The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-03-26


The bereaved couple returned to so
ciety, and regained the serenity and
composure of ordinary life, though it is
said Lady Henley could never see a
child of Bertha's age when lost without
the tears coming to her eyes.
Just one week ago, when Sir Mon
Grief and Lady Henley had been only
couple of days returned to town from
celebrating the Christmas festivities at
ii ove-Leavington, a carriage drove up
to their door, end a couple Of cards
were handed N. They were those of
the Most Reverend William Bernard
Ullathorne, Roman Catholic bishop of
Birmingham. and Father Giuseppe
Francini, S. J., rector of the Academy
of the Sacred Heart, Chateau Riches,
province of Quebec, Canada. The rev.
erend gentlemen, who said they came
upon business of importance. were in
vited in, and received by Sir Moncrieff,
who is personal friend of Bishop Ulla-
thorne's. The bishop asked if Lady
Henley could be conveniently present
likewise, as the matter concerned her as
well as her husband. Lady Henley was
summoned, and then Bishop Ullathorne
said: 81 have simply come with Father
Francini to vouch for him in the fullest
manner. He has strange and touch
ing narrative to make to you, and
wish to assure you that you may place
the most implicit confidence in him and
his disclosures" With these words
the bishop took his leave.
Father Francini, man OF sixty years,
tall, commanding and venerable in ap-
pearance, began by asking Lady Hen
ley il she had ever known a certain
Chevalier Mattel Lurgan Baglione, a
Florentine gentleman of great wealth,
who had been in the service of King
Victor Emmanuel, and had suddenly
died of heart disease about four months
ago. Lady Henley answered she had
known the chevalier very well, but had
not heard of his death. "You knew
him in London, in 1853, when he was
attached to the Italian embassy here ?"
" Yes" excuse the apparent i'm
pertinence of my questions-they are
deeply relevant-you knew the chevalier
in Rome, in 1857, after your marriage?"
81 did" "Do you know if he had any
| occasion to hate you with all the vim
| dictiYeness of his fierce nature ?" "I
know he professed to love me desper-
| ately, and I rejected him." "But after
wards, in 1872" Lady Henley hest
tated, He tried to pay me attentions
then which I did not see proper, as the
wife of another, to receive. / did not
tell my husband then, wishing to avoid
trouble, but 1 have reason to believe he
deeply resented the cold way in which I
treated him-my God |" she cried, as a
sudden thought flashed on her mind,
"You do not mean to tell me that man
kidnapped my child ?' calm your
self, Lady Henley, or you will not be
| able to hear all that [ have to tell you.
He did kidnap your child, 1 have every
reason to believe"
"Ten me-tell me quick Does
she live?"
"She does-she IS well-she is lovely
she is every thing that the fondest
parent could wish-the loftiest rank re-
| quire"
"Where is she ?'' cried both parents.
Bring me to my child !"
"She is coming-she is on the ocean
now. l came to prepare you to receive
her. See, thisis Bertha" and he placed
photograph in the mothers hands,
who, weeping and praying, devoured
the picture of the lovely girl with kisses.
"The first thing to be DONE" said
Father Francini, after the parents had
regained their composure, sis to estab-
| lish the identity of the child beyond
peradventure. l have here the clothes
which she wore when stolen, and the
picture of her taken very shortly after
wards. 1 did not wish to harrow your
| feelings by giving you a needless pang,
and so, before decided to come to you,
l have traced out infinitely all the
chains of evidence, and I find them
perfect. These articles were all unmis-
takably identified by the nurse who was
with the child, and she rapturously
recognized the little picture before a
hint was given her of the original"
Lady Henley's tears and emotions
| showed that she, too, recognized the
poor little girls quaint backwoods cos
tune, her dainty moccasins and coquet-
| fish ribbons. These are things which
a mother never fOrgets.
"It remains for me to tell you Ber-
! tha's story" said Father Francini.
''Before becoming rector of the Cana
dian academy in 1860, was principal
| of a college of my order in Montreal.
Here, in the spring of 1856, 1 received
a visit from the Cavaliere Matte Lugan-
Ii,
| her brother, rest his soul my college
| companion and most intimate friend.
| The chevalier said he was on his way
west, on hunting expedition, and had
called upon me at his uncle's request.
After good deal of talk he told me he
had in Italy a child-an illegitimate
daughter-born to him of lady of
| high rank; and that circumstances
/ l. - IL i
| out of the way; and he wished her
| brought up in the best manner and en-
| dowed with every accomplishment, ETC.,
| ally. 1 mentioned to him the fact that
| it was to be transferred the next year to
the rectorship Of the Sacred Heart at
Chateau Riches, and thai the Riches,
and that the sisters there were entirely
competent to take care of the moral
and intellectual culture of any child.
I heard no more upon the subject st
that time, but next year, when l was
| established at Chateau Riches, the
child was brought to the convent by a
! French woman, who claimed to be her
nurse, and had accompanied her from
! Italy. She brought letters and remit
| tances from Cavaliere Baglion to me,
| dI1Nls LOb bLAC obdb6lu6ub VI 1dCbS
which he had made to me, presented
| the child to the mother superior she
was received and has remained there
until the present time, except for three
months, during the recent vacation,
when, under certain restrictions and
accompanied 10y her nurse, who has
never left her, she visited the family of
a school companion, somewhere in New
| York. The chevalier was very partic-
ular that she should be well taught, and
very liberal in his allowances, sending
us for her aud the maid 91, 900 per
annum.
"Your daughter is a charming young
person, universally beloved, and the
sisters at the convent are greatly dis
tressed at parting with her."
Father Francini went on to state that
the Cavaliere Baglione had died sud-
denly in September while at his villa
near Campo Basso, and that his heirs,
in searching among his paper, had
found documents leading to the identity
of Bertha, and an account of how she
was carried of, together with the ar.
ticles described, etc. These were only
accidentlv opened-providentia the