Page:In defense of Harriet Shelley, and other essays.djvu/44

 MARK TWAIN

Shelley s happiness in his home had been wounded and bruised almost to death, fourthly, by the intro duction there of a wet-nurse. The wet-nurse was introduced at the time of the Edinburgh sojourn, immediately after Shelley had been enjoying the two months of study with Cornelia which broke up his wife s studios and destroyed his personal interest in them. Why, by this time, nothing that Shelley s wife could do would have been satisfactory to him, for he was in love with another woman, and was never going to be contented again until he got back to her. If he had been still in love with his wife it is not easily conceivable that he would care much who nursed the baby, provided the baby was well nursed. Harriet s jealousy was assuredly voicing itself now, Shelley s conscience was assuredly nagging him, pestering him, persecuting him. Shelley needed excuses for his altered attitude toward his wife; Providence pitied him and sent the wet-nurse. If Providence had sent him a cotton doughnut it would have answered just as well; all he wanted was some thing to find fault with.

Shelley s happiness in his home had been wounded and bruised almost to death, fifthly, because Harriet narrowly watched a surgical operation which was being performed upon her child, and, &quot;to the aston ishment of the operator,&quot; who was watching Harriet instead of attending to his operation, she betrayed &quot;not the smallest sign of emotion.&quot; The author of this biography was not ashamed to set down that exultant slander. He was apparently not aware that it was a small business to bring into his court a wit-

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