The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-28
MRS. MACKAY'S GENER0S-
ITY.
How She Befriended a Sensitive
American Lady.

| Two years or 30 ago 8 superior
attach of the United States Legation
in Paris related to me an in3ideDt,
which, however. l promised not to
ke use of while he was in rffice.
In my opinion the the time has come
when may tell the story, snd il
"Etincelle" wiehes to DO nozzle oct
she will publish it. One pleasant
evening In the Autumn of 1879 Gen
eral Noyes called at Mrs. MAckAy's,
but the lady of the house soon oi:'
covered that the Minister Was not il
bis usual very agreeable state OF
mind. Naturally, she inquired the
cause OF his apparent sadness,
WheTeupon be said to her:
1 am sorry to appear downcast al
one Of your charming receptions, but
the fact is | sn greatly troubled over
the case of an American lady and beI
daughter who are very Ill for lsck oil
food to eat, and who are too proud to
accept anything In the way of assist.
snce The mother (he named her,
but am not permitted TO DO sol is an
artist who has not been able to dispose
of her pictures, and my attention was
called to her case by letter received
from America, stating it was feared
there she was starving to death.
called at their apartments and the
mother only consented to see me be-
cause of my official position. The
rooms they occupy are scsntily fur.
nished, aud the clothes they wear are
threadbsre and dirty. The floor was
covered with canvases, which, truth
compels me 20 say, are works of in
ierior quality. The two ladies posi-.
lively refused to accept any offer OF
assistance. NO, no, said the mother.
L am an artist. there are my work.
They will bring me money. l will wait.
God will project uS, and we will never
accept charity What could l do?
Mrs Noyes on several occasions fixed
up some nourishing dishes, home
style. and the doctors wife took them
to the poor woman, saying he bad
prescribed for them. But now the
mother refuses to accept any more
such prescriptions. She has become
suspicious. and has ordered the ply
sioiAn out of her house for insulting
her. lam troubled, because | can do
nothing for those two ladies. They
are of excellent family, intelligent
but too proud to accept assistance OF
any kind whatever.
Mrs Mackay listened and said
nothing. General Noyes remarked
sfterward that he wondered at the
time if she hand no heart. But he
soon knew whether she had or not.
The very next day there came to the
General n private note, written on
delIcately perfumei paper. bearing
silver crest, q hand holding dagger
pointed upward, and the motto
Mana FOrti.'' and Couched in Ian
gusge as rhetorically, fDe as ever any
woman wrote. [ shall not attempt
to repeat the precise words, but in
that note the writer told the Minister
that he knew she bad q very large
house IN which several rOCms still
needed decorating. that she was anx-
Ious to secure some pictures, as deter
mined they should he 0y Americans,
and greatly preferred them to be the
work OF all artist Of her own sex.
Not being acquainted Win any sucn,
che ventnred 10 AJAX the assistance of
the Minister. who perhaps knew some
such painters. and she would CO inside.
it q great kindness if the Minister
would invest the amount of the in
closed check in the manner indicated.
That check vas for many thousand
francs, and was signed Marie Louise
Msckay."
It was the wife OF the millionaire
miner who wrote that note. Her
womanly intelligence had discovered
a way By which these proud and
starving Americans could be assisted,
and che acted Immediately. Of course
General Noyes did as be was re-
quested, and when be showed the
mother and the daughter Mrs. Mac
kay's Litter, the former accepted it
as matter of fact, and began to turn
over her paintings that the Minister
might make bis selection. In few
dsys, Mrs. Mscksy bad in her hotel |
in the Rue TiIsitt lot of paintings,
which, 10 say the least, would never |
he admitted into French salon. II
Paris CIR. Boston Herald.