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Show M HCWD0YOU -WRITE &L jjfez IQVHETTER ? jft HOW ADMIRAL KELSON" WROTE TO LADY HAMILTON. It 1b a most fascinating romance, the love affair between Lord Nelson snd Lady Hamilton, yet faaclnating In that It shows to s very had advantage the weak side in the character of England's great naval hero. If Lord Nelson had never met and formed an attachment for Lady Hamilton hla country would have very much more respect for him. As a public officer discharging hla duty England Eng-land could have aaked nothing more of hlin, but his privets life Is so deep s blot upon his name that It bedims much of hla navaj glory. The moat deplorable part of the whole 11slson Is that Horatio Nelson was married, mar-ried, and to a woman who was quite his social snd Intellectual equal. Lady Nelaon waa a widow when Nelson married mar-ried her on March 12, 1787, and there can he no question of the srdence of his love snd of the sincerity of his devotion aa a h u be nd , down to the tl me when Lad y Hamilton waa nurgjng him at Naplea Into a paaalon for her own beautiful and fascinating fas-cinating self. The break came between husband and wife one morning while they were dining In London During the conversation Lord Nelson referred to something whti-hsd whti-hsd been aatd or done by "dear Lady Hamilton. Lady Nelson at once arose snd exclslmed with some heat: "I am sick of hearing of 'dear' Lady Hamilton, and am resolved that you shall give up either her or me." Nelson calmly answered: "Take care. Fa n ny . w ha t you say. 1 love you si n -cerely, but I cannot forget my obligations to Lady Hamilton or speek of her otherwise other-wise than with affection and admiration." admira-tion." Muttering something sbout her "mind being msde up." Lady Nelson left the room and shortly afterwarda drove from the house. Thia was followed by a aeparaUon and they never afterwards lived together. Nelson began at once the most serious attentions to Lady Hamilton, although she also was married. As an example of his devotion. It is only necessary to relate re-late that the night of the day following the battle of Copenhagen Nelson sat In the cabin of the "St. George" writing to Lady Hamilton both a letter and compos ing verses to htB "Guardian Angel." as Nelaon fondly described her. "My deareet friend." he aaya, "that aame Deity who has on many occasions protected Nelson, has onoe more crowned hla endeavors with complete success." And these were the verses he composed, which were headed: "Lord Nelson to His Guardian Angel." "From my best cable tho' Tm forced to part, I leave my anchor In my angel's heart; Love, like a pilot, shsll the pledge defend. de-fend. And for a prong his happiest quiver lend." With this he also sent Lady Hamilton's Hamil-ton's reply, penned by himself, which in part was as follows: "Go where you list, each thought of Angel's soul Shall follow you from Indus to the pole. West, east, north, south, our minds shall never part. You. Angel a loadstone, shall be Nelson's heart." At the bottom of this letter and the verses Nelaon wrote the line: "St. George. April 2, 101, 9 o'clock st night . very tired sfter a hard fought battle." Lady Hamilton wss an adventuress of the most pronounced type. She waa the daughter of a house servant, and she first worked aa a nursemaid st 13. and aa a ahopgirl at 14- Later ahe became a barmaid. By posing in acant draperies ss the goddess of health in an advertisement advertise-ment she won still further notoriety snd sttrscted the notice of Charles Grevllle. a young Engliahnikn of rank. But. airange as It may seem, when sn old uncle Sir William Hamilton, Britlah sm-bassador sm-bassador to Naples, tried to break off the match he himself fell In love with the siren and married her. Nelson wss killed at the battle of Trafalgar in 1865: Lady Hamilton died In utter poverty In 1M and her disgraced husband two years before. Nelson s Last words to his faith ful Captain Hardy were; 'Take care of my poor Lady Hamilton. Hnrdy." Several days previous to his final battle bat-tle he addreeasd Lady Hamilton In the foUowla ajauesjitasi terms: "My deare beHoved Emma, the dear friend of my bosom. The signal has bean made that the enemy's combined fleet Is coming out of port. We hsve very little wind, eo that I have no hopes of seeing you before o morrow May the god of battles crown my endeavors with success: st ail events. I shall take care my name shall ever be the most dear to you, whom I love as much as my own life. And aa my last writing before the battle will be to you. so I hope In Ood that I aha I live to flnlah my letter after the battle May heaven bless you. prays your "NELSON ' THUE8DAT WILLIAM PENN TO HANNAH OALLOWHTLL. |