Wackles (Mrs. and the Misses), of Chelsea, keepers of a “Ladies’ Seminary.” English grammar, composition, geography, and the use of dumb-bells, by Miss Melissa Wackles; writing, arithmetic, dancing, music, and general fascination, by Miss Sophy Wackles; needlework, marking, and samplery, by Miss Jane Wackles; corporal punishment and domestic duties, by Mrs. Wackles. Miss Sophy was a fresh, good-natured, buxom girl of 20, who owned to a soft impeachment for Mr. Swiveller, but as he held back, she married Mr. Cheggs, a well-to-do market gardener.--C. Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, viii. (1840).
Wade (Miss), a handsome young woman, brought up by her grandmother, with a small independence. She looked at every act of kindness, benevolence, and charity with a jaundiced eye, and attributed it to a vile motive. Her manner was suspicious, self-secluded, and repellant; her temper proud, fiery, and unsympathetic. Twice she loved--in one case she jilted her lover, in the other she was herself jilted. The latter was Henry Gowan, who married Pet, the daughter of Mr. Meagles, and in consequence of this marriage Miss Wade hated Gowan, his wife, the Meagleses, and all their friends. She enticed Tattycoram away from Mr. Meagles, and the two beautiful young women lived together for a time, nursing their hatred of man to keep it warm.--C. Dickens, Little Dorrit, ii. 21 (1857).
Waddell (James), the Blind Preacher, as he was familiarly called, was a marked character in the central counties of Virginia in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He performed all the offices of a clergyman up to the time of his death, preaching with power and unction every week. “I have never,” says William Wirt, “seen in any other orator such a union of simplicity and majesty. He has not a gesture, an attitude or an accent, to which he does not seem forced by the sentiment which he is expressing.... He is not only a very polite scholar, but a man of extensive and profound erudition.”--William Wirt, The British Spy (1803).
Wadman (Widow), a comely widow, who would full fain secure Uncle Toby for her second husband. Amongst other wiles, she pretends to have something in her eye, and gets Uncle Toby to look for it. As the kind-hearted hero of Namur does so, the gentle widow gradually places her face nearer and nearer the captain’s mouth, under the hope that he will kiss and propose.--Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy (1759).
Wagner, the faithful servant and constant companion of Faust, in Marlowe’s drama called The Life and Death of Dr. Faustus (1589); in Goethe’s Faust (German, 1798); and in Gounod’s opera of Faust (1859).
Wagner is a type of the pedant. He sacrifices himself to books as Faust does to knowledge ... the dust of folios is his element, parchment the source of his inspiration.... He is one of those who, in the presence of Niagara, would vex you with questions about arrow-headed inscriptions ... or the origin of the Pelasgi.--Lewes.
Wa´hela, Lot’s wife, who was confederate with the men of Sodom, and gave them notice when a stranger came to visit her husband. Her sign was smoke by day and fire by night. Wahela was turned into a pillar of salt.--Jallâlo´ddin, Al Zamakh.
Wa´ila (3 syl.), wife of Noah, who told the people her husband was distraught.
The wife of Noah [Wâïla] and the wife of Lot [Wâhela] were both unbelievers, ... and it shall be said unto them at the last day, “Enter ye into hell fire, with those who enter therein.”--Al Korân, lxvi.
Wainamoi´nen, the Orpheus of Finnish mythology. His magic harp performed similar wonders to that of Orpheus (2 syl.). It was made of the bones of a pike; that of Orpheus was of tortoiseshell. The “beloved” of Wainamoinen was a treasure called Sampo, which was lost as the poet reached the verge of the realms of darkness; the “beloved” of Orpheus was Eurydi´cê, who was lost just as the poet reached the confines of earth, after his descent into hell.