Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-04-05
An Incident in Kate Sprague's Life.

oOSAOeys
An Incident in Kate Sprague's Life.
Washington Letter: The Sprague
wedding was another case of double
divorce almost approaching the Ia
boris situation, and there was blank as
constituent here when the notice of it
was read. To those who have seen
and known of the bridegroom in later
years, instinct and Imagination can
nearly portray the manner of woman
who would marry him. According to
one biography she is the accomplished
daughter of a wealthy and retired Gu
ban family, and possessed of large
fortune of her own. By another YER
sion she is the daughter of poor shoe
maker, and the family record is an
humble one. Mrs. Kate Chase having
returned to her Edgewood home fort
night since, makes Sprague's affairs
once more q prominent topic, and
great feeling is expressed for her at
this time. AS she appeared in the SEN
ate gallery one day last week she is
still a beautiful and com manding wo-
man, but the shade of sorrow and the
lines that tell of q miserable and un-
happy life have marked her counter
ance forever. Representative Cr0Wley's
family are still her devoted friends, and
both here and in New York pay her
the most marked attentions. In q few
weeks she will sail for Europe with her
daughters and remain abroad for sew
eral years. The widow of q once
prominent statesman has lately told me
of q scene that occurred at one of Pres
ident Lincoln's state dinners where the
brilliant and beautiful woman who had
married the then Senator Sprague was
put to one of those crucial tests that
for so long time were almost daily
events of her life. The occasion was
the state dinner that President Lincoln
gave to Chief Justice Chase immedia-
ately after his elevation to that Office.
The justices of the supreme court and
the highest officials we're present with
their wives, and Mrs. Sprague was, as
usual, the centre of all admiration and
interest. Her place at the long table
in the state dining room was nearly OPP
pOslte her father, who, as the guest of
honor, sat st MRS. Lincoln's right hand,
aEd further down the line Senator
Sprague was placed between two dis
tinguished ladies. Having taking his
appetizer before he went to the White
House, the dinner was hardly started
on its long list of courses before the
Rhode islanders eyes were CLASSY and
his speech incoherent, aud sinking
back in his chair he was soon lost in
deep sleep. The guests on the oppo-
ute side of the table could not fail to
see the unusual spectacle, and when
Mrs. Sprsgue looked down to see how
her liege was faring, she turned pale,
tenance, and weLt on with her gay
chat and repartee. When she finally
caught her fathers eye, one agonized
and appealing glance shot from her
great blue eyes conveyed the inteli-
gence to him. In q quiet tone the
chief justice said to his hostess, II see
the senator is i'll. Will you not have
your butler assist him out quietly to
the cloak room?" Two walters took
the war governor between then, led
him to the cloak foom and stretched
him out on the sofa, where he sium-
bered until the dinner was over, and
and his father-in-lsw helped him out
and into the carriage. Though a
heightened color blszed in Mrs.
Sprague's cheeks after this disgraceful
incident, she gave no other sign of the
modification that was fairly crushing
her during all the long banquet and
the speeches, congratulations and COM
pliments in honor of that father whom
she worshiped. This was single Incl
dent in the first years other marriage.
but every guest at the table longed to
pound the man, and felt the deepest
sympathy and admiration for the proud
woman who was made to endure such
an ordeal.