The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-04
A REMARKABLE LITTLE WOMAN.
The Heroine of Two IDEAS" Her
Husband and Her Case"
Illustrative Incidents and Anecdotes in the
Life of Mrs. General Gaines.

Daniel came to Judgment yea = Danisli
Oil wise young judge how do honor thss.--shy'oak
The darkest hour Is just before the break Of day-V
MRS General Gaines should now be the happiest, as
Bhe has been for many years the most distinguished
and the most popular, woman In the United States'
With the rendering Of the recent comprehensive dsci.
sion In her favor of Judge Billings, OF the United
states District Court Now Orleans and in the gene
raj congratulations showered hcr, even from the
holders Of her properly dspossessed she became the
heroine OF tho Crescent City. Upon numerous suits
bundled together involving her legitimacy the valid
ty OF the probated will OF her father making her his
universal legatee and her right and title to his vast
possessions she Is proclaimed victorious along the
whole line. The startling fact is no made
known than many Of the parties who had derded her
pretensons and contested her claims, through all the
legal devices struggle Of forty years, became as
complimentary In their expressions OF salts
faction they had been contemptuous
in their treatment OF her In the streets where
thirty years ago. could venture unprotected after
nightfall only the hazard OF her life, she Is nov
overwhelmed by friendly salutations, and Is assured
that she has no enemies. With her enemies van
sushed, with her good name indicated. with her
right and title to her fsthcr's estates established,
surely this heroic lte woman has abundant cause for
exultation.
1.-THE LAWS DELAY"
And yet from the laws delay, this restitution APP
pears but litto better than mockery OF justice
When she entered upon this unequal struggle for her
there but thin silver Inning 70 the heavy
cloud overshadowing her case. Now the whole mass
Is Illuminated and breaking up into forms OF beauty.
II in the fresh morning OF her life when she was
summoned tins hard and hazardous journey OF the
pilgrim to the "Delectable Mountains she APP
proaches ihcm with tho sun upon the verge Of the
horizon. Radiant in health, hope and enthusiasm
when the strange and thrilling OF her father
history and her own were FIRST revealed to her. she
has reached the appointed Uat OF the royal
psalmist as she realizes the success Of her
mission. She is invited into her castle after
forty years OF hopes deferred and OF justice baed in
disappointing struggled Az the traveller over the
burning waste OF Sahara Is beguiled by visions OF
bright lakes OF living water and groves OF fruitful
palms, which recede he advances. but still enticc
him onward, have the severe trials OF this brave
woman been forgotten, in view OF the uniailing re-
wards to patient faith and endurance After her
dcrings Of forty years in the Wilderness as she de-
scends from tho thirsty desert to tho refreshing
waters OF tho Jordan, she realizes tho miraculous
parting OF the stream that in the way thus open ed
shc may pass over s'dry-shod" into the Promised
Land
REMARKABLE WOMAN.
Not one woman IN ten thousand possesses the phys
cal health strength and elasticity essential TO the
Herculean labors undertaken by Mrs Gaines, and
which have carried her through this severe ordeal Of
icrty years OF litiRatons. Not woman. perhaps,
in ten millions possesses the peculiar temper
ament, tho mental qualities, the educational
.lshments, the feminine graces, tho moral courage.
The patient perseverance and the religious faith and
consistency, without which Mrs Gaines. in this long
warfare against leagues Of lawyers. combinations Of
capital and uncertain judges could have accomplished
nothing All these physical advantages. all these
mental qualifications all those personal graces and
compshments essential for tho work which she
has achieved, the disappoiniments she has laughed
away the difficulties she has surmounted tho enemies
she has subduod and the prvatons and su1erngs she
has survived.
There and women who have never been
young; there are others--and happier pcrsons-who
ncvor grow ola MIRA. Gaines 10 one OF these. Al
seventy winters she appears well preserved woman
OF forty summers. In figure small and delicate, with
sparkling black eyes, Indicative Of health and happi-
ness, and face expressive of gcntensss and gene
rositv one would think had known no sunerings
and could endure serious hardships.
But she has felt tho pinchings Of poverty
and has passed through prvations and expo
cures TO tho elements that would test the cndur-
anco of a Sioux Indian. She has disregardod
with the GOODNESS and vlvacty Of the tough old
paigners OF tho Little Corporal She honestly
by this dominating French quality Of cheerfuncss
under mstortunes. 1t Is characteristic which, ex-
tended TO community fattens the grocer and
The apothecary This cheerful disposition coiors
md controls the character of Mrs. Games In all its
phases Hence her abiding faith in humanity has not
been shaken by false friends and trcacherics which
would have driven most mon to despair or the solitude
oil the woods seishness ana hypocrisies calculated
10 the most generous nature have not affected
her amabe weakness TO forgive aid forget From
France she inhers her vivacious temperament, from
the Green Island her wit, humour and generous in
stinctr and these blended clements, modified from her
birth, associations and training n the New World,
have gwen this heroic little and her romark-
able history.
A TWO IDEAS.
As Mrs. General Gaines she has long been known as
a woman OF two ideas--"her husband and hcr case -
The General was to her the model soldier ana prince
OF chvalry, peur, repyoche, and her case
from the first TO her a sacred mission, to which
she bound as by the oath OF Hannibal. She has
spent average lifetime in hor legal studies and
searches connected with this and Its widen
Ing complications, and yet she has los: nothing OF her
feminine graces as woman OF society. From tho adj
mnisration OF General Jackson to this day, at tho
Official receptions and assemblies at Washington, hers
has always been leading role in the evenings CONVEX
sations, from the political topics of tie day the
latest fashion In bonnes Her presence, Indicated by
her ringing laugh, fails TO dIusc the contagion
0i checrluness around her. and her saes Of vii and
Keen edged Jokes have often awakened the ullest
scmDlage INTO that harmonious confusion IN which
everybody has story to tell and all nro talking to-
gethcr.
soMs DEFICIENCIES
In tho bright maturity Of her powers 10 vas some.
timos said OF her:--She docs not dance. She does
not sing She does not play the piano. She gives
DO REGULATIONS from the poct& She may not bo abe
~ repeat verse from Byron or Tom Moore Ienny-
son or Longfellow. she has had time for these
naments And yet We have them In her musical voice
and sparkling stories. She evidently has wasted
midnight oil over novels; but the romances OF her
lericnce amply supply this deficiency. She cares
nothing for the stars OF the opera the lights tho
stage for IN the changing scenes the lie drama in
which sho IL engaged new lights and characters are
constantly appearing as living friends or enemies sho
prefers walk and talk on Pennsylvania avenue 10 a
slrnu In q picture qalery; for lhcre Is LeaIlh and