Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-09
Countess Benedstti.

Here is q pretty piece Of gossip
about Countess Benedict, wife OF the
French Minister PleuipoteGJiary al
the PCussian court, extracted from
Louise Mulbach's Letters from
Egypt" with some comments on it bv
Mr.. Da Leon, a writer iu the New
York World.
" 4 very rich Greek merchant, resi-
dent I'm Alexandria, had two black
wives whom be loved dearly, and for
whose service he provided a large
rst.uue of beautiful girls. One of his
wives one d8y chauCed to see a charm
ing white girl, and Wzs so pleased
with her that she C0axed her husband
into buying her The beautiful slave
bealma a confidential servant and
companion % her negro mistresses,
and conducted herself toward them
I'm such a -5gsci0gs manner that she
became indispensable 20 ,hem. Sine
sang 10 them, and gOssiped and fr0l-
l.Eai so gracefully that eIUu was
baai~hed completely. She won their
atf. elton. and through them also
EIe affection OF her master.
the venerable Greek merchant.
But unfortunately the black wives
Suddenly fell sick one day, and before
nigLtisu they were both dead. Their
disease was known 10 nobody, aud
lhey were hastily buried. The beau
uiul young slave, who had not left
their side for a moment during the
few hours of their illness, seemed in
cJus0lable. She did her best, how
ever, 90 as-Uage the grief of the am
I a In D..
deared herself 10 him that he ad01ted
her as his child and heir, -iuce he was
just a little too old to marry her. I'm
the course of time the venerable sage
rej1iuel his sWarJly wives in the
other world, and the fortunate nymph
came Iut0 the possession of his mill
lions. AT this stage OF her existence,
Count beledelti, VINO was then only
"a pennies attdCue TO the French
Consulate iu Alexandria, offered her
his hand and heart, aud having mar
rled her, with the aid of her wealth.
cut for himself a road TO fame. In
this way She who was once a slave 10
slave became q star In the circle of
the French world of fashion A"
This is a very pretty story; but
Mr.. de Leon Insists that il is as false
as-W6lI, almost any comparison will
be iu order Yet there Is Just enough
OF tact i'm the story to give it a SEM
bLauce of truth, he informs US; for
benefetti was Vice Consul OF the
French Consulate General iu Eur0He.
and did marry an orphan Greek girl
VINO was the adopted daughter OF NJ /
~. .Alastasy, an eminent Greek mer-
chant, aud 10. twenty years preced- .
ing lL5 death Consul General for sWe-
den sud Norway. selected bv Me /
hem-E AI a. his f8v0rite merchant .
he continue, land a. the recipient Of .
his orders tor the introduction of Eu- /
rJpean machinery and fabrics into .
Egypt, NJ. Q'Aua5f1sy accumulated a /
priuca.y fortune under hls reign, and F.
Ills habits OF life were as liberal and .
as prlucely as his means, and 20 con-
tinued until his death, at the ripe age .
Of elghty-niHe, iu the year 1853, twelve [
years after the marriage of Beuedetti /
to his adopted daughter, who then il- I
heritel a portion only Ofhi5 f0rtlne the /
balance being divided among other I
relatives. The dramatic incidents of /
the black wives the little Greek /
slave girl, with the unmistakable inu- 4
endO OF her poisoning prOpeDsitie5, \
are all purely Stowe ~, the creation |
Of AIexaudTiau gO5sips. hashed up by 4
the old lady IS she hashes up history /
.u her iHtermiuGble and tedious his I
L0ricaI romance, which a patient /
American public has been sDO0n-fed /
with at H0t5sela." The aiilsiCn 90 I
hlrs. Stowe and FRAU Mulbach is very I
cruel indeed bat 'lst it pass" SIN /
the gay and brilliant court Of the Em- 1
perOr Nap0leOn," he says further, /
you might search 10 vain for more /
lovely face, 2 more graceful and win
ming mien than ia the wife Of Bene-
ietii, the mother then of a grown
laughter, whose sudden death In 863
sdsl an eternal shadow over the hearts
Jl both her bereaved parents"