Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-27
FROM LUXURY TO POVERTY.
The Weary Life and Sad Des tn of an
AristOcratfc Southern Girl.

The Weary Life ana sad Destn OF an
AristOcratfc Southern Girl.
Thirteen years ago Richmond Va.
was the proudest of all the Southern
cities that threw down the gage of def
ance to the Union. Her beautiful homes
and outlying plantations were the envy
and admiration alike of the American
visitor and the European tourist. Then
came the war and its long story of fierce
excitement, resentful suffering, and
utter desolation. When it had passed
Guy Lockwood, one of the proudest
though not one of the wealthiest of the
Virginian aristocracy, found himself
utterly ruined. His handsome residence
was occupied as a barracks for Federal
soldiers. With his wife and little daugh-
ter Estella, then twelve years of age, he
sought refuge and home with friends
in the central part of the State. These,
too, had lost houses, crops and slaves by
the invasion of the Northern armies in
the valley warfare. He was descended
from a cavalier family who had fought
the army of regcides until Charles had
fallen on the scaffold and made further
resistance objectless. With poverty
came sickness and final surrender of
hope. One day his wife died. She had
faded quietlyand uncomplainingly away
under the insidious attacks of consump-
ton. A week afterward Guy Lockwood
called his little daughter to his bedside
and with bis last accents conhded her
to the care of his nephew, in whose
house he lay dying. Seven years passed
away, and the helpless orphan was a
young woman. With mind singularly
docile, she had, with such advantages of
schooling as the gradually improving
state of affairs in the conquered State
had brought within her reach, acquired
an excellent education, and in literary
exercises she had easily distanced all
her schoolmates. Then her cousin, the
only remaining friend upon whom she
had any claim, died The young girl
who had been nursed in luxury had been
taught self,reliance by sad experience.
She now returned to Richmond hopeful
and determined to pgsh her own fortune
in the world. She could write, she was
led TO believe, for publication, or, il not,
she could find copying or at least sewing:
In Richmond all was changed. The old
neighbors and acquaintance OF her pa
rents had moved away, or were them
selves in a condition TO receive rather
than to give aid. The old society bad
given place to something that was new
and yps very different. Three years
passed. She found no encouragement
to use her pen. and had recourse to the
needle. She had but meagre success,
and became dishesrtened. AS fortune
failed her in her native city she began
TO picture to herself brighter future in
the great metropolis. Accordingly two
wears ago she entered the seething msel-
strom of New York. Her story here is
short and simple. She bought sewing
machine and paid for It in installments.
Her little home ia reputable tenement
on the east side consisted ot single
room. For year she labored with all
her might, and then she found that con
tinuous work began to tire her to an
unusual degree. She fought 1t Of as
best she could, but the hereditary, dis
easa of which her mother died had fallen
nnon her in her prime. The few grean
shrubs that found scanty asylum from
the dust of summer and the SHOWS of
winter upon her single pindoy-slll were
as we'll cared for and looked as bright
as before. but her own frail body, that
now needed every care that love could
suggest, was more and more neglected;
Az isst the time came when she could
no longer york the ten or twelve hours
a day-the earnings of which even IN
her illness we're necessary to barely sup
port her. Her disease and the weakness
born of slow starvation forced her TO
her bed. Here she was reported, not 10
the coroner, as she might have been, but
IA kindly Mrs. NJ. W. FeTrog, Of the
orlxina-women' Protective Unioa. The
,reaeheroEs malady seemed to yield to
hone and proper apurishment. She re-
covered sufficiently to Fesume her work.
six months ago-she
broLe down entirely. Her iandiady
maintained the poor girl for months,
anJ ,bonght she would do so until the
and. In This she was mistaken. About
a week ago Estelle, In one oi 'aose
freaks of apparent conyalescence with
which eonsump ption delights 10 mock Its
victims. cot up from her bed ono day,
went TO Mrs. Ferrer, and told heF thE
whole story. The Union resolved to pay
the moor womanfor the care which she had
taken OF q poor working girl IN her
illness. Last Sunday night Estelle was
cheerful. and during the evening IN
dulged in anticipations Of what she
would be able to do for herself n 9 tew
weeks. The next morning her landisdy
entered her room and thought she was
asleep. Her right hand was thrown
back as a support for the weary head IN
a position of careless and complete rest,
aud the other, pale and fragile, lay
across the motionless breast. Her lus-
trous yellow hair, thrown of from the