BULWER LYTTON IN LOVE.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1478, 3 December 1884, Page 2

BULWER LYTTON IN LOVE.

♦ I The Earl of Lytton has recently been publishing a life of his father, the. famous novelist, ami amongst its pages appear remarks reflecting on the , character of the late Lady Lytton, who, as is well known, was separated ' from her husband a very few years I after marriage. In consequence of these remarks, Miss Louisa De.vey, I executrix to Lady Lytton, has thought ! it right to attempt a vindication of ; her late friend's character, by publish- ' mo; the whole of the correspondence : before and after marriage that passed between the parties. Bulwer's letters \ are certainly beyond anything ever read in any breach of promise case. Accompanying the. letters is an autobiography of Lady Lytton. H«re is a specimen of one of Bulwer's effusions to Miss Wheeler before marriage : — "My adored poodle, many many thanks for oo darling letter. Me is so happy, me is waiting my tail and putting my ears down, me is to meet oo to- morrow * 0 zoo love of loves; me is ready to leap out of my skin for. Adieu. Twenty million kisses. Again the following : — " And no they dressed my poodle in black and white? — E L.B. 0 zoo darling ! how like a poodle ! and had oo oo's hootifnl ears curled nicely, and did oo not look too pretty, and did not all the puppy dogs run after oo and tell oo what a nice darling oo was 1 Ah ! me sends oo niue million kisses 1 to be distributed as follows :— 500,000 for oo beautiful mouth, 250,000 for oo left eye, 1,000,000 to oo dear neck, and the rest to be equally divided be- I tween oo arms and hands. . Ever my dearest, dearest, angelest poodle, oo own puppy," and so on and so on page after page of this rubbish. After this they married in 1827, and the same kind, of endearment seems to hay« been continued for some years after. However in 1334 came a rupture, which Lady Lytton describes j as follows in her autobiography : — He had asked her with who n she was going to a christening, a»d on her re plying with Lady Stepeny he then repeated as fast as he could about a dozen times running, "My mother calls me that ugly old woman." He then called out, "Do you hear me, madam?" "Of course I hear you?" "Then why the in don't you answer me?" "I did not think it required an answer." " D your soul, madam !" he exclaimed, seizing a carving knife, for w« were at di tner, and he had told the servant to leave the room till he rang, and rushing at me, cried : " I'll have you know that whenever I do you the honor of addressing yon, it requires an answer!" I said "For God's sake take care what you are about, Edward!" He tnen dropped? the knife and spring ing on me, made- bis great teeth meet, in my cheek and the blood spurted over me. The agony was so great that my screams brought the servants back, and presently Creston,. the cook, seized him by the collar, but he bioke from him, seized one of the fbotman'B hats in the ball, audL rushed down. 1

Piccadilly. After this the brnte wrote a contrite letter to lii^j outraged wife, admitting; the infirmity of an ungovernable temper, and stating his desire to livp alone. Finally the separation took place in 1886, after more than one violent scne ; she received an allowance of £400 a year, for each of their children so lou;» as they remained with her. Lady Lytton wa? esteemed a great beauty in her [day. She died on the 12th March, ' 1882, in her 80th year. Bulwer seems to have, been something like Byron and po many other gifted men, of a frightful and ungovernable temper. Most people would, prefer to be with out genius if it is to be accompanied by such unpleasant characteristic*.