The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-06
THE WELDON WOMAN.
A Sketch Of the Ex-Singer Who Has Beaten
Composer Gounod.


Composer Gounod.
This Georgiana Weldon comes of good Welsh
family. w hen she was sixteen her parents took
her with them to Brussels, where they lived for
several years Her father Mr.. Trehern, was of
gloomy temperament. her mother rather
eccentric woman. When the former was at
home no amusements of any kind were allowed;
but when his business, as was often the case,
took him over to London, Mrs. Trehern took
advantage of his absence to give dinner parties
and dancing soirees. Miss Georgana was beau
tiful girl and she soon had plenty of suito1s, but
the favored one was Belgian nobleman. AS
this gentleman was Catholic, Mr.. Trehern re-
fused to give his consent to their union. Shortly
afterward he took his family back to England
and in London Georgiana had so many beaux of
her nation that the Belgian count was
entirely forgotten before the end Of her first
season. A captain in the army by the name of
Weldon was the man this time, and when the
stern father again interposed his veto because of
the suitor's poverty, the lovers ran away and got
married without his consent Her father swore
that he would cut her off with shilling, and
as he refused to be pacifed Mr.. and Mrs. We'll
don went off to Italy, where she studied for the
stage, and made her debut as an opera singer In
Milan 1t was about this time that her father
died, leaving everything to his son. who part
doned his sister. however, and made her a regu-
lar allowance. Then Mr.. and Mrs. Weldon re-
turned to London and went to housekeeping in
IdVlStOck house, Ine same mansion tnaC was Tor
SO many years the home of Charles Dickens.
She had abandoned the operate stage, but
continued to sing in concerts, and it was the way
she sang at reception given by the great En-
glish musician that made the famous French COM
poser-then in exile in London, because of the
siege of Paris-fall so desperately in love with
her. Before long he not only lived at her house,
but he followed her about wherever she went
She even exhibited him at Brussels, where she
hired hall and covered the walls with big post
ers announcing that she was to sing with the
accompaniment of the celebrated maestro and
that they would play duet together the p-
ano which the author of Faust" mad composed
expressly for the occasion / do not know
whether Captain Weldon went along to Brussels
or not, but her first lover, the Count, was still
in town, and he induced his mother to take her
up and give her a grand soiree It was rainy
night, but SO anxious was everybody to see
Gounod and Mrs. Weldon that every body came.
and the Countess's salons were crowded with the
most aristocratic gathering the Belgian capital
could scare up when they entered. All the
ladies were in full Dress but Georgiana wore a
walking costume, aud she and Gounod must
have come on foot, for both were drenched
She had hardly bowed to the hostess than she
said: II have got my feet wet Will you order
some one to bring me basin of hot water?0
And, sitting down, she began to pull off her
shoes and stockings The Count brought the
basin and towel, and after she had taken her
foot bath, Gounod got down on his knees aud
on in establishment. but no one said anyt thing
and all applauded her when, after while, she
sang an air from the cantata of ''Gallia," which
Gounod had just completed and dedicated to
her. The fason lasted long WHILE but finally
Gounod either got tired of it or remembered
that he had a wife and grownup children in
Paris, and took his departure from Tavistock
House. To get back the manuscript portions
which he had left behind him he commenced a
lawsuit and terrible scandal followed, which
forced Captain Weldon to separate from his
wife. Since then she has managed to keep her.
self before the public by a succession of sensa-
tlona lawsuits with her husband and others, in
the last of which she was, as ] have already
said, sentenced to prison for SANDER.
Formerly she was very beautiful brunette,
and gifted with a fine voice, but she is large and
fat now, and her beauty is as faded as her voice
is forever gone. / don't know if she will come
over here to collect her judgment, but she has
already attacked Goun6d's rights as an author in
England, and the great composer is probably in
the receipt of as large an income from his pub
Usher in that country as he is from Choudens ct
Fills, of Paris. who, by the way, paid him some
thing like thousand francs for the portion of
Faust, and have already made clear million
by the investment.