Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-17

that 1t was shut In from view, and as
church-goors Of Fifth avenue desire to
be seen as we'll as to sec, it became so
neglected that it began to be known as
charity pew, and it was a saying on the
venue that it was the only thing that
st. Bartholomew ever gave TO charity.
One day the pew was mysteriously
rented. A check was sent in payment
for it to the vestry, and young
DR.. Webb appeared as its tenant. The
young ladies OF the church wondered
at his taste; also at his devotion to the
church. They could not divine why
a fashionable young man should have
chosen a charity pew. A bevy Of
young girls one day determined to try
to solve the riddle. So they got into
the church, took seats in charity pew
and began to discuss the problem.
Suddenly one OF them struck her
gloved hands together aud exclaimed,
Eureka" Then she demonstrated
that, although the pew was shut in by
the columns from the sight of persons
sitting elsewhere, yet il commanded a
plain view of William II. V, nderbilt's
pew, and especially of that part of the
seat occupied by Miss Leila. The
marriage is to be celebrated in the
Vanderbilt palace on the avenue, and
the bride is to have as one Of her
gifts the house now occupied by her
father with all its furniture. A book
of Vanderbiltiana might be written.
Edgar Fawcett, the dramatist, is said
to have jotted down stories enough to
make excellent material for a drama.
HOW A POOR GIRL CAPTURED ANIL
LIONAIRE.
There is a very pretty romance
about the marriage Of William II.
Vanderbilt, jr., to Miss Alva Smith,
the story OF which is often told in
upper tendon. The young lady and
her sister were attending school at
Pennington, Mass, in Miss Portcr's
academy, whence Nellie Grant was
expelled for insubordination. Nellie
Grant had counted a little too much
upon the power of the name Of her
father, whom she always called Ulys-
SEES, and Miss Smith first gained a
reputation by being one of the spirited
girls who recognized no difference
between her father, a very smart spec
ulator in New York, and the Galena
tanner, aud she was the recognized
leader ia the agitation which resulted
in Miss Grants retirement, and there
bad been ever since between the two
such a feud as very charming women
are capable Of. While at school, Miss
Smith suddenly received word that
her father had made an unlucky
venture, that his fortune had gone up
in a balloon, and that she and her
sister must at the end of the term,
then near its close, 60 at nee to
the home Of their grandmother in Vir-
ginia, there to remain until their
father could summon them north
again. This was not suited at all to
the tastes Of demoiselle conscious of
her own attractions, and she deter
mined TO make a venture Of her own
account. She borrowed some money
from her teacher, AMI made an ar
rangement with her to go to Richfield
Springs for a few weeks, so that when
she appeared there, she had as a du-
ennat a we'll known instructress, and
this piqued the curiosity of the young
men about the resort. There was a
c%oterie of New York girls there. A
Miss t, daughter of a broker, a
Miss o., daughter of a rich brewer,
and several others, who knew of the
misfortune Of the Smiths, and who
also tried to make it appear that tie
young Miss Smith no longer deserved
a place in the ranks of the nouvean
richie, as her father had gone up"
Mr.. William Vanderbilt, jr., came
up to the Springs to attend a ball,
and the New York girls we're all in a
%flutter, because each one desired to
capture the son Of thegreat millionaire.
Miss Smith took in the situation at a
glance, but she had nothing to wear
and she had only S40in her purse. She
proposes to Miss T. to buy a dress, and
Miss T., having a big stock Of dresses
and a small amount Of pin money, was
ready TO oblige her. She wasn't, how
ever, inclined to part with anything
that would be becoming to Miss Smith,
and accordingly she selected a yellow
silk with a wine spot in front, and Of
fered to sell that for Miss Smiths $40,
being assured that Miss Smith, being
moro Of a blonde than a brunette,
would look "horrid' in yellow. But
Miss Smith paid the price, and the
fair dealer in secondhand clothes
cluckled over the bargain she made.
Her pleasure was turned into cnagrin
that evening when Miss Smith appear
ed upon the ball room floor a queen of
beauty, and in that yellow silk, too.
Instead Of putting white upon her face
she had made her complexion brown,
and having borrowed a lace
mantilla from her teacher and
a big black fan, she came out
the picture Of a be~witchilg senorita.
Her coy glances shot into the Wander
bilt heart. She losses the soft ends of
the mantllla over her shoulder, as she
strolled the piazza and used that fan
most bewitohingly. The New York
girls stool aghast, and Miss 7. shed a
tear over the loss of her yellow silk,
and felt that she had been cheated, for
she never thought that the dress
looked so well. The result was that
Vanderbilt fell desperately in love,
pressed his suit, became all the more
ardent because Of the lady's studied
heAtancy, and was the bappiest young
millionaire anywhere when he gained
a kiss and the privilege Of putting on
the finger Of the senorita a diamond
engagement ring. Mrs. Vanderbilt
at once visited Riehfeld Springs,
was charmed by her prospective
daughter-in.laW and invited her
to spend the summer with her, The
smart young girl, however, pleaded
that she had a dear, sweet graudmama
in Virginia TO whom she owed a duty
visit, and she said she must 20 there
first. Thither she went, and taking
an account Of stock, improved her
wardrobe as a smart girl With a little
money only can, and then she ac-
cepted the invitation Of her prospect.