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YOU KNOW YOU'RE OLD WHEN...

by Rose-Mary Rumbley


You know you're old when you remember the first Valentine you ever received.. This little boy in my second grade class gave me a Valentine and I immediately gave him one. I remember that we were so embarrassed over the situation that we ran our separate ways and didn't speak to each other for several days.

It was different when Elizabeth Barrett received a love note from Robert Browning. They eventually became the "love couple" of the world.

Mr. Barrett of Wimpole Street had a lot of children, and he didn't want them to marry. He wanted to keep all of the money in the family.

One daughter, Elizabeth, who wrote beautiful romantic poetry, was a homely girl in her forties. There was no hope for Elizabeth. She was going to be an "old maid."

But hark! There was a handsome poet, Robert Browning, who was truly "taken" with Elizabeth's poems, and he wrote poetry for her. She eventually invited him into her home. Her father did not know this. Robert went to see her. People could not believe he was going. "You're a handsome man in your thirties. She an ugly old maid in her forties." Robert didn't care. He went to see her, she left with him, and they fled to Italy. Needless to say, the father was furious. Nevertheless, it was a marriage made in heaven. This time in Italy was when Robert and Elizabeth wrote their most beautiful poetry.

The Brownings had one son who lived in Italy after the death of his parents. Dr. A. L. Armstrong, professor of English at Baylor University was visiting in Italy just after the Brownings had died. The son was selling everything. Dr. Armstrong contacted a rich Baptist. " We can have it all if you will give the money." The rich Baptists did just that.

Today, the Armstrong Library on the Baylor Campus presents the largest collection of Browning memorabilia in the world.

The Browning furniture, clothing, books, keep-sakes, etc. are all there, beautifully displayed.

On Valentine Day we think of love and no one was more loving than Robert and Elizabeth Browning. HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS! Can you get more romantic that that?

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