Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-10-18

Those who saw Lady Blessington il
her brilliant drawing room only, sur
rounded by the fash Of wit and blaze o
genius, know little of the hideous skele
ton locked within the boudoir. Distan
observation viewed her in one light, but
those who stood behind the scenes re
garded her in another. Her dressing
maid thus describes her anxieties:
"Laboring night and day at literary
work. all her anxiety was to be clear Of
debt She was latteriy trying to curtai
ii her expenses in the establishment
d constantly toiling to get money.
AN ana / an4 haETassed at not being able
ORTIZ I. !; :, when they were sent in, and
seeing So gS large expenses still going on
seeihs az ans to meet them, she
WITHOUT WI. s,oao oau at , nj, III And yet Gorr
H. Honso go suffered no asai@ment OF pts
splendor. Receptions, sAlS! 'lnu Ire re-,
unions followed each oth,3r I'd SHqless
succession; her saloons were cro"SeJ
night after night with the beaL'Y ~ aSu ~ q
wit of aris tocratic society. Count i ~
saw presid ed twice every week at the
sumptuous dinners that drew the elite
of the fash shionabe and literary world
around her table, and her stables WIT
messed no decrease in well gToomed
horses and styli ISL equipages for the dally
calls upon her friends or drives along
the banks of the Sspentine.
For the two or tipee last years OF her
London life its shan must have made
her sick at heart Tradesmen's bills un-
paid and constantly increasing in num-
Der, servants clamo,"ous for their wages,
protested acceptance for borrowed
money pressed constantly for settlement,
and at last bailiifu and executions
crowded her doors and seeking through
various subterfuges TO gain entrance,
we're the daily normal condition of Lady
Blessington's life. To her souls core
she must have loathed it. Sensible OF
the hollowness of the smiles of the gay
world, whirling round and round IN
species OF continuous madness, and con
scious of the dark gulf of bankruptcy 10
which she was constantly drawing nearer,
she was nevertheless unable TO extrieate
herself from the danger. Her own Ian
guage is more affecting than aught else.
She goes long past midnight from the
drawing room-where, decked in smiles
she had seemed to be the enchantress
who, with touch of her wand, could
evoke JOY in every heart--to her cham,
Der, and before the sound of her guests
carriage wheels kaye died upon her ears,
writes as follows: My heart is like
frozen fountain, over whick the ice is too
hard to allow of the stream beneath How
ing with vigor, though enough Of vitality
remains TO make the chilling rampant
that divides its waters from light and air
insupportable.
For two years Lady Blessington lived
in constant terror of having an execu-
ton nut into her house. Count ID Orsay,
equally involved, went out only of nights
and Sundays. The most careful precau-
tions as to the admission Of persons to
the house were taken. Her outer gate
and hall door were never without a
guard. While she was entertaining her
guests, her footmen were repelling her
creditors. In the spring of lSi9 the
lobe.menaced breakup of the estab-
hshment Of Gore House took place.
Exasperated by interminable delays,
without a prospect Of payment, number
less creditors, consisting Of bill-dIs-
counters, money-lenders, jewellers, lace
venders, tax collectors and others, ac-
eompanied by bailifs holding execu-
lions. assembled around the gate in the
early morning Of April I'd, clamorous
for admission. A groom in the Bles-
sinrton livery rode up the street, alighted
at the lodge, and was instantly admitted.
1t was bailif in disguise. Obtaining
admission within the house, he threw
open his coat, and, showing the baton
OF authority, levied at once upon the
property. The die was cast. Word was
at once carried to Lady Blessingtons
bed chamber, who, summonipg Count
D'Orsay's valet dispatched him instant
" to his master, with the message that,
unless he made his escape, he would be
arrested The Count made light Of It.
He had been awakened from a sound
sleep. and answered PsP-Psh " to every
representation Of the servant Lady
Biessington, full Of alarm lest his room
should be discovered, for by this time