The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-12-08
q czEARnHNG ROMANCE.
A singular Matrimonial Alliance
and what came of Ii.


From the San Francisco Bulletin.l
It is popular saying that g all the
world loves lover, and it may hold
true that1AA the porld lores to read of
lovers Some years ago there appeared
In the Chicago Inter-Ocean a sketch of a
singular marriage. It was related that
the bride sailed for Italy and the bride
groom started for Arizona, within two
hours after the wedding ceremony was
concluded. The sketch, widely copied
at the time, was true In substance and
detail, but the romantic coloring of the
marriage, so to- speak, was in its first
blush. The lapse of time and the
changes of fortune having brought one
of the parties of the singular wedding to
California, and placed the ether well on
the road TO histrionic fame in Italy, tits
now in good time to give the continue
ton of the romance. Briefly told, it Is
this About four years ago young
army officer, Lieutenant Philip Reade,
who, by the way, is a nephew of the
immortal Ben Butler, attended church in
Topeka, Kansas There are living wit
nesses to this assertion, however singular
it may appear, that an officer of the army
and nephew of Old Ben's found his
way to the sanctuary Of grace. lie did
go, and while there, one voice of the
choir impressed him as sweetly sympa-
thetic. The music touched his soul, and
his heart went out to the rustic vocalist.
He sought an introduction, and for
months whiled away the hours uncon-
sciously in the cheerful sunshine If her
presence. He learned of her ambitions,
and listened with all the fervor of a
youthful enthusiast to q recital of her
aspirations. She longed for fame in the
great world of the opera. but there stood
poverty, that twin companion of obscu
rity and enemy of genius, interposing
obstacles liz every path promising to lead
to the goal of her ambition. Yet she
did not despair, ard had planned girl
ish way of her own to reach Italy and
study under the inspiration of great mas
tiers in the land of poetry and song. She
had already begun to give music lessons,
and even had saved few dollars, as the
beginning of the fund. The young army
officer admired the heroism and applauded
the daring pluck of the noble little wo-
man. He had faith likewise in her flu
ture, believing that her talents would
some day engage the attention of the
song-loving world. Richer IN purse than
most army officers, and generous withal,
he proflered her the money to complete
her musical education, which she, in
proper pride declined However. she
obtained means by singing in local con-
certs to pursue her siudl.-s in Boston, and
little was heard of her until the Eastern
papers, as already intimated, announced
the wedding of Lieut.. Philip Reade, Z.
S. A, and Miss Minnie Beais, of Topeka.
1t may be inferred that the marriage
was the condition of her accepting money
to pursue her studies in Italy, aud it is
true that more than three years time
has elapsed since the matrimonial event,
and neither one of the pair has seen the
other. In the meantime she applied
herself with all the patience and dill
gence of feminine nature to constant
study under renowned teachers, finally
making her debut and winning words of
praise from the most eminent CRITICS.
In recent letter from Italy to her
husband, who is now in San Diego, in
charge of the military telegraph lines,
the lady herself tells the rest of her story
in the charming candor of girlish simpli-
city.
Although permission is granted to give
the exhuberant epistle in ertensO, for the
edifcation of our readers, the substance
thereof will suffice for the purpose. The
letter is dated at Milan, Italy, June IL,
and, after the customary and very sp-
propriate greetings of Mrs. Lieutenant
Phillip Reade to her husband, opens with
the announcement that she has just
signed an engagement for four years, at
a splendid and Increasing rate of salary,
with ScaIerini, celebrated italian i'm
pressariO.
The debutante opens at the Poglieho
Theater, FLORENCE, in Auber's new
opera of the Prodigal Son, produced for
the first time in italy. After this sea-
son she is to appear successfully in all
the leading theaters of Italy, and will
thence extend her triumphant travels to
other parts of Europe, probably visiting
the United States before the expiration
of the present engagement. Other evil
dences are given of the marked success
of this deserving lady, and brilliant
future is before her. Her finishing in
structions were received from Signor
Gill, famous Italian teacher. Such
are the ultimate results of the pious turn
that incidentally befel nephew of old
Ben Butler one Sunday morning, and
led him to intrude into quiet sanctuary
Of worship in Kansas town.