The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-01
Gossip
About Men and Women.

Jean Ingelow is q small slight woman, per-
haps forty years of age, with pleasant man.
ner and quiet, somewhat timid smile. Her
eyes are bright and expressive, her hair tlnged
with gray.
A small slim figure, encased in black broad
cloth, large massive head, kind scholarly
face, brown hair sprinkled with gray, no beard
but slight prolongation of hairy growth down
into the middle OF the cheek, which might be
interpreted as whskers, is a recent writer's de-
scription of Louis Blanc.
Reidsville, North Carolina, is small town,
but it can raise more tough stories and incl
dents than any other town of its size in Amerl-
Ca. Its latest is the yarn OF country magls-
trate thereabouts, who was in search OF a
second wife. His name was Squire Bray, and
the alluring female was the Widow Brown.
Before going to see her one cold evening re-
Gently, the Squire provided himself with a
pint bottle of the ardent syrup of corn, which
he placed in his overcoat pocket for use on the
way home late at night. While he was at sup
per, his small son Bob took it out and substl-
tuted a small alarm clock, wound up and set
for eleven P. NJ When that hour arrived, the
Squire and the widow were just parting affec-
tionately. IL is alleged that the conversation
was thus: eyes, your first husband, my dear,
was one of my best friends, and we'll visit ms
and my lost Hannahs graves, won't we, love?
''Ah, yes, for where was there sweeter wo-
man than your poor Hannah?" asked the
widow. ga good woman; she was good enough;
but there's living one Just as sweet, Sald
the Squire, and he was drawing her TO MN ior
a kiss, when whizz- wiz zizzes- es-wiZzer-hizzer-
ting, whir-r-r-r-r, tung, bang, the clock went
off in his pocket 80 lawd!'' screamed the
widow, "he's shooting to peces Its Hammers
old peanny playin' inside of him?' "She
said she'd haunt mel she alters told me sol"
cried the Squire, running for the gate, the
clock striking furiously all the time. The
widow now firmly believes that the Squire is
haunted, and the match is broken off.
Edmond Fletcher, the brother of Miss Fletch-
er, the author of "Kismet," entered West
Point in 1867, but afterward withdrew from
the institution to engage in the Franco-Prus-
sian War, drawing his sword on the side OF
France He was appointed lieutenant in the
thirteenth regular French artillery, and at the
close of the war was offered many inducements
to remain in the French service, but he pre-
ferred serving his own country: and returning,
was appointed second lieutenant i'll the Thir-
teenth United States Infantry. Very, recently
he has been promoted to the rank OF first lieu
tenant.
Mrs. Newton, the widow of Gilbert Stuart
Newton, the painter is resident of New York
city, She is lady of venerable age, for New
ton died in 1882. Their married life in London
embraced that interesting period ofliterary, ar
tistic and dramatic annals between 1920 and
1S3O-when Kemble and Kean were the mon
archs of the English stage; when Leslie, New
ton, Wilke and Turner were leading painters;
when the Waverley Novels were delighting the
world: when Charles Lamb was writing his
ELLA" papers for the London Magazine. Mrs.
Newton knew Washington Irving, who had al
ready made great reputation by the sketch
Book" and "Bracebridge Hail." She knew
Count d'Orsay, who was not so handsome as
tradition makes people believe. His figure was
set off by the most becoming dress-light over
coats, hair eaborately arranged, well-httlng
gloves and boots. Mrs. Newton also knew La
dy Blessington, who held her court at Gore
House. Kensington, where might be seen Bull
wer, D'Israeli, Tom Moore, Theodore Hook,
Savage Landor, etc. Rogers was then in his
graceful decline, and Macaulay, whose Essay
on Milton" had given him an immediate repu-
tation, was beginning to attract attention as a
brilliant talker.
Miss Dudu Fletcher, who will shortly be La.
DIV Wentworth and in the future Countess
Lovelace, is the granddaughter of the late EN-
inent divine, DIR. Caesar Malan, of Geneva,
Switzerland, and on her fathers side belongs
to the family of that wise and beautiful Grace
Fletcher who was Daniel Websters first wife
| AS child Miss Fletcher was exceedingly ciev'
| er and studous, devouring books, and being
| charmed with Pope's translation of Homer
| when only seven years old. She was so inter
| esting that while still little girl she was pu
| into an Atlantic story by Mrs Harriet Prescott
! Spofford. When thirteen years old Miss Fletch
er wrote a charming poem which was pup
/ I.,l.a 4IaG Gala oil hnr
ton she was not dreamy, but healthy
! sprightly little maiden, fond of swimming
| riding and skating. The Chicago Tribune
| mentions that Miss Fletchers education wa
| conducted in Boston, New York, New Haven
| Andover and SwitZerland-the young girl hav
| ing in all these places the best teachers
The Goddess of Liberty found a splendit
| representative in Miss Adelia Barker, wh'
possessed every physical requirement for thu
satisfactory reproduction of the leading figur'
| in Americas scant mythology. With wei
| developed and graceful form, a magnificen
carriage, a strikingly handsome face, OF th
purest classical mould, whose dark and lus
| trous eyes filled it with character, with exquls
iteiy shapely arm and hand, this LADY hardly
| needed that her costume should be OF classi
| design to enable her to fill the character as
| signed to her. The costume which she wor
completed fully the conversion of the younl
| lady into perfect embodiment of the goddess
| It consisted of white and gold dress trimne
with flowers, across it being flung the mag
nfcent silk flag which, originally presente
10 Capt Hawley at the Centennial by his com
pany, was lent for the occasion to complet
| the goddess's costume. Upon her head sh
wore a handsome helmet, and her arms wer
encircled by gold bands. In her right han
she bore the staff, to which was slung the ia
tered remains of the Twenty-frst Illinois fias
aud in her left handsome shield bearing IN
device: "In the name of the United States an
the Union You Saved, Welcome youth
cago Tribune.