National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-11
PERSONAL FACTS AND GOSSIP.
History Of the Ames Divorce CaSs-A
Literary WOman's Career.

History Of the Ames Divorce CaSe-A
Literary WOmAn's Career.
The Washington correspondent Of the Syracuse
JosrEaI says; s....
Though the public mind has been % variousIy
diverted for the past week, Il is surprised and
cited BY the announcement that Mr.. Ames
has procured Q divorce from his wife, lady
widely known as . writer. Hints have been
heard that sne expended her earnings In the pay
ment OF long-existing debts Of his contracting,
and It was generally understood that he had been
unfortunate In certain speeulations. But % reti-
cent has she been that only few intimate friends
ever heard lisp Of It. Those who read her books
md no cynical sIlusions no limitations Of IN IN
happy alliance, nor the slightest Suggsstion that
she UNDERWRITERS the precious boon OF . husbands
love or the sAcredness OF the marriage bond. As
the divorce followed so closely upon the appear
s sa,ssS q i, nsT wS ne Suey
studies may not be traced In the plot Of the book.
For ten or twelve years Mrs. Ames has written
Iadepssdsat, which md readers not only among
the mass Of people, but also among statesmen,
name and an interest In many home, which,
being neither unfriendly nor inpertlnent, de-
mands the real history. As It comes nom . life
Her father was once In prosperous eircuE-
stances but At the time Mary was about sixteen he
lost AL. Just then Nj. Ames, Ike Aud Robin
was not csptivAted, and frankly told him she did
not love him. with him this declaration WAS no
obstacle, and he PerseVersd IN his attentions and
WON HKR HAND.
He was at that time . preacher, whether Meth
Odist or unitAriRn-I've been assured he was
the one and the other-of, Presbyterian, which Is
improbable, - everybody Knows there are no
PresbyteriGns In New England, from whence Il
IL said he came; or-but let that denomination
which has no member It need 10 blush for, cast
the army, then . Sutler, then speeuIatof in real
property In HAHper's Ferry, and then mayor Of
that village. For two years Mrs. Ames lived
per. The warehouses he bought were carried Of
by freshet. He sold their house IN New York
peStations that the place will become smother
Lowell. Mrs. Ames had . mother 10 support
and sister to educate, and felt the necessity Of
"gst up" washington letters ct HarpSr's Ferry.
She decided she could not do that and be an
honest woman. Finally, she returned to
HKR LITERARY WORK,
supporting herself and her friends and often
handing considerable sums to her husband. At
times be has resided here, but his interests are at
Hsrpers Ferry, and he hnds another woman who
is not averse TO staying there. Mrs. Ames friends
plead that he has never supported her She has
won the public esteem, and Is, therefore, ct an
advantage, since he is little known. On the
other hand his friends insist that he greatly aa-
mired her talents and often expressed his willing
ness to forego domestic enjoyment that his wife
might be uninterrupted in her literary pursuits
Among q wide circle Of friends hereI not . breath
ofreproach in regard to this matter falls on the
fair name Of Mrs. Mary Clemmer, as she is now
to be called, and though suffering from the no.
toriety thus thrust upon her she loses nothing in
sympathy and appreciation.
Mrs. Ames has never psndered to the vicious
taste which discards Instruction. Her views of
the right and wrong Of given subject are not
hidden. Humor Is not her forte, yet she demon
strates the truth that there Is . wide class Of
readers who appreciate that food, even II not de-
signed to amuse. She is ever ready to use her
pen in behalf Of the suffering OF her own sex.
She writes for some purpose other than gain
though there is perhaps no American lady writer
Who'll Is
BETTER PAID.
It Is understood she is permanently prs-engaged
for Q term Of years, thus beng enabled to give
her whole energies to her literary work. She is
not over forty, tall, rather stout has an express
siye grey eye, rosy ceeks, and Q countenRnce
glowing with intelligence. She has written "a
Woman's Right" "Ten Years in Washington"
His Two Wives" and she has edited the
memoirs Of the Carey sisters. But her letters
have won more applause than her bOokl partly
because, being in the weekly press, they have
been more widely read. A gentleman Of taste
remarks that she would do we'll to gather her
letters into volume; fer, having given pleasure
in the first reading, the public would welcome It
for the sake Of repetition Of the enjoyment.