The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-03
VOL. XLIII.-N0. III.
TuELIrE OF FATHER LAKE.
,ur c4rHOrTC PR'TSf'S LoJE FOR
rUE yTIFUL POETESS.


THO sod intelligence Of the death of that
%nnlant. gifted young Cathode priest the hev'
,ia,.,y : Lake. who rumor said had broken his
..cleslastical VOWS by marriage about wear ago,
49,. coached New York from across tho con-
-, Itts now known that Father Lake lived
-. sore time in san Francisco as married
a,,r with a Young eirl, also Giftoi child OF
..o,,s and not unknown to fame In this city.
g, cenevra Chafa. a puetess and public reader
.ho many will remember. reciiod poem on
,ho boards OF the Union Square Theatre on the
oc,,sion OF a benefit performance given by Mrs.
sheridan shocks amateur company for Cath
o,,c charity Of which Father Lake was at that
time the chaplain
I, va4 only . short time before that perform
.,ce that Father Lake met Miss Cnhfa, who
"a strnegling with that adverse fate which
often dogs the steps of genius. TIE warm
hearted Young priest was as deeply touched 10y
her ml.flrtunes as 10y her personal and mental
attractions lie cndeayored to befriend her
with ln.foducuons to Catholic ladies. But
this was difficult T. do. for Miss Ch ia was an
earnest and openly ay,wel advocate ~ the so
cla ideas Of Victoria woodruff. Prudence
rirht We suggested To- the Young priest
Ahat he should ny from danger, and leave
me Young pOctc-s t. her fate. what
ever thit might be. but "poorti,h cauld and
restless love consii,ed ~ inst his fidelity TO
duty H. piticd and aid "A her In her struggles,
and in tue struggle was lost SO al least the
most ienicnt Cathohcs wogld decide, while
proto.isuis and liberal thinscrs would admire
a.br4ytr, that which his brethren would detide
as asunparionaole weakness.
A iady Il wealth aud influence. aleadlng spirit
amons the women suIra-is,s IN whose house
M.. Chafa resided for a t,w months. was the
cruGdlui uf toe young lady To her Miss Chafa
told the story OF the friutic struggles OF her
ur,stiy lover as he vaycrcd between his alle-i-
aucs 90 hi- eccle. ia-tical vows aud his love and
rityf rhcr. His letters 20 Miss Chafa were as ful
OF uas-i 10 te self reur1ach az his delinquency as
priest a- II love for the Lady. But his sgonies
Of reror-e were lost ON his free-love poet
n.i.irss-: 90 her they were the tortures Of a
super, itiDls imagination. Fixed in her deter
minltion. aud with everything to gain for
size had long before decided t2at her principles
were correct, and encouraged and guided by
frisuis who. though less brave than she, or
more prideut. would not openly avow what
they coans.llai the young girl to practise,
fle ,4rlsed her lover TO overcome his
tCruple-.
DEPARTURE FROM NEw YORK.
They eft New York together, nut with such
caution that f-w knew where either OF them had
gone aud only Two or three that they were really
together. IL was reported that Miss Chafa
had married Mr Eimonds. and had gone to
Europe, and that Father Lake had married
lady from Europe v.o mad met him In Clncin-
nat bv appointment, and that they had gone TO
Cahf,rui. But in "a few months the lady who
had been Miss ca fa's rend and COMPLIANT re-
ceiyel a letter from san Francisco. signed sara
Genevra Lake, breathing Of h9ppiness she de-
s'Hhed the JOY and bi,s of ner we ided HE, the
devotion II her husband. the glorious summer
81 the land OF howers where they were living,
and where there was nausht 10 mar her perfect
l'lclN hut the iact that hef nuspi ana heart
was stili dlviied between his love Tor her and
hls mental devotion 10 his church. which
continued To torture him with rcmorse that
IrcNed necessarily upon him. Then came an
iuteryal of silence. and the next thing that the
ldy learned Wis that dher Lake was dead.
lie mad died in Santa Cruz. Of consumption. apd
his VIE: or Miss Chaia' had telegraphed the
10 whom was the telegram addressed 2" in
Qurcd tho repre- -entuive oi tie SUN.
cist friend Of Miss chat qr Nrs. Lake. " But
you NAV rest assured of the fact"
Another reporter ascertained yesterday that
this ludy lad used her Influence and assistance
In getting up for Miss Chafa an elocutiOnary en-
tertalnnent OF poetichl ana other reciiation- IN
tie rooms Of the Nuun- Mems Christian Ass o.
.tAN'i, lNtItl- -tullu rI.tt anu ivulth ave,
bu" She said she knew Of her attachment and
sui -equent quiet mari ge to Roman Catholic
CLERGYMAN, adding 81 LOST knowlede of her
after she went away. my Interest In her ac-
quaintance having been mainly from motive
10 help alonz peCuuiarilv a Young artist who /
saw had genius and sincere character. ! re-
celved some time ago a charming letter from her
dated from the city OF the Golden Gate. Sue
vas yer, romantic, and always gave a touch OF
poetry 10 both her letters and cOnversatlon !.
khe half reIroached me for my seeming forget
tllness of her, after her MARI, ,ge, OF which |
knew the difficulties; thanked me profusely
and lovingly for what little had done for her
before her union TO the man Of whom she was
80 ignd s9id that, adtnoggh s t9e skies nsd been
found their way TO this land Of flowers, and that
With blm she was happy.
THE REFINEMENT OF ROMANCE.
"lt has been said" continued this friend.
"that little Sara seduced priest out OF the
priesthood. do not think the blame should be
thrown on her, but rather on him for he was
was not His constant letters TO her. some OF
which she read TO me. were very beautiful fun
OF the refinement of romance. he was himself a
brilliant mind, and II was not strange that a
young girl Of her liberal mind and pOetcal tenn
perament felt that no vows were 80 holy as
those Il the heart. She wrote also In this letter
tome from California that she had been sting
insly uitrced by the thorns which had eau
tio1ed her TO avoid. but that a husbands love
Mrs Robertson. the landlady OF an unpreten-
nous plain, quiet boarding house IN East Tenth
street, said YESTERDAY:
Miss Chafa was married a short time before
the came 10 board with me. Her husband lived
from my house, they went to California 10 per
nauentb reside. She was nice little woman.
hes Ioyed me very much. and her"
The KIND. carcworn face OF the landlady
IHshtened, and smiling as with an anectionats
ahd en- otional remembrance, she continued;
49," have known sara Generya Chnfa for a long
tmg' Nhe dld not come here a stranger"
-" have heard that she was coming back to
new \ TX city. ~ was here now, and thought
sue inlthi come 20 TO .id with you az in"
Perhaps she would She was an agreeable.
intelligent person, a true hearted friend, and
tdehted woman, whose memory Is pleasant, al
,houSh nave lost sight OF her, and did not
KNOW that she thought Of returning. | should
be glad 70 see her and feel hOnOTed to have her
~ my house again. liut TO-DAY, although IL Is
huhdaN, Is my hlsiest day. Nv bOarders are AT
the dinner table II you will call AT another
hu4e' shoull be happy 10 talk with YOU"
fATHKR LAKE IN NEW YORK.
- Catholi lady, convert, says:
met ther Lake Tor the first time soon AZ.
ttl hls return u New y orls from Europe In 1873
10 had been living there several year., believe
.le struck me- as being unlike any rriest / mad
ieT seen IN ma manners ana conversation. lie
res more lhpul7iVe, frank, Outspoken, and In
sFpehuent' and evidently man much more sus-
F.lihle TO ienrnlnine influence. As we were
nlth converts, there was IA ch IN common be-
tween u.s. We spoke often OF our deep INT crest
!. our Protestant friends. Particularly those
"no hy thelr tai. nts, genius, or education
aiYusfd the deeper sympathy aud solicltule on
hfouhl q the influence they would exert over
.,Aei', lie spoke Of MS own career AS A gay
hli ueasufe-luyiug Young man, who had until
became Catholic, regarded all forms OF
,ulHuaulty as nothing more than different yer.
IONS VI cunningly devised fable asked him
Wv u came 10 pass that he should become o
"A 4 fI,