The Argosy — page 297: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

276 William Cowper. Another woman, Lady Hesketh, the sister ot ‘his early love, Theodora, now came forward to become a power for good in Cowper’s life. She managed more prudently than Lady Austin had done, and thus did not excite Mrs. Unwin’s jealousy, but was re- garded by her as a sympathetic friend. She allowed Lady Hesketh to persuade Cowper to change his place of residence from Olney to a more cheerful home at West Underwood, and her equanimity was not at all disturbed when Lady Hesketh announced that some un- known friend had commissioned her to pay Cowper fifty pounds a year for his life. ‘This friend was, however, in reality no other than Theodora, his old love; but the fact was hidden by her and her sister, for very obvious reasons. : The picture of Cowper’s latter years is a very touching picture: such flashes of genius, such struggling against mental disease with brave and constant effort. Mrs. Unwin, too, is a pathetic figure at. his side, always at her post in watchful, womanly devotion, caring for him and thinking for him, though age and sickness were laying a heavy hand upon her. There were, however, some bright points in Cowper’s declining days. He was granted a pension of three hundred pounds a year— a strong proof that his genius was looked up to in the land with loving and reverent eyes. He formed also a firm friendship at this period with Hayley, an eminent man of letters of that day; the two being at first drawn together through bringing out, conjointly, an edition of Milton.. He had many other faithful, affectionate friends besides, who made it their business to propose to him always fresh subjects on which he might write throughout his life: the best pre- ventive against his attacks of mental disease. Cowper lived till the year 1800, engaged in literary work till the year before his death. His story is one which teaches -brave, manly struggles with mental and bodily suffering, and which proves the sovereign power of religion to calm and sweeten even the most troubled life. , 3° ALICE KING, ECORNIELIOO KS, EO m