstances which led to thisstrange union. Frederic Shields was no doubt actuatedby the highest motives. He had known his wife and hadmuch influence over her since she was a tiny child, andhad giv
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade191, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear1912
