The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-04-05
Romance in Real Life.

! real life. During the month of March
1870, two richly attired ladies arrivet
in the city, and registering at the Con
| tinental Hotel under assumed names
were assigned to one of the choices
rooms in the house. a few hours af
| terward a messenger was dispatched
| for DR.. Charles Z. Turner, who ha'
been the physician for the hotel fol
tho last seventeen years, to attend tht
| eldest of the two newly-arriVed guests
who in q short time became the
mother of female child. The new
ly-made mother was about thirty-five
years of age, rather above the medium
height, with dark hair, coal-biack
eyes, clear complexion, stately in
appearance, and in her conversation
gave unmistakable evidence of being
woman of education and refine
ment. 1t was evident they were both
of foreign birth, although the accent
was not sufficiently marked to deter
mine positively to what nationality
they belonged.
Soon after the birth of the child the
mother turned to Dr. Turner and
pOintedly asked him if she could not
get some one to adopt the infant as
their own child. DIR. Turner remOn-
strated with her against separating
herself from her babe, and transfer
ring the charge of it to entire strang-
crs. Then the unnatural mother re-
vealed the secret of her cruel purpose.
She said she was the possessOr of q
large fortune in Europe that had been
left her only so long as she remained
single. She had married secretly, and
to avoid the possibility of the proof of
her marriage coming to light she had
come to this country with her sister
under the preteXt of travelling for her
health to give birth to her child. The
appearance of the woman and that Of
her sister indicated that she had told
the truth, at least so far as her wealth
was concerned. Their dress and cost
ly iewelry showed that they were ac-
customed to such q life as only wealth
can secure. Finding that the mother,
to use her own words, Would "lcaVe
the child without any body to take
care of it if she couldn't do any bet
ter" the Doctor suggested to her
that by advertising she might get
some one to adopt the discarded Off
spring.
The next day an advertisement APP
peared offering $500 to proper person
who would adopt a newborn female
child. In response to this hundreds
of answers from 'proper persons" !"
anxious to get hold of $500 We're re-
ceived, and out of the number the
names of David Wonderly and his wife
We're selected, and they were invited
to call al the hotel. The third day
after the birth of the unfortunate lit
tie one Mr.. Wonderly and his wife
were met in the receptiOn-rOOm of the
hnt.al Inv rho NHhn xt-aG N-inIIS
to consign her own innocent and
helpless babe to the custody of those
whom she knew not, in order that she
might enjoy possession of the price of
her own tiesh and blood. The foster
mother selected was given the child
and five 500 bills. DIR. Turner was
then paid three times the amount of
his goodly bill, and the strangers left
the city. The mOthOr said she would
visit Baltimore and Washington, and
then put the ocean between herself
and her child,
Shortly after some one purlOiued
from the Doctor book containing the
only record of the birth. The little
babe was given the name of Julia
WOnderly. She was taken home by
Mrs. Wonderly and treated kindly by
the fOster-mother, although it is said
the greater part of the "hlOodm money
was expended in furnishing Wonder
Iy's house with new furniture, which
was afterwards pawned for money to
buy rum. Two years ago Mrs. Won
derly died of a cancer, but previous to
her death she consigned the care of
the little Julia to Mrs. George f Nice
residing at 1886 Seybert street. Won
derly, however, has refused to give up
the care Of the girl, and since that
time she has been drifting about, first
under the care of one and then an
other. Wonderly has never paid for
her board, though until recently he
managed to retain his influence over
her by visiting her, the child suppo-
sing him to be her father. About two
months ago Julia insisted on living
with Mrs. Nice, whom she calls Aunt
Mary. The reason of her taking this
action is on account of the cruelty of
Wonderly, whom she lived with at
the time. He is said to be a dissipa-
ted man. sQuandering all the money
that comes into his hands for drink.
The inhuman being whom she has
been taught TO call father told Mrs
Nice that he intended taking but one
room for himself his son, about nine
teen years or age, and tnat he inten-
ded having them all sleep in one bed.
This state of facts becoming known
to Dr. Turner, that gentleman has re-
ferred the matter to the Society to
Protect Children from Cruelty, who
have taken steps to protect the child
from further harharous treatment
She is now eight years of age, butdOes
not even know the alphabet. If there
were any doubts as t0 the genuineness
of her mothers high birth and educa-
ton they would be dispelled by look
into her interesting face.
Julia has Il beautiful face, a rich
growth of dark brown hair, clear,
bright hazel eyes, with long dark lash
es. n Grecian nose, 2 skin a. pure as
alabasIer, aud with cheeks resembling
in color a half-ripe cherry. In her
manner she is frank and modest, and,
although she has been accustomed
during her short and eventful life TO
listening TO bad Language, Vet Que lg-
norant of her history might suppose
she had been raised in the lap of luxu-
nv. y singular fact connected with
the strange history of this worse than
orphaned child is that no legal trans
fer of tho girl was made by the moth
cr TO Mrs. NNonderly, so that rs th-
case now stands she iS without a legal
protector, or was until the Society as
sumed the charge of her. The case
has invoked the sympathy of the
Thql0 community, andmuch anxiety
is felt as 10 the fate of the little hero
inc of the romance.