The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-05
Romance Of q Life.
The Story of Lady EIlsnborough---An
EngllAh Lady NNslS an Arab Chief.

inc STORY OF Lhug GuenDoFpukh---hA
Engllh Lady NNedS an Arab Chief
Mrs. Isabel Burton writes from Trieste
to the Pail Mall Gazette:
Will you allow me to contradict, as
the editor OF the Triester ZCitung has
done here, the correspondent at Bey-
rout, who writes to the German Gq=etio
OF Vienna concerning the late Lady
Ellenborough2
About sixteen years ago, tired OF
Europe, Lady Peterborough conceived
the ilea Of visiting the East, and Of
initiating Lady Hestor Stanhope and
Lady Mary Wortley MOntagu, There
is also a French lady, Nine. dc Ia Tour
d'Auyergne, who has built herself
temple on the top Of Mount 0liyet, and
lives there still.) Lady Peterborough
arrived at Beyroutand wentto Damascus,
where she arranged 10 go to Bagdad
across the Desert. A Bedouin escort
for this journey was necessary, and MS
the Mezrab tribe occupied the ground
the duty of commanding the escort de-
volved upon Shaykh 1tijwai, young
brother Of Shaykh Mohammad, chief Of
this tribe, which is branch OF the
great Anazeh tribe. 0nthe journey the
young shaykh fell in love with this
beautiful woman, who possessed NIL the
qualities that could firo the Arab I'M
agination. Even two years ago she was
more attractive than half the young
girls Of our time. 1t ended by his pro-
posing to divorce his Moslem wives and
to marry her; TO pass half the year in
Damascus (which to him was like whit
London or Paris would be to us), for
her pleasure, and half in the desert, to
lead his natural life. The romantic
picture Of becoming queen Of the
desert and OF the wild Bedouin tribes
exactly suited her wild fancies, anl was
ut once accepted, and she was married
in spite OF all opposition made by her
friends and the British Consulate. She
was married according to the Moham-
medan law, changed her name to that Of
the Hon. Mrs. Digby Fl Mezrab, and
was Mortified when she found that she
Ind lost her nationality by her marriage,
and had become Turkish subject.
For fifteen years she lived, as she died,
the faithful and atIectionate wife of the
ShaSkh, to whom she was deyotedly ut
tached. Half the year was passed in q
very pretty house she builtat Damascus,
just without the gates OF the city, and
the other six months were passed no.
cording to his nature in the desert in
the Bedouin tents OF the tribe. In
spite Of this hard life necessitated by
accommodating herself to his habits
for they were never apart-she never
lost anything OF the English Lady, nor
the softness Of woman. She was
"grande dame au bout DIES doigts" in
sentiment, voice, manners, and speech.
She never sail or did anything you
could wish otherwise. She kept all his
respect, and was the mother and the
queen OF his tribe. In Damascus we
were only nineteen Europeans, but We
NIL nocked around her with affection and
friendship. The natives the same. AS
to strangers, she only received those
who brought letter Of introduction
from q friend or relative, but this did
not hinder every ill.conditioned passer-
by from Boosting Of his intimacy with
the House OF Mezrab, and recounting
tho untruths which he invented, to sell
his book or newspaper ut u better profit.
She understood friendship in its best
and fullest sense, md for those WHO ell
ioyed her confidence it was treat to
pass the hours with her. She spoke
French, Italian, German, Slav, Spanish,
Arabic, Turkish, and Greek MS she spoke
her native tongue. She had all the
tastes of country life, and occupied
herself alternately with painting, sculp-
t,ire, music, or with her garden-aowers
or poultry, or with her thoroughbred
Arab mares, or carrying out some i'm.
provement. She was thoroughly con.
noisseur in each Of her amusements or
occupations. To the last she was fresh
and young; beautiful, brave, refined,
and delicate. bon sang nc pcut
mcntir." Her heart au fond was noble I;
she was charitable to the poor. She
regularly attended the Protestant
church, and often twice on Sundays.
She fulfilled all the duties Of a good
Christian Indy and IN English woman.
She is dead. All those who knew hor
in her latter days will weep for her.
She had but one fault land who knows
II It was hers, washed out by fifteen
years Of goodnessand repentance. Let
us hide it and shame those who seek to
drug up the adventures of her wild
youth to tarnish so good n memory.
RequieScat IN pace.