New-York tribune., 1880-02-15
MRS. JOHN w. MACKAY.
A CALIFORNIAN IN PARIS.

E~s-A HIDE Or iNlEhNA1lONAL bFuuhho-
FRENCH HUSBANDS AND AMERICAN HEnaEssEs.
In her new novel, " Under the Tricolor" Mrs. Lucy
H. Hooper describes behind the name of Mrs. John
Bryan" the wife of the enormously wealthy Cali
fornia miner, Mrs. John w. Maekay. The book is
perfectly apparent through the thin veil of fiction
She first appears in the book thus the description
purporting to be by Miss Anson," an American
correspondent in Paris:
II was not for year or two later that made the
acquaintance OF Mrs. Bryan. the beautiful wife OF
the Railroad King, Of the West She is much
realm far wider and more gorgeous than ever
fairy called into being beneath the stroke of her
wand. And vet though her husbands wealth sur
passes all ordinary methods of computation. she is
as simple and transformations as child She wears
her splendid destiny as she wears her splendid toll
! ets-as an accessory to a personality that rises
above all accidents of fate. ! look at her some
times when she comes smiling into my little room
rs at an embodiment of all the choicest gifts o.
! Providence. Accomplished beautiful and beloved.
| good and generous as she is wealthy, an dolized
| wife, cherished daughter. devoted mother, |
sometimes feel like praying her to fling her sapphire
locket into the Seine to cOnjure away the possible
lrown of fate against destiny OF too perfect hap
pness. Even the envy, haired, malice and all un-
charlabeness that, Ike the dog-tiends OF Mepbis-
! tOpheles, follow hard behind any cOnspicuOusy
brilliant existence nave to take refuge in falsehOod
when Swapping and snarinC against her. f." If you
were but ngly or vulgar. or wicked, or Ignorant"
/ v
your good fortune. If they could only say, Poor
Mrs. Bryan what pity IL Is that with all her hus-
bands wealth she is s0-sOmehing or othern they
would do very well. But you eXasperate poor. weak
human nature by having everything that Heaven
can hcstow, and people needs must invent ridcu-
lnus stories about your wanting to Duy the Nend0me
Column ahd hang a Lantern ut the top thereof, and
other equally probable anecdotes" Apd yet she is
so good 50 generous. so warm-hearted Have not
seen those great lustrOus blue eyes, the loyeliest
sapplnres that she owns IN spite of her weil-fled
jewel casket, overflow with sympa thlzIng tears,
time and time again. when some pitiiul story has
been whispered INTO her eyeT-Teady earY And she
puts so much delicacy and tact into all that she
does that favor from her hands Is sweet as the
first flowers of Suring. sometimes feel inclined
to take her soft, jewelled hands in my own and
cover their gemned ivory with kisses, Ieverent as
those a devout Catholic imprnts upon a holy relic,
knowing as what doors they have closed against
misery and reOpened to hope.
But TO go back to the subject of our titled
Americans, why cannot our country people IN gen
era initiate the spirited good sense OF Mrs. Bryan's
reply 10 the Popcs offer through his nuncio OF the
title of Marchesa 7 II thank His Holiness" was
her answer but | am Mrs. John Bryan and
an American citizeu,-thOse are titles enough for
MADAME is within" learn when reach the
superb hotel on the Rue de Tlsitt, and presently /
am ushered into the cosy bOudOir that keeps warm
aud sacred within its precincts the hallowed idea
Of home, the soul OF this Ordy dwelling, as splen-
did oak with wide-reaching bOughs and luXurlant
foliage may shelter in the very heart OF its verdure
a soft nest with its pearly eggs or warmly shell
tered brood. For, of all the legends that malice,
envy-hatreG and all unchaTitableness that the pub
lie has accepted concerning Mrs. Bryan, there is III
decd one that has some foundation i'll truth, and
that j. the that represents her as loving her
home and her children somewhat too well for her
perfect realization of the type of woman of the
worll. Only her intimate friends are admitted TO
this pretty sanctum, with It's large arm-chairs, in
vng chat by the essence of repOse and comfort, its
astcfully chosen ornaments and It's general air OF
home. Beyond the draped dOorways on one side are
situated the bedrooms, three in number, where tine
fair mother lies down to rest among her children,
ttar "a l4 SqhnI1 RrVan
occupying the room 0ac side with her g0yerness,
and the two noble bows with their nurse having the
other. Then Oh the other side of the boudOr is the
dining ROOM the suite of apartments beng complete
She comes in. flushed and sparkling from romp
with her two boys. who esteem privilege more
highly than that OF game of play with their
lovely young mother. " am fairly worn outU she
cnes meIry, as she throws hersel: into one Of the
large ar;n-chaFs. Just tancy-my little Harry
woke me mp at half-past this morning to tell him
stories and of course there was no more sleep for
me- Then the American Minister and his vile dine
here to-day, and wished 10 surprise them with a
national DISH 80 have been busy for the past hour
IN making some apple-dnmpllngs, greatly TO the
horror of my chef, who evidently thought my pro-
credlng sadly undIRnied. Then have been prac-
tsing a new song for my muslc-teacher, slgnor
Castel-One of hls own compositlon-a setting or
Vase I}rSe' You must translate II for me some day.
You see have been far from idle this morning."
And after while she goes to the piano and pours
out the sweet and sympathetic notes OF her Oce IN
the melody that has transfused INTO music the
patLos of those charming verses by Suly Prud-
hounnc, " The Broken Vase" whereof she had just
spoken. 80 .
Handy had the sweet wailing melody sighed itself
into silence than servant who was waiting at the
door, came forward to present to Mrs BRYAN letter
~ she from the piano. She took It and opened
II. and after glancing over the lines she dismissed
the servant with quiet A" No answer Then, with
smile half playful and half rueful, she turned the
open page toward me. The misslve set forth how
one Manuel Nora n Spanlard. wished 10 return TO
his home in Cuba but being pennlless he took the
liberty of requesting the wealthy Mrs. Bryan to
give him the tTifllng SUN of five thousand francs
whercwtl to purchase his outfit for the voyage and
10 pay his passage. The bearer would wait below
for nm answer which he had no doubt would be IA
vorable, from all that he mad heard respecting tue
generosity and the riches of Mrs. Bryan.
Rather a cool demand" | remarked, as | gave
her back the letter " DO YOU know anything what
ever respecting the writer I"
Nothing at all. and you see he has not even the
claim upon me of being afellow-countryman."
And he is not modest IN respect to the size OF hs
demand 1 said, glancng again at the letter "A
thousand dollars IS rather large amount. Does he
fancy that even the wealtllcst OF American lanleS
can give away such sum 10 u total stranger as
cooy rs she might handful OF peuce to Deg
gar!'
" And just remember that these calls upon me are
continuous and unceasuc. Sometimes | receive as
many as five and six letters of hat nature IN % sin
gle day. Sometimes a lrenchman will write me
word that ho Is IN desperate reed OI ity thousand
francs ami il il Is not instantly accorded 10 MN he
Will either drown himself i'm the seine or else Jump
of of the Are de lr.Omphe. Or else get letter
III wOman's hand declaring that she is III DESPAIR
for want OF five thousand dollars, aud that she Will
he ven to life of shame If she does not get H.
caused some two or three of these eases to be in
yestigated Dv the police. but as they invariably |
proved to he swIndles now let them pass by un- |
needed. But these letters used to make me |
very unhappy at first. | used to cry myself to |
sleep at night fancyug my wretched cor |
Respondents struggling in the cold waters of
the seine or dashed 10 pieces Oh the pavement OF
the Champs Elys6es. Bnt have found out so many |
attemps to impose upon me that am getting much |
more hard-heared. OF cOurse | am very glad TO !
subscribe TO any laudaUlc charity. or TO Eelp any
deserving persons who are really i'm need. But It
wo Id take the purse of FOltunatus to supply all |
the demands that are daily made upon me-"
DO they oitepask you for such large amounts as
your petitioner of to-day has dOneV