The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-31
THE PERE'S WIFE.
MADAM HYACINTHE IoysoN.

MADAM HYACINTHE LOYSON.
SOME INTERESTING POINTS IN THE HISTORY
OF A REMARKABLE LADY-A SENTINEL RE-
PORTER HAS A TALK WITH GENERAL BUT-
TERFIELD. BROTHER OF MADAM LoYsoN.
Sentinel reporter yesterday called at
Hotel Bates upon General f. w. Butterfield
of Philadelphia. who is brother of Madam
Hyacinthe Loyson, the wife of the eloquent
reformer. A few days since, letter from
Geneva, Switzerland, was published In the
Sentinel, giving an interesting account of
the Hyacinthe family. The reporter OBJ
tanned some additional particulars from the
general relating TO the life ofhis sister, who
has acquired worldwide reputation as a
woman of remarkable capabilities. As every
one knows, Madam Loyson (her maiden
name was Emily J. Butterfield), is
an American. having been born in
New York in the year 1882. When she was
very young her parents emigrated to Seneca
county, Ohio, seven miles from Tiffin, a lit
tie village called Melmore, on the banks of
Honey creek. Soon after their removal
about the year 1886, her father (who was a
carpenter by trade) was killed in raising a
Methodist meeting house by the falling of
bent. She was one of four children, General
butterfield being an older brother, who
were thus, by this sad and unexpected be-
reavement, deprived of their natural pro-
protector and support. at a very early age
Emily developed a great love for litera-
ture, and eagerly perused what books
came within her reach. She possessed
wonderfully retentive memory, which,
Joined with studious habits, was the means
OF her storing up vast amount of knowl-
edge, considering the extremely limited adj
vantages she had of acquiring an education.
What little schooling she did get at that
time was largely obtained in an old log
school house; but by dint of application and
aptness she excelled in all the branches
in which she received instruction. At
the early age of thirteen years she
commenced teaching school, "boarding
district. Several of these families say that
they well recollect that often they have
known her to burn her little tallow candles
all night, studying the lesson she was to
teach the next day to the Scholars that were
almost as old again as herself. At the age of
eighteen she married Mr.. L. r. Merriman,
OF Bucyrus, Ohio, the son OF DIR. Merriman,
the first president of the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne, & Chicago railroad company, the
road then being in course of construction.
Her first husband was merchant, who, fail
ing in the mercantile business (about the
year 1862 removedwith his family to Brook
Ign.
She commenced writing for the press, being
a correspondent for several New York pa
pers. She became acquain ted with Henry
Ward Beecher, who took great interest in
her, and often looked over her manuscript
prior to its publication. Her first visit to
Paris was made in 1862 and while there she
was employed as fashion writer for Madam
DemOrest She returned to America a short
time before her first husbands death, after
which she again went to Europe and has
lived there ever since. She had two chill
dren by her first husband, lit
tie Mary, who died at the age, of
four years, and son Ralph
who is nov with her at Geneva. During
her first husbands life, they purchased prop
erty in Brooklyn for 81, 900 and paid a small
portion of l.. After his death she managed,
by economy aud diligence in her profession,
to pay the balance, and the property is now
probably worth thirty thousand dollars.
went to Europe the last time, and continued
corresponding for several papers in
this country, besides writing for the French
press, having acquired thorough pro-
ficiency both in speaking and writing the
French language. She first became &C.
quainted with Charles Hyacinth 10y
son under these circumstances: She
hers to visi; the nunnery at Paris, andwhil e
there, she saw, as she afterwards told, a
bare footed monk, with shaved head, whom
they introduced to her as Father Hyacinthe,
and whom she did not at that time regard as
very prepossessing in that condition. He
was then preaching at Notre Dame, and had
achieved high reputation for his oratory.
Having listened to his eloquence she at
once became an admirer, and he, in
turn, after their first conversation, ad-
mired her. They were married in
the summer of 1872, having been COM
PEELED by the laws of France, which
forbid the marriage of a priest, to go to Eng
land, TO have the rites performed. They re-
turned to Paris, where they remained only
for short time, Pere Hyacinthe having re-
ceived call from Geneva to preach. They
removed to Switzerland early in the year
1873, where they have lived ever since. A
few months ago their first chiid was born
unto them. Madam Loyson has be-
come, through her own diligence,
excellent linguist, being able to
speak three or four different languages.
She speaks the French language with
EVEN GREATER FLUENCY THAN
she does the English and has acquired much
celebrity as a French writer. She is also an
accomplished scholar, for which she is en-
tirely indebted to her own habits OF industry
ana appncSsion, not udNiuS nau VIC auNan'
tage of collegiate instruction. She is wo-
man of strong sensibilities and her whole
life is devoted to the good OF humanity. II
is said that to her is largely due the stand
her husband has taken in favor of reform
for which his pulpit was declared vacant anC
himself excommunicated from the church.
She was in Paris at the opening OF tht
Franco Prussian war and when the PrussiaI
army were about to close the gates
of the city she escaped and came to this
country. While visiting her relatives IL
Ohio she received a dispatch from the Amer
lean Bible society to go to New York, WHERE
shewas requested to accompany a cargo o
Bibles for distribution in Rome. She did so
and was probably the first to distribute Bi
bles in Rome Immediately after the pop
was deprived of political power. On her wa,
to Rome she stopped at London, and wa
i told that she had better remain short tim
in that city for fear that the ship would b