National Republican., 1883-09-13
IN LOVE v1ru A NUN.
A Qucer Romunco Disclosed In u French
Divorce Case.


Special Correspondence san Francisco Chronicle
There can be no denying that NJ. and Mme
Anatole Bonnie arc a most ill-assorted couple
The former was born in 1S47 and the latter in
1897. Madame is therefore old enough to be
her husbands mother. When she was Mile
D'Aussaguol do las Bordes sho entered the
Paris convent Of the Sisters of Sc. Vincent dc
Paul at the age of 81, after an unfortunate
love affair, in which all her hopes of happi-
ness seemed wrecked forever. After the year
Of novitiate she pronounced the usual vows.
In 1851 she was sent by tho superior of the
order to tho convent in Madrid, where
she soon became very popular, not only
in the establishment, of which she
was elected assistant superior, but also
in society, tho Sisters of the order of ST.
Vincent not being clustered nuns. Many
years passed awny, years which Mile. DE las
Bordes faithfully devoted to the work to
which she had vowed to consccrato her life
that Of caring for the sick-when ono day
she was called on TO nurse one OF her fellow
countrymcp, n lad of 1S who had been taken
i'll while carrying chain in corps of ong-
neers then constructing the line Of tho North
ern Spanish railway. This was IN 1861, and
though the good sister soon nurscd the young
fellow back to health she in doing SO in
ilicted mortal wound on his heart. The
boy of IS fell madly III love with the Sistor
of Charity of 30. To escape from her boyish
lover the sister asked to be transferred to
some other convent, and her superior ac-
cordingly sent her to Bordeaux But
young Boune hunted until ho discovered
her retreat. Then he took up his quarters
in tho town and proceeded to lay siege to her
heart in due form. After several years
persistence ho succeeded in persuading the
assistant superior of the order of st. Vincent
to clopo with him. They came to Paris and
for while were happy enough in each 9TH
er's love. Tho runaway nun had. however,
some qualms of conscience, and one day she
went to her mother to implore her pardon
and beg permission to marry. The mother
was iniloxible, and then in despair the
nun went to knock at the doors of the old
convent The sisters received the orring ono
with opon arms, and after she had made con-
tosson she was sent to do pennnce in tho con-
vent at Amiens under tho namo of SISTER
Martha" But either young Bonne had mado
q deep impression OH the tender heart of the
middlo-aged sister of charity or the penanoo
imposed ut Amiens was too
heavy one, for in few months
Sister Martha was again out Of the
convent and back In Paris with her lover.
In 1869, during visit to England, Mr.. Bonne
and Sister Martha were married in the Polish
! Catholic chapel of that city, and later thoy
became the parents of n little glrl. Bonnc's
affairs prospered, and he grew to be very
wealthy man; but with years fortune came
GOODNESS for his wife. Frequent quarrels took
! place between them, and at last Nine Bonnie
applied to the courts for separation. To
this Bonne retortod with demand to have
| the London marriage declared null and void
on the ground that it had been celebrated
without the consent of their parents; that it
was not preceded by the publication of the
banns, and that it had never been recorded in
France. The case is not yct decided; but it
| is safe to predict that this poor married nun
will get the worst of it, for French judges do
not go much on foreign marriages.
pAp,rv1rC strol,ns boort discasn aud Lid