Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-10-14
A Brilliant Woman Whe was The
Friend of Bryant and
Greeley in Want.
Holt Responds to Thompson's
Fierce Attack Upon Him.
Loyal to Buchanan.
A Society for the Prevention OF
ply0rce--.Its Members Meet
in Philadelphia.

Clara Davenport was one of the most bril-
liant and accomplished young women IN
New York City. She was handsome, oil tn1
blonde type, with golden brown hair ano
blue eyes. Refinement and intelligence
sbone in every feature. Her art study,
near Spring street and Broadway, was
fsvorire resort Of scholars, artists spd Jour
nslists, and her pupils were the sons and
daughters OF the wealthiest families Of
Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey. she
counted among her friends Horace Greedy,
Henry J. Raymond, the Rev. DR.. storrs' me
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, William cullen
Bryant, Park Goodwin, Edgar Allen Fle'
Griswold and others conspicuous IN letters
and theology. She wrote and
Published Two Volumes
of criticisms on sermons, contributed 10
several magazines and popular periodicals,
and took an active part in church ana MS
sion work. 4,
While thus busily engaged she met Al:
fred Thornton, son OF Judge thornton, oi
Vermont, who mad Just been gradeats!u
from BoHdoin College. He had been d.
yipity student. He was eloquent, hand
some, brilliant, but he loved society. In
the company Of Miss Davenport he found
such pleasure that he proposed Tor her
hand. She accepted him and they were
married. But young Thornton found SO
cial life 10 New York so pleasant that ne
could not resist its temptations. de be
came so influenced by this fast life that
mis- conduct was spoken OF in society. Just
before the late war
The ThOrntOns Disappeared
from New York, and their friends lost all
trace of them. Shortly after the visits OF
an eccentric couple TO Newark were COM
mented upon.
The man was tall and stately and always
dressed in broadcloth. His features were
delicate and finely chiselled. He was very
attentive to his companion, handsome
blonde. Nobody appeared to know them
ur their place of residence. one or Two
DAYS in the week they were seen strolline
in the streets, sitting in the parks or visit
ing the bookstores and art studios. But
with the approach OF evening they disap'
peared as mysteriously as they had come.
They Never Spoke TO Anybody.
As the years wore on the clothes OF the
man became more seedy and soiled, and
be became spiritless careless and attenu'
ated. His seedy broadcloth was now re-
placed by the cheapest and coarsest CLOTH
army shoes took the place OF fine boots,
common brown shirt now substituted for
linen; his hands were stained and his face
WAS seldom Shaven.
But a greater change was observed in the
woman. Her face grew pale and haggard,
her blue eyes lost their lustre, silver halr
mingled with the gold brown, the black
silk dress became irayed and soiled, the
costly shawl disappeared and her form was
thin and wasted. But she began TO visit
Newark alone, carrying eggs and butter to
rich families and calling at the office OF a
conspicuous lawyer. 1t was said that
her Husband Was Dead
or in an asylum for the insane. Recently
a reporter visited Lyons Farm, midway
between Newark and Elizabeth, where he
was told the Thorntons lived in squalid
poverty. One OF the oldest citizens said
that years ago the Thorntons purchased a
house and twelve acres of land in What Is
now the fashionable part of the place.
Thornton was then fine-looking, polite
and refined man, and his wife was proud
and handsome. They did not associate IN
timately with their neighbors, and on that
| sccOupt little was known OF them, except
that Thornton received an annuity from
some source. When it was proposed to run
Of the country the Thorntons, IN the hope
cf getting large profit,
Sold Their Land
snd purchased tract of land through
which the proposed road was to pass. Tle
project was finally abandoned. Mrs.
lhCrnton's eye.s sight began to fail; then
she was in jured, and left
Her temper grew worse, and her neigh
hors left her alone in her miserable hut.
sometimes Thornton would go away am
not return for weeks, and at such time
she would lie on her bed and moan. A.
last be went away and did not return
After a while Mrs. Thornton got the u>e o.
| her feet so that she could move about the
room. Her house had no windows, the
wind blew through cracks in the wall, and
she lived in one room, the floor Of which
Nas
Uttered with Coal and Dirt.
The walls and ceiling were black and
grimv. Her only companions we're two
| cats and several chickens. When the re-
porter visited Mrs. Thornton she was lying
on miserable bed. a cataract over her
| blue eyes has made her almost sightless.