The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-01-03
Romance in Real Life.
Before the war Robert Stafford. a

Before the war Robert Stafford. a
millionaire planter, owning two
islands of thecoast of Georgia which
was noted for the superior cotton
they produced-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 refined
IN her manners. Six children were
the fruits OF the marriage. Tive bows
died IN their youth. Just before
the breaking out OF the civil war
Stafford, who noted the gathering
clouds, came North and built a mag
nifcent dwelling among the pas
lures few miles north of this vii
lage, on the swelling banks of the
Thames rever. Then he returned 10
the South, and thence sent his wife
and daughters to the Northern home.
Here they were surrounded by every
luxury. The interior of the house
was very fine and the grounds were
a triumph of the gardeners skill.
Beautiful and rare plants and shrub
berry diversified the rolling green of
the lawns, fountains played among
marble statues, and through the
grounds broad gravel walks wound
up to the spacious verandas. The
advent of the beautiful girls in New
London and GrolOn WAS an event
that Is still fresh in the memory of
Connecticut.
The girls received a fashionable
Northern education. Private tutors
taught them French, Italian music.
painting. and the arts of the ball
room. They were reared in the
most pretentinus society, and suitors
we're not tew. One sister married
Fred. Palmer, uf New London. The
union Was not happy one, aud a
separation soon followed. Another
sister was welded TO Commodore
Brady, of New York. The honey
moon was passed in Paris, where the
bride shone as a society star for a
few months. Soon after the couple
were divorced. The youngest sister
was married to a New York gentle
man, and is living happily with her
husband. Adelaide, another sister,
has lived during the past eight years
at Paris. A few months ago she met
Count Cybulski, who is connected
with the diplomatic service OF Rus
sia, and about month ago she be-
came his wife, the nuptials began
celebrating IN the Church of Notre
Dame. She sent wedding cards to
her friends in Grotton and New
London, dainty pieces of pasteboard,
perfumed, adorned with the regal
coronet, and bearing the words in
Italian: Countess Cybulski Paris"
The Young wife is described as tall,
1.-the, graceful, with olive-tinted skin
and lustrous ewes. The Count is
little, old, withered and bent with a
whisk ofyellow beard. He has tax
en- his wife to live in the most elegant
quarter of Paris.
Robert Stafford was loyal to the
Union. At one time the troops of
General Joe Hawley, the Seventh
Connecticut Regiment, were quarter
ed on his plantation. He passed
his summers in the North from 1861
to the year of his death, 1878. He
bought property in New London and
which the heirs still hold.
He left a will by which 100000 was
divided equally among the daugh-
tiers, while the bulk of the property,
several million dollars, was divided
among distant relatives. The great
that he built in Groton re-
mails in treeless and isolated grand
eur among the bleak pasture lands.
ana every tourist that journeys up
the Thames Valley inquiries "Who
is he owner of that splendid placer"
1t is many years since daughter of
the creole slave of the Georgian
Islands has revisited the mansion"