Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-06-03

aud, the husband having died. the
lady had years before become his
wife. They took a large house and
imported from Paris superb furniture.
Preparations were made to entertain
on a grand scale Of great magnifcence.
During the first winter of. their resi-
dence in Washington the beauty of
the lady, the wit and humor Of the
gentleman, andtheir matchless cuisine
were the theme Of every tongue. But
the fatal beauty Of Nine. Catacazy
betrayed the past. There were sew
eral who had seel the handsome
woman when she was living in seclu-
sion. They recognized in the wife of
the minister she who shared his for
tunes before she was entitled to the
name Of wife. The old story was re-
vived heartless writers for the press.
from political motives, began a
regular persecution gossip flew
from lip to lip, until the trouble
reached the State Department.
and opened up a diplomatic dis
turbance. This eliminated about the
time of the first visit of the Grand
Duke Alexis to this country. The
secretary of State had demanded Mr..
de Catacaz,' s recall. Prince Gorts-
chakoff pleaded that he be allowed to
remain until after the grand dukes
visit, as there was no time to send
another minister to replace Mr.. De
Catacazy. Alexis came and was
received by Mr.. aud Madame de Cata-
cay in royal style. But both Presi-
dent Grant and Secretary of State
Fish were in the sulks and would hold
no intercourse with Mr.. De Catacazy.
When the grand duke and his suite
called to pay their respects to the
President, the day after his arrival in
Washington, the representative OF his
fathers court accompanied him to the
White House in court dress, only to
be snubbed Enthusiastically. The reeep-
ton was cold aud formal, Mrs. Grant
not even having the ladies of the
cabinet present. She herself appeared
in a plain black silk, as though de-
termined not to put on any style for
the son of an emperor. That after
noon Mr.. Robson, then secretary of
the navy, escorted Alexis and the
officers Of his ship to Annapolis.
This was all the attention accorded
in Washington. MIR. De Ca~tacazy
accompanied the grand duke to
New York and through Canada
when he left the party and re-
turned to Washington to wind
up his affairs. Everything was sold.
even the Dresden china, with the
crest and monogram Of Madame
De Ca acazy. The silver, cutlery,
glass and table-lincn were similarly
marked. All of the costly and beau
tiful things are scattered among
Washington families. Occasional
news from Paris told sad things about
the fallen condition of the De Gaia
Gays. One report said that the poor
wife had been deserted by her hus-
band, who had taken up with another;
that she was not only deserted, but
in poverty. -Four years ago she
wrote t. me to thank me for the kind
words | had written in answer to a
calumny which appeared in one Of our
papers about that time. She denied
that she aud her husband were in
disgrace with the Russian government
and were Door. She gave her address
md a cordial invitation to visit her in
Paris. The letter was answered, and
hal is the last that | know Of a
woman whose beauty, amiability and
accomplishments fascinated me before
persecution aroused my sympathy. II
still contend that during her stay in
this country she was harshly treated.
She was branded and stigmatized as
though our society was made up of
such pure and immaculate women
hat such a case had never before
been heard of, and that nopunishment
was severe enough to meet her case.
There is no doubt that the husband
was among those who cast the stones
which shortened her life.