Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-28
R0m"nfic History II one or Tom
BcnfOn'S Daughters.

lSan Francisco Corr. of Chicago Tribuucl
Let me tell you something about one
of our school teachers of San Francisco.
by way of illustrating the manner in
which fortune frolics with human ma
ture and makes shuttle-cocks of poor
humanity. Among the teachers is an
elderly lady, the mother of five inter-
tsting children. she was born i'm one
OF the Western States, and Sas the first
born of one Of the most distinguished
Senators who eve sat i'm the legislative
halls of the United States-one who, for
more than twenty years represented one
of the great States of the mighty West,
and who was the peer of Clay, Calhoun
aud Webster. In her young days she
was the belle of Washington City, car
rying away the palm fro n the dark
eyed daughters Of the South, and tho
rosy-cheeked damsels of the North. All
were anxious to receive smile from the
fair lilly of the West. Noblemen, rep
resenting their country at Washington,
laid their cOronets at her feet in vain.
She was n true Republican, and gave
her love to young condemnation At
clerk in one of the offices of Washing
ton.
Her father knew the youth, and re-
cognized his great abilities, and when
he solicited the daughters hand, it was
che erfully given. The wedding was
brilliant one, many of the great men of
the country being present to wish them
joy, and cheer them at the commence
ment of their domestic voyages. The
young husband was shortly afterward
admitted to the bar of the L. :. Supreme
Court, and was soon recognized as one
of the most promising members. For q
number of years he practiced his pro-
tessiOn with great success, and was on
the high road to wealth and fame. The II
came an event in the history of our
country which alte. ed the courses of
many. | refer to the discovery of gold
in California, and the consequent rush
of emigrants to the New Eldorado.
Among those who determined upon GO
ing to California, was the husband.
He onsulted with his wife, and she
like a true woman, declared her inten-
ton of accompanying him. lie showed
her the hardships she necessarily would
endure, and urged her to remain with
her parents until he made Il home for
her, but she, in the language of Ruth
said "Entreat me not TO leave thee, or
return from following after thee; fOI
wither thou goest will go, and where
thou lo1gest l will lodge thy people
shall be my people, and thy God my
God; where thou diest will | die, and
there will | be buried. He urged her
no more, but together they went to Cali
fornia, where the husband soon took a
leading position at he bar and amassed
a fortune. The people he associated with
were from the South, and like many
Others he began to drink to excess.
When the rebellion bro re out, he cast
his sympathies with the South. His
brother-in-aw was with the North and
became a Major General. He had to give
up the practice of his profession because
he could not take the oath required Ly
the legislature. Out of business he drank
heavily and soon began to mortgage his
property. Six years passed away, anC
he died, leaving his widow with one
child and without a dollar, for his credi-
tors had fore-clOsed even to his home.
stead. The noble woman Immediately
took in sewing to earn her living, but
found that she could hardly keep sou
and body together by that means
Some friends of her father and mother
offered to assist her, but she would re-
ceive nothing so long as she could helT
herself She, however, would be thank
full for assistance in procuring her a posi-
ton as teacher in one of the public
schools Application was made, and
NOulu you DcllcNcll SOlut VI Vic SCIlOO
directors opposed her appointment be-
cause he was secesSiOniSt. They
cared not that her father was the peer o
Clay and Webster; that her brother
in-law wore the straps of Major-G Gen
eral. They knew her husband in hi
lifetime, and had felt the lash of his bit
ter tongue, and therefore desired t.
harm his widow. Their efforts, howev
err were unvailing. She was appointed
and is now engaged in the public
school department of this city, teaching
u primary class. A sad change in thu
fortune of one who started in life will
such brilliant prospects. She is a tru'
and noble woman, however, and every
one who reads this paragraph viii
praise her for her heroism and devotion