Page:Daughters of Genius.djvu/73

 poetic compliment? When he called at Mr. Barrett's residence kind fate, in the form of a blundering servant, allowed him to enter the room of the frail invalid. How the blunder was explained to her we know not; but the poet was allowed to renew his visits. Mutual esteem begat affection, which speedily ripened into love, an ideal, perfect love, of which there are few parallels in history.

Miss Barrett was still "a confirmed invalid, just dressed and supported for two or three hours from her bed to her sofa, and so back again." No wonder her family should be opposed to the match. But love did for her what the kindest care and wisest treatment had been unable to accomplish. It gave her new life. After two years' acquaintance, during which time her strength steadily improved, she was married to the man whom she loved. She accompanied him to sunny Italy, where she got better wonderfully and beyond her hopes. The deep emotions of her heart have been revealed in those exquisite poems, which she modestly called "Sonnets from the Portuguese," in order to veil somewhat their true origin. Here she ventured to exclaim:

Robert Browning was worthy of the love which she lavished upon him, not only for his genius, but for personal worth.

We have from our American poet and traveller, Bayard Taylor, a description of his appearance four years later, when on a visit with his wife to London. "His complexion was fair, with perhaps the faintest olive tinge; eyes large, clear and gray; nose strong and well cut; mouth full and rather broad, and chin pointed, though not prominent. His forehead broadened rapidly upwards from the outer angle of the eyes, slightly retreating. He was about the medium