Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-04-13


year with his sister at Barryville. in Sui
livan County. She then became mem
Der of the family with whom she first
lived, and entered Chester Academy. earn
ing her board, as before, by service in the
family. Her classmates were the daugh-
tiers Of the leading citizens of Orange
County, by whom she was always treated
with the greatest respect. Her beauty,
her cheerful, merry heart, her wit, and
genuine lady-like bearing, and withal,
her rapid progress in her studies, shielded
her perfectly from any Sights on account
of her humble position. Indeed, she was
general favorite in the school.
In her examination in all her studies
no one acquitted herself better than Mary
Tobin; and, at the closing exercises,
when compositions were ia order, for
purity and simplicity of style, beauty Of
thought and expression, Mary's was re-
ceived with marked applause, and, in
fact, was far better than the performance
Of any of her associates.
A most important change now occurred
in Mary's personal history. She had re-
jected several offers of marriage, as, with
true, loyal Irish affection, she intended to
join her sister, then in the Far West
During the time Mary was in school, the
troops with whom her brother law was
connected had been ordered to Fort Tow
son, situated in or near the Red River,
Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory; and
he, with his family, had gone with them
1t was very lonesome for Mary's sister,
and several letters had passed between
them-Mary's sister urging her with all
her eloquence to come and join her for
tunes with hers. Mary wrote she would
come as soon as her term in school closed,
if she had the money; but, in pursuing
her education, she had been unable to
save anything. It should be said that she
had full share Of pride-nOt any too
much, to be sure-that always led her to
adopt the best wardrobe her limited means
would permit She always looked neat,
and, with her fine form and beautiful,
intelligent face, could not help knowing
that she had her full share Of admiration
from all by whom she was surrounded
In due time Mary was all excitement on
receiving letter from her sister, that she
had found Mr.. Clarke who was about to
visit his friends in Pennsylvania, and
who, at her request, would come on to
Chester for Mary, and come back with
her to Fort Towson; ALSO that she would
send money to get her a good wardrobe,
and to pay her expenses to her new home
A short time afterward, Mr. Clarke
arrived, presented his letters, and handed
Mary sixty dollars in gold to purchase her
outfit for the journey. Mary's Chester
friends did not like the looks of Mr..
Clarke; but, as he was accredited by her
sister, they could make no objections to
her leaving with him But they were
careful to advise her specifically and fully
in regard to her long journey of some 1 800
miles among entire strangers, In less
than week she was ready, and, with a
kind letter from her pastor-she had
joined the Presbyterian Church-and the
blessings and the prayers of those with
whom she had lived virtually from child
hood, she babe them good-by, who, like
those to whom Paul preached, expected
g to see her face no more"
What follows is gathered from the
letters Mary wrote back to the lady who
had so kindly matIonized her from the
time she first came to Orange County till
she left for her distant home in the West
Mary found MIR. Clarke's friends in
Pennsylvania very fine, excellent people,
in good circumstances. They treated her
very kindly for two or three weeks, when
she left with Mr.. G. for Pittsburgh, where
they took New Orleans steamer for the
days Mary's escort treated her with great
Difference and respect, as, in fact, he had
always done. But his attentions became
more marked, and by the time the steamer
had reached the Mississippi, he was per-
tinaciously urging Mary to marry him
This she respectfully, but firmly, refused
to do; and at length his conduct became
so outrageous that Mary was obliged to
appeal to the Captain for protection
This he promptly afforded, and she was
safe from further molestation. Clarke
kept himself stepped in liquor, and his
conduct at last became so bad that some
where below Cairo the Captain put him
ashore-not, however, till he had made
him give up the money he had in his pos
session to pay Mary's expenses to Fort
Towson. And now here was this lone
Irish girl, a thousand miles from her
friends in Orange County, and nearly as
tar by the rivers and stage she had to
travel before reaching her new home,
with no protection except that which
brave, noble and cultivated woman can
command from the toughest, and even
from the basest, of men They were
ample in her case, for she was treated by
the Captain and his officers, and by her
fellow passengers, with every attention
and the greatest courtesy.
The Captain of the Mississippi steamer
introduced Mary to the officers of the boat
that was to take her up the Arkansas to
Van Buren,, on the west line of the State,
where she was to take the stage for some
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