The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-16
Biography OF the Lady who Left her
Fortune TO jeff Davis.

Mrs. Sarah A. Dorsey, who died in New
Orleans on the 4th instant, was one of the
most notable women OF the South. The
New Orleans papers, in their notices OF her
death, have scarcely done full justice to her,
and have farled to note some Of the most in
tereSting points in her history.
Mrs. Dorsey was Miss Ellis, Of WELL
known end wealthy family OF NatcheZ,
Miss, where she was born in February,
1929. She was a niece Of Mrs. Catherine
Anne Wartield tnEe Ware), the novelist,
author OF "The Household Of Bouverie,"
" Beausencourt," and other romances OF a
strange, wild, weird originality and power.
Mrs. WarfieTd's first publications were two
volumes OF poems 1S43 and 1S44), by her.
self and her sister, Mrs. Eleanor Percy
Lee, who appeared before the public as
"Two Sisters OF the West" Mrs. Lee
died soon afterwards, and Mrs. Warield's
subsequent literary career was confined
exclusively TO prose fiction. She died in
1877, leaving her niece. Mrs. Dorsey, to act
as her literary executor, with, as is sup
posed, a large mass OF unpublished manu-
script in her hands.
Miss Ellis il her youth enjoyed in Natchez
the advantages OF what was reputed TO be
the most cultivated and polished society
then existing in the Southwest. She mar
ried when about twenty-five years CT age
Mr. Samuel W. Dorsey, 4 lawyer and plant
er OF Tensas parish, La, which was her
home until the death OF her husband in
1875, when she removed 10 Beauyoir, sea-
shore residence in the extreme southern
part OF Mississippi. ...
Having no children, and. her husband
possessing an independents fortune, Mrs.
Dorsey had exceptional facilities for the en-
ioyment of literature, society, and travel, in
fall Of which she delighted. She became
known to the public IS the author OF
Atbalie,': "Agues Graham," ,"sLucia
Dare" and more recently uS7D Of pa
nola." OF these novels the best known,
and probably the best, Is Agnes Graham,"
believed to be founded upon remarkable
family history Of the author. She pub
lished also, in 1867, '"Reco1lections, OF Henry
w. Allen" late Governor Of Louisiana, and
is the author OF several essays on philo..
sophical and scientific subjects, especially
on the Oriental systems OF religion and
morals, in which she took q lively interest,
having, among other Accomplishments; ac-
uuired some knowledge OF Sanscrit, litera-
ture. She was Greek and Latin scholar,
and read and converscd in several modern
Mrs. Dorsey was we'll known in literary
society both in Europe and America. She
was on terms OF pers sonal friendship with
CARLYLE, Herbert Spencer, Dean Stanley,
the Rosettis, and others, and had CORE
spondents in Rome, Dresden, and Calcutta,
as we'll. as New York and London. She
kept up to the close of her life the exercise
OF an elegant and refined hospitality and
hers some of the few southern homes in
which, since the war, anything approXinla-
ting the style Of entertainment OF the olden
time could be maintained. ............. .... ~:
= She was an earnest, ardent, faithful, un-
changing, and enthusiastic friend. Her adj
miration for certain personS-as Tor Gov
ernor Allen, Thomas Carlyle, and herau
Mrs. Wartield, ana a few others OF less
note, partook Of the character OF hero
worship in its highest,' best and most un'
selfish: form. Above all was her reyerent
admiration for Jefferson Davis. Her house
was habitually the home Of the Confederate
ex-President and his. family, and it was her
chief delight in every possible way to show
him respect and honor, combining the office
OF hostess with that of secretary or amanu-
ensis, as circumstances might require.
A few months ago the progress OF, an old
hereditary malady admonished her Of the
necessity for submitting to surgical ope-
ration, which might either give relief or
prove fatal. With the utmost composure
and deliberation she made full preparation
for either alternative, and when this was
done went to New Orleans and placed her
self in the hands of the surgeons. With
thoughtlessness OF self, ner
first question on recovering 6 from the effects
az chloroform, after the operation, was to
INQUIRE whether refreshments had peen
Droyjded for the two or three lady frlencs
in attendance upon her. She fingered lor
some two or three months in condition
which gave her friends alternate hopeful
ness and anxiety, but finally sank rapidly
and quietly to rest. ...,I.... 49,,
Mrs. Dorsey. had been al very earnest
Church.woman OF a type asthetlcally rather
than doctrinally characterized as "ritual
istic." When the mistress OF plantation
with many slaves, she had pr oYided chap,
lain, chapel, and NIL tbe accessories o.
worship for them, and had devoted muct
personal attention to tGeir religious train
ing. Disappointment freely expressed a
the result OF, these efforts, together with IN
dcations in some of her later essays OF tn'
influence Of the modern school OF latitude
marian philosophy, had given rise 10 man, .,
apprehensions among some OF hcr islenu.
as to the l,itimate.efect upon her religlou'
faith, Perhaps her mind-llke many otlel
Of tbs reneration--may have been unset
tloJ, for a time. But however THIS may pe
i,er last hours were illumined by the llgh
that NAV have been dimmed but no
nuencbed, She received the sacraments
t,a rhnrch. and died protesting The Chris