The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-03-17
THE BELKNAPS.
Social Life, Adventures and Down.
fall Of a Secretary who hnal
Three Wives,
Vanity of yanities--FemalcA Ambition
Brother Orvil's Name Comes in.

downfall and disgrace OF her husband gives
a feature OF romance to the sickenin:; affair,
] which invests it with piquancy that sell
dom attaches to such matters. There is in
| TINS department of The subject confusion
| must be aispelled in order to arrive at It
! clear understanding of the case and prop
erly divide up the responsibility. The pre-
Secretary altogether, and the second wife
| be has had since he entered the Cabinet
Her immediate predecessor was her sister,
Who died about three Years ago. 1t was
! the second Mrs. BslSnap, sister TO the pres
ent incumbent, who made the original bar
Carrie 1olnlinson, while the name of the
present is Amanda. So, for the sake Of dis
! tinction we will speak of them AS Mrs. Car
RE and Mrs. Amanda.
a woMAN's AMBITION
| When Belknap first came to washington
which her husbands salary would not sns-
tain. They had NO private fortune 10 fall
back on, but nothing would content them
short OF social rivalry With he I'ishoS who
had a private income compared to which
the Cabinet salary was mere bag:,telle.
There was but one way to meet tho leiic-
| iency and that was by inakiu, illicit profits
out 19the Office. The woman's wit of NJ rs
Carrie did not long lack for crooked ways
and determined 10 avail hersclf OF then, al
the first opportunity. This came i'll tho
shape of Marsh, whose acquaintance The
Be1knaps made at Long Branch in 1870.
The testimony itself shows that Mrs Carrie
made the first OvertnreS to Marsh but the
testimony tells only portion of the story
The woman seemed perfectly infatuated
with the dazzle of Washington society.and
dazzied with the prospect OF sudden wealth.
she devoted herself to the business of bar
terins away the influence of her husbands
position, and soon laid schemes by which
thelr income was raised to about S.5 O},, q;
year. Then, Just as Tho covci ed po1un aud
eNtravagance was within her reach Mrs. Car
re sic!cned and died, leaving It's Il legacy to
her hubsand the plans she had made FOR
the betterment OF their financial FORUM es
at the expense Of honor.
THE MARRIAGE.
The Secretary did not long remain, y
widower. Tho present wife, Mrs. Amanda.
was bloomins Young widow, and ,hcre
was a material enhancement OF her ripe and
luscious charms in the fact that she vas
Iuaiited to take up the thread OF WORLDLY
Thrift right whore it had fallen from th..
nervcless fingers of her dyin., sister Mrs
Amanda had been fully in the confidence OF
her sister and knew all tue ropes, SO 10
speak, which had boon laid to pull in he
crooked profits. Accordingly she was every
way t!tteato take her sisters place in he
affections OF the Secretary and in the, bust
ness end otthe War department. 1t VAS
thcrefore,a marriage de conrcs.u7,ce as well as
a'o",Ga', and Mrs. Amanda stepped Into
enc shoes OF AIRS. Carrie, nlutriiiionialiy
socially, and financially. Mrs An,aI,.ia
was in all respects qualified successor ..
ner thrifty sister She WAS inspired by the
same nnlbitionS, blessed with the Same
liberal conscience, and gifted with even
superior beauty OF face and form.
SHORT DIVISION OF TIE sro1Ls
Mrs. Carries baby, upon whom The
created income from The post-tradershi,s
uad been settled when the niother died, st,.su
f,llowed the latter to the grave, and ti,en
here was nobody lett to divide with the
Of ana TN the Esshins wiaew the
amanda and the Secretary were married
With flourish OF trutnpets, and inn
where it would do the most good-that i
20 say, in silks, diamonds, fuss. teathnrs
Ind style generally. Their homo was
centre of luxury. Mrs. iseIkuap called
about her the farsst and brightest Of her
sex, and sought TO create select social
should be the lssidera,um OF the haut ton.
She was to be the Lady HlcssinGtou of the
reign ofUiysses, and her house should be
che Holland House CT the realm Her
feminine protegas were to he he cent res
OF admiration, and nothing less than a
millionaire or = Count could aspire TO nav
them serious attention.
BRACE OK DIPLOMAT SPECTATORS
Whom the articles "t Impeachment were
read in he Senate Chanaberto 90 day, the sole
occupants of the Diplomatic Gallery ware
the Danish Minister, Hcsnrn,ann i.in,lrn-
crone. and his wife. formerly Mrs. Charles
Moniton, the singer. This couple ben, over
Tho railing with tho StITt,.ing cuwrrucs>. ofi
pain and forehoding when the reading
was proteGe Of Mrs. B"llInap when her
entitled lover sought her hand, and ihe
DANISH Count hatl bcrN introduced to his
"fate' by the woman who's" fame figured
in that dreadful recital as having rat a
price upon her husbands honor. Ii was
curious situation for the re-
OF Il dcspotic government " no |
might have to answer to his sovereign for
social complications had hei:,iicn |
him in this strange land. Another proip.e
of Mrs. Belknap became the wife of Hr!rv |
Clewa, though in this ease there is no mr.
ticutar quality Of incident. for there i, no |
nobility of any kind about Cicws TO ho ont
ragged by ANY tergiverSat ions of social tor |
tune.
THE pIEADINC;S or \ WOMAN
But to return to Mrs. Eclknap. As soon
~ she heard ofthc levin bolt that hung
,bovc her head she So,,wht to bring her
lcarly bought "social inilucnre' as tbnv
,all it here, to bear to avert the blow SHE
sought Ctymcr, and adiured him. by his
gray hairs and by tho lovc he bore her s,,S |
q spare her husband for her sake aud for
hc sake of their prattliu~ girl l,abv ut
nome. She heSOught Blackburn bS the
homage he owed to the wOlnanh0o,l OF Ken !
uc<y, to spare her. Kentucky girl from
shame and ruin. Bat Ciymor was iucxorn-
De- and Blac!; burn quietly responded that
M.Nmnnhood did not aomanh any
uch Sacr'trS Of public duty. As soon *
Yrs. Betknap realized that she was bcvrnd
he power of social influences or ofici;,i
prestige to save or shield her, abe Went
,omo and gave herself up TO paroxys,als Of
grief and modification. Her always op.r