Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-22
The "Louise Home - at Washington.

BEAUTIFUL for situation is this pleasant
home, founded by w. w. Corcoran, for
the benefit of widowed women who have
been In better circumstances.
1t was at famous watering-place
that lady, celebrated for her affluence
and hberality, said to him, one day:
= Mr.. Corcoran, l hear you are build
ing house for decayed gentlewomen."
THAT is my purpose, was the reply.
60 Well, Mr.. Corcoran, if I ever be-
come pauper, will you take me therep''
was her laughing question.
g 1 invite you here and now," was the
answer.
Most singularly the lady is now, or
has been, ar inmate of the Home, though
the question was asked without the M St
distant thought that the contamination
would ever arrive. The rich dresses,
the diamonds, superb position, are
given up forever. They could not keep
the wolf from the door; but no wolf can
thrust its gaunt face in the doors of the
Louise Home.
which is in the shape of an oblong
square, and open to the roof. A friend
who visited with me, a travelled
of some of the old Moorish pal
aces he had seen abroad. Some four or
five galleries connect with the rooms in
the upper stories. These are beautifully
decorated, light and open, and form a
great attraction to the inmates and Wis
itors of the Home. Choice paintings
adorn the walls, among them a superb
copy of Beatrice Cenci, and an original
@Judith - by one of the old masters.
ALI the apartments on the ground floor
bear witness to the founders artistic
taste in the matter of pictures.
We were conducted through the va
rious places of interest by one of the
inmates, lady whose striking and pict-
uresque appearance reminded us of the
days when the stately Mrs. Madison
held her court. The bright black eyes
of our conductor sparkled under small
turban of snowy whiteness, as she re-
lated several things in connection with
the great charities for which Mr.. Cor
coran is famous.
We stood before the portrait of his
wife, one of the loveliest faces / ever re-
member to have seen. 1t represents a
lady in the costume of over fifty years
ago, whose soft blue eyes beam upon
one like those of saint from heaven.
81 want to tell you little incident
connected with that PICTURE" said one
of the lady inmates, "which produced
an impression upon me which [ never
can forget.
Zone Christmas week we were all
busy putting up decorations of laurel
and pine. Mr.. Corcoran was moving
hither and thither, suggesting this
and approving that. l was at
work in the par1or, ornamenting one of
the paintings, when he came in, and
must have been concealed by the alcove
yonder He held his hat in his hand
and moved thoughtfully forward till he
stood before the picture of his wife.
Then his face assumed an expression of
the deepest sadness. l did not dare to
move, for could see the tears gather
ing in his eyes. After he had gazed for
several moments, with a sort of sob, he
exclaimed
Beautiful, beautiful creature! So
young and so lovely! and you left me
so long, long ago!'''
Thus did the man, still the lover in
his eightieth year, do homage to the
wife of his youth, for whom he has been
q lifelong mourner.
&c Since that time," continued the
narrator, ' have looked upon him with
more reverence than ever before.''
Opposite the portrait of his wife,
Louise, is one of his only daughter, of
the same name, long since dead, face
quite as beautiful as that of her mother.
Nearly all the furniture of the parlor
belonged to her, and was, understood,
nearly all imported from Paris. There
stands her piano; her music-rack and
music near by, her workable and other
mementoes which a fathers loving care
has preserved, and given for the use and
comfort of those who can no longer care
for themselves.
The matron of this establishment is
called by the inmates ''our sweet young
MOTHER She is lovely woman, Dig
nified and gentle in her manners, and
wins the hearts of all who approach her.
"Would you like to see our rooms?"
she asked, and we, of course, gladly as
sented. Mounting the first flight of
stairs, we were ushered into an apart
ment of fair size and neatly furnished.
The inmate, a lady of some sixty years,
rose at our entrance with a courteous
greeting. The appurtenances and orna-
ments of the room showed that the wom-
an before us was good Catholic, and
Vi SeHtlo DlOOu. I1or uOGucT pOTtTdlI
hung against the wall, and was painted
in England, think she told me, at the
beginning of the present century, by one
of the famous names of EUROPE have
forgotten which.
But the picture was work of art; the
bands of powdered hair towering from
the brow, the old lace, the delicate
draping, all betrayed the finest touches
of genius.
The lady herself left us to tend the
cage of a little canary, dying of old age,
and to which she seemed much at
tached.
81 watch it the last thing at night"
she said, with voice full of genuine
ma1s ao t e'se va as soon
had it so long as companion that when
it does die, shall feel as if 1 had lost
friend.''
We went from there to take peep
into other rooms in which flowers and
sunshine DredOminatad and placid old