Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-11-12
BYRON,s MAID OF ATHENs.
Her Family History, Her Age an
How She was Cared For.

How she was Cared For.
The London Times Of the 25th ult.
says
Mr.. Richard Edgecombe writes to us:
The announcement made by the Greek
journals of the death of Mrs. Black,
known to the world as The Maid of
Athens, is one which will not fail to in
terest the many admirers of Byron.
should not have presumed to trespass on
your valuable, space but for the reason
that some misappreheasion seems to ex-
ist as to the age she had attained at the
time Of her death, which, in the an
nouncement made in the Times of
Thursday, is set down at seventy.six
years. II is, of course, well known, TO
most people that Byron made the &C.
quaintance of Theodore Macri and her
three daughters, Teresa, Katinka and
Mariana, in February, 1910, just sixty
five years ago. Ia letter written by
the poet to his friend, Mr.. Henry Drury,
at this time, he mentions the three
Graces in the following words. | am
dying for love of three Greek girls at
Athens, sisters. live in the same
house. Teresa, Mariana and Katinka
are the names of the three divinities-
all of them under fifteen. Now, it is
very well known that the eldest, Teresa,
was the one he addressed as Maid of
Athens, aud | am inclined to think that
she must at that time have been
at least fourteen years Of age "a
sppposition based upon the ae-
count given Of them by Mr.. W. Fl.
Williams in his Travels in Italy and
Greece Supposing, then, that the Maid
Of Athens was little over fourteen
years old in February, 1910, she cannot
have been much under eighty years Of
age at the time of her death, and it is
not without a pang that / recall an ac
count given of Mrs Blacks poverty by,
l think, Mr.. Finley, few years since,
when an appeal was made in her behalf
with but scant result. Byron's friends
are all gone save one, the dauntless Ed.
ward Trelawny, who enjoyed the poets
confidence, and accompanied him to
Greece. Byron servants are all gone
save one, William Childs, beadle in
Golden square. But in their place we
have those honorable men who cling to
his name, and who have shown their rev.
erenee for his memory by tardy but
just endeavor to set him on the pinnacle
reared by his towering genius. That
something associated with Byron should
have passed away is one of those sad
but inevitable consequences of the march
Of time, let us at least take comfort in
the thought that there is still something
left"
In the Times of the following day ap.
pears the following letter
SlR-I agree with Mr.. Edgcumbe that
Mrs. Black, nee Teresa Macri, Byron's
MAID of Athens" must have been
close upon eighty years of age at the
time of her death; but | reject his sup
position, i. e., that, because the charit-
able appeal made in her behalf few
years ago by the late Mr.. Finlay was not
adequately responded to in this country,
she must have passed the closing years
OF her life in INDECENT circumstances.
1t will no doubt afford much pleasure to
Mr.. Edgcumbe and to every admirer OF
Byron's finest lyric to learn-and it
affords me equal pleasure to state as a
positive fact-that Mrs Black was so
well cared for, for the sake of the great
Pbilhellenic poet, by some of the lead
ing members OF the Athenian Society,
as soon as her difficulties became known
to them through Mr.. Finlay, that from
that time to the day of her death she was
in the enjoyment of every comfort which
she could reasonably wish for. M.
Charilaus Tricoupi, the present Premier
and the son OF the bard intimate friend,
Spiridion Trieoupi befriended her greatly
in her latter years. / am, sir, your
obedient servant,
NEeoLEs G. MUssABINA,
Honorable Secretary Byron Club.