The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-03-07
THE MACKEY ROMANCE.

THE MACKEY ROMANCE.
The Poor Nevada Widow whose Daughter
has just Welded the Prince Colonna.
From the augusta Consfitutionalisf
Some twenty odd years ago there dwelt
IN California. "a family of three persons,
father, mother and daughter. The lat
ter was a mere child. All were Young.
The father was physician. Unfortu-
nately he injured his not very extensive
practice by intemperance. His habits
became SO dissipated that Che poor wife,
despairing of his reformation, and also of
the possibility of independent action on
her own part TO secure support for her.
sell and child, proposed a separation.
The man agreed to it; but he was not put
out like Rip Van Wrinkle. He was as
sured that while he lived she would never
cease to help him, and thai when he
mended his ways their old relations
should be restored. He departed to cure
himself, if possible, and become worthy
of the woman who, sorely beset, UNDER
took the maintenance of the family. En-
couraged by his wife's prayers, letters
and heroic conduct, the doctor redeemed
himself. At least he thought so, and his
| poor wife Was more than willing to be-
lieve it. He returned to her home and
heart, warmly welcomed back to both.
Cnluckily, he had either miscalculated
his will power or the demon of lndulg-
ence was simply asleep, and by 10 means
dead within him. He went back to his
cups, and very soon the skeleton finger
of poverty was laid upon his domestic
affairs. The devoted wife, unwilling to
undertake an ezpermc al separation,
and unable to remain where she was, de-
| termined to try what change of scene
would do for this miserable man who
naturally kind, talented and wholesome,
seemed to be insanely abandoned to the
| devil of strong drink. Just at this crisis
rumors had reached California of the
Comstock lode discovery, and thither
many of the mining population drifted.
Across the Sierras to Virginia City this
little and most wretched family iourn-
| eyed.
The doctor pulled himself together for
while and did some business, but his
health was gone, and very soon he died.
Widow and orphans were left in the very
depths of poverty. The generous miners
had dubbed together to bury the DOCTOR
They made up purse for the mother
ana ehiid fsam time to time, and thus
saved both from Ntter deprivation of
food, shelter and raiment.| There was at
That time, superintendent of one On .,,e
fuor, -, sturdy young Irishman, who,
est rounds of the ladder,
Ia" - "n " po~- his way to fortune.
lie was not then more -, moderatelv
we'll off, and little dreamed OF u, w..
Cristo casket in store for him. He u.s.,
to carry the weekly or monthly stipend
to the widow, and his visits to her be-
came more and more frequent. At last
he married her. and her days of fear on
the score of poverty were over. She pos
sessed well,to-do husband, who was
the master of his possessions, and certain
to make his way in the world. But in
days of distress the unhappy woman had
resorted to the morphine habit, and could
not, of her own effort, release herself
from it. A young physician at Virginia
City, who had recently graduated in
France, Informed her that if she would
visit Paris and put herself implicitly I'M
der the care of his old master there, her
cure could be guaranteed. While the
husband remained to uncover, with the
present junior senator from Nevada, the
richest silver deposit the world has ever
known, the wife crossed the seas and
submitted to a rigorous medical treat
ment. 1t was successful after many
months Of endurance. Meanwhile, the
famous California and Consolidated Vir-
slnla mines were penetrated by the hus-
band, and the worldr renowned bonanza,
of which he was principal owner, made
him at least forty times a millionaire.
The wife in Paris, now perfectly cured
and blooming, at once rose into promi-
hence and celebrity, for how could the
marvel-loving Parisians help adoring a
woman whose talents and beauty were
matched by such fabulous wealth so ro-
mantically discovered. For years this
lady, who is no other than Mrs. John
lackey. has been silver queen IN the
most splendid capital Of Europe. She
has lived in palaces. Noblemen and men
of genius have paid court at her shrine.
Now all Paris and therefore all the
universe, is in a ferment over the ap.
preaching marriage of Miss Mackey and
the Prince Colonna. The drift is nup-
TALLY to Rome, the City Of the Soul, and
to Italian nobility. 1t is miraculous
bridging of the chasm that lies betv"h
the mining gulcE of the Nevad' ''oun-
tains and St. Peters Church i.io STATUS
in supernal spledor, ''t'' ''Fa''aes' oome
that mortal hand .'s painted against
Gods lovelies. ,fy.'', Little did the wild
ov Of tho etched doctor of Virginia
C;tv ,r~sine that she would fairly roll
in ;taltb, dwell in palaces, be courted
10y Church and State, be Familiarity asso-
ciated with the proudest names of the
defendants of the crusaders, and finally
become the mother-in-iaw of Prince
Colonna, whose nobility dates back al.
most to the time of Saladin. The family
name is as famous as any in history, and
the heir of the Colonna family is, at 81
years of age, to wed the daughter of the
poor doctor who fell by the wayside in
Nevada, and sleeps his last sleep in that,
stony desert. -
MELANCHOLY Rssfy, accord tt
IS of London, be- d
The tendensAore prevalent among
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