Daily Republican., 1882-10-25
Romance In kRhl Ltfa.

Before the war, Robert Stafford, a
millionaire planter, owned two islands
off the coast of Georgia which were
! motel for the superior cotton they pro-
duced, the famous Sea Island, variety.
On the larger of the two islands Mr..
Stafford lived. He fell in love with a
creole girl who was one of his slaves,
and married her. She was educated
and rt fined in her manners. Six chill.
dren were the fruit of that marriage.
Two boys died in their youth. just
before the breaking out of the civil war
Stafford, who noted the gathering
clouds, came North and built q mag
niacent dwelling among the pastures .
few miles north of this village, on the
swelling bauk of the Thames river.
Then he returned to the south, and
thence sent his wife and daughters to
the northern home. Here they were
surrounded by every luxury. Tho in
teriO: Of the house was very fine and
the grounds were triumph of the gar
dener's skill. Beautiful and rare
plants and shrubbery diversified the
rolling green Of the lawns, fountains
played among marble statues, and
through the grounds broad gravel
walks wound up to the spacious veran-
das. The advent of the beautiful girls
in New London aud Groton was all
event that IL still fresh in the memory
OF Connecticut.
The girls received fashionable North
ern education, Private tutors taught
them French, Italian, music, painting,
and the arts Of the ball room. They
were reared In the most pretentious 80
Ciety, and suitOrs were not few. One
sister married Fred. Palmer, of New
London. The union was not happy
one, aud separation soon followed.
Another sister was welded 10 Commo-
dore Brady, of New York. The honey
moon was passed in Paris, where the
bride shOne as a society star for few
months. Soon afterward the couple
were divorced. The youngest sister was
married to a New York gentleman, and
is living happily with Der husband, -
4 de aide, another sister, has lived dur.
ing the past eight years at Paris. A
few nc uths ago she met Count Oybul-
ski, WHO IL connected with the diplo-
matic service of Russia, and about a
month ago she became his wife, the
nuptials being celebrated in the church
of Not'O Dame. She sent wedding
cards III Groton and New London,
dainty pieces OF pasLeboard, perfumed,
adorned with the regal coronet, aud
bearing the words; Countess Cybul.
ski, Paris" The young wife Is de-
scribed as tall, 1.-THE, graceful, with
olive tinted skin and lustrous eyes,
The Count Is little, old, withered and
bent with a whisk OF yellow beard. He
has taken his wife to live in the most
elegant quarter In Paris.
Robert Stafford was loyal to the I'm.
ion. At one time the troops Of General
Joe Hawley, the Seventh Connecticut
Regiment, were quartered on his plan
tation. He passed his SUMMERS in the
North from 1866 to the year Of his
death. 1873. He bought property iu
New London and Norwich, which the
heirs still hold. He left a will by
which $500, 900 was divided equally
among the daug ghters, while the bulk of
the property, several million dollars,
was didided among distant relatives.
The great mansion he built in Groton
romans in treeless and isolated gran
deur among the bleak pasture lands,
and every tourist that journeys up the
Thames Valley ipquires "Who ID the
owner OF that splendid place ?" 1t is
many years since a daughter of the
creole slave of the Georgian Islands has
revisited tho mansion.