Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-09
A CURIOUS CASE.
Goun0d and Mrs. Weldon A Scandal
in the Life Of the Great
Composer
Recalled by Recent Divorce Suit in
LOndOn-An Old Man in the Tolls
Of q Woman.


A curIous and not particularly edifving
case has been up before the London courts
again, the well.known Mrs. Georgiana We'll
| don having sued for restitution of con-
| jugal rights and obtained a decree. Her
| husband had alleged misconduct on her part,
but finding that evidence would be lacking
on a trial be withdrew his defense Mrs
Weldon made her usual scene in court,
| loudly expressing her disgust that the case
should be "hushed up" and endeavoriny to
get lot OF names before the public until
Sir James Hannen grew angry and ordered
her to "hold her tongue and leave the box"
Mrs. Weldon Miss Treherne married in
1860 Captain William Henry Weldon. She
was q vocalist, and after her marriage estab-
lished sort of musical orphanage for the
instruction of children in music according
to method of her own, and dabbled in
spiritualism. She lived at Tavistock House
in London-where Dickens dwelt during
many years-and in order 10 make it
literary and artistic center she went lion
hunting in May, 1871, and captured Gounod,
the composer. This capture resulted in one
of the NEST remarkable relations on record
He seemed to me to be a good angel whom
God had placed in my way" she wrote on
first meeting him, and she set herself with
all her strong will and keen wit to capitivate
the author OF Faust, who ere long was sign
ing himself, your old papa" and addressing
her as ma cherieo and my dear little dsr-
ling" In the faII OF 1871 Gounod gave up his
family, friends and country to go and reside
at Tavistock House, where Mrs. Weldon first
became his amanuensis, and then took the
management of his business affairs. When
Nine. Gounod attempted 10 intervene, her
husband inslsted that the state of his mental
aud physical health forbade his return to
Paris, and that, while he preserved a pro-
found and sincere attachment for her, he
would never abandon his admirable friends,
the Weldons. In the fall of 1872 Gounod's
mind gave way, and he spent some time in
an asylum, and on his recovery returned to
Tavistock House and recommended his letters
to his Kitten" cheerfully signing himself
her old "Tom-cat." At this time-early in
1S73-Mme. Gounod sent her son over TO
England as an ambassador TO rescue his papa
The young man seems to have made love to
Mrs. Weldon, who gave him motherIy wig
ging and forbade him the house, while the
father solemnly cursed HMM poetry-and
disowned him, for beating his mother, to
whom the young plenipotenliary returned
unsuccessful and discontinued. During six
days of the week Gounod wrote, composed
and played, Mrs. Weldon acting row in a
maternal and anon in an infantile capS city,
sitting on his knee 10 pat his bald head and
"caddle up in his arms like baby" during
the evening, and then "tucking him up in
bed and reading him a chapter in the |
Bible" On Sunday Gounod received COM
pany, assisted by his hostess, while Captain |
Weldon kept the visitors book. Gounod |
instructed her Gounod choir, set her songs to |
music, and followed her everywhere most |
dutifully, though he was once somewhat put |
out when, at a concert at the Alexandra pail |
ace, where he was TO conduct the orchestra, |
she followed him upon the stage, chucked |
him under the chin and asked the audience |
if he wasn't "dear old man." She wrote
him N and the critics down N he :
press, got into trouble through "inventing" I
a penny postage stamp with Gounod's head |
on it in place OF the queens, and embeilished |
her letter paper with man showing the |
routes from all parts of the world TO Tavi- |
stock House. In the early summer OF 1874 |
Gounod went mad again, and while recover |
ing at Blackheath was visited by some old |
friends from France, who induced the old |
man to cross the channel and bid adieu for |
ever to mimi" and her husband "Poomps."
Affection now soured into hatred. Gounod
brought suit to recover his copyrights and
the scores of "Polyeucte" and Georges
Dandin," and the Weldons retorted by pro-
ducipg an assignment to them of the prop
erty, by entering action for his board for |
three years and by threatening to burn the |
scores. Gounot was so sure that this threat |
would be carried out that he spent ten
months rewriting "Polyeucte" from men,
Try, When the score layrtoriously re-
stored to him. Mrs. Weldon went to Paris
and tried to catch him on the stage OF the
opera, during rehearsal, but his friends
hurried him out by side door. Her hus-
band then separated from her, and left her
% carry on her musical orphanage, teach !
music and sing from time to time at London
concerts. Once he had her arrested and she |
would have been confined in a lunstic |
lsylum but for lucky accident-so she
ayerred. He insisted that she was laboring |
Under delusion. At any rate this set her
o exposing the abuses of lunatic asylums,
occurring, writing letters and making period
cal appearances at the police courts. In
S79 she induced the London Figaro to take
Up the cudgels for her and attack her hus-
'and and Sir Henry de Battle for conspiring
o put her in an asylum and have her tickled
o death, like the wives of "Bluebeard," I
fter which the captain was to marry Sir
Ienry's eldest daughter. The sinple-minded
journalist who published this tale was
eavily fined, but WIS more fortunate than
he lady herself, who was sent to Newgate |
or libeling the well-known concert manager,
4. Riviere, by writing letters accusing him |
t sundry peccadilloes such ss being biga-
mist, galley-slave and forger. During
er Imprisonment Captain Weldon took pos |
ession of Tavistock House and expelled the |
MUSICAL orphans. This led TO a suit for a |
of conjugal rights, in the course
which she made sundry edifyIng allega-
ions as to her husbands character and con-
uct. This was her last appearance until
ne case was decided in her favor on the 18th |
Instant.