Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-04-10
A BEAUTIFUL SINNER.
How the NIacTavish Family Expsate Menu
beF's FOny-AIrs. HOward's LiaisOn With

How the NIacTaVish Family Expsate 3 Menu
ber's FOny-AIrs. Towards LiaisOn with
Napoleon HI.
Baltimore Cor. Philadelphia Press.
Nearly on the western limits of Balti-
more is the first house instituted by the
the Sisters of the Good Shepherd In the
United States. The purpose of the order
is the rescue and preservation of fallen
women and of the homeless and destitute
female children who are exposed to temp
tation. TheSBaltimore House of the Good
Shepherd was originally the MacTavish
mansion, and the home of family that
derived its blood from the CAROLS, the
Calverts, and the Cations, and during its
entire existence it has been noted for its
devotion to the Catholic church.
Mrs. Emily MacTavish, who donated
the house and grounds to the Sisters of
the Good Shepherd, died some twelve
years ago. Her grandmother was the
daughter of Lady Georgianna, duchess of
Leeds, one of the three famous Baltimore
beauties of the Cation family who married
in England, and were so closely related
by Wedlock to the duke of Wellington
and the marquis of WELLESLEY. The old
| mansion is still a part of the modern in
stitution, and its broad front, wide porch,
and angled wings look out upon the gar
den planted in the last century by the
dead and gone beauties Of the MacTavish
family.
Tt was recently that had occasion to
visit the House of the Good Shepherd
and became possessed of the reason why
the devout Catholics of the MacTavish
| family have surrendered to the church
so much of their money and lands. Miss
Emily MacTavish, a woman of great
! beauty, and leader of the highest social
circles of Maryland, had just taken the
black veil in the convent of the Vista
ton, and had protested her wish to
become one of the Sisters of the Good
! Shepherd. Her abandonment of the
world of society had created sensation
that was the mOst immediate and promi-
nent topic of conversation and even of
newspaper discussion.
She had bequeathed the larger portion
of her money to the church, and those
who saw the ceremony of her entrance
into the nunnery will never forget Its
solemnity. When she came to the front
of the altar clad in her white satin robes,
there were many regrets expressed that
she was thenceforth to be dead to the
world. But if there is solid truth in the
idea of vicarious sacrifice, she was an
! offering and an atonement for the sins of
one of her ancestors.
Passing through the hallway of the
i House of the Good Shepherd l entered
the audience or reception room, just be-
yond which the Sisters were moving
about in their white flannel garments.
On the wall of this room is an oil paint
ing-a life-size picture of a lovely woman
in the bloom of youth. Her abundant
black hair is combed and pulled at the
sides in consonance with the style of
forty years ago. Her dress is low-necked
and the splendid neck and bosom are
not hidden from sight.
"WhO," I asked Rev. Father John Fol-
ey, president of the institution, els that
woman W
The picture is that of Margaret Mac
lavish, and Margaret MacTavish became
the famous Mrs. Howard, the mistress of
the Emperor Napoleon III. and the only
woman of whom the Empress Eugene
was ever jealous. Margaret MacTavish
went with some members of her family
to England about the year 1850, and mar
ried there Capt. Howard, an officer in
the English army and a connection of the
Towards of Norfolk. She was In Paris
at the time of the coup FetGt, and engaged
the attention of Napoleon. 1t is not
known where or when she died, and per
haps the sole relic of her splendid and
guilty life is the picture upon the wall of
the House Of the Good Shepherd in Bal
timOre.
"And now" a Catholic priest asked
me, "can you wonder that the MacTavish
family are still doing penance for the
guilt of Margaret? In their view her sin
was all the greater because it was so
nearly associated with an imperial throne.
Napoleon undoubtedly loved the woman,
and her affection for him is not subject
to questioning. The family have given
thousands upon thousands of dollars to
! Catholic benevolent purposes, but their
interest still centers upon this refuge
for the wretched and fallen, and which
might be given their name ifthe rules of
the church permitted it."
Sorrows of an EngIishman.
New York Sun.
An elaboratelY dressed young ENGLISH