The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-02-13
ATRANGER THAN FICTION.

Some twenty odd years ago there dwelt
in California a family of three persons,
father, mother and daughter. The latter
was a mere child. All were young. The
father was a physician. Unfortunately he
injured his not very extensive practice by
intemperance. His habits became so dis
sipated that the poor wife, despairing Of
reformation, and also of the possibility of
Independent action on her own part to Sc
cure support for herself and child. pro-
posed a separation. The man agreed to it,
but he was not put out like Rip Van Win
she would never cease to help him, and
that when he mended his ways Their old
relations should be restored. He departed
to cure himself, if possible, and become
undertook the maintenance of the family.
Encouraged 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 believe
it. He returned to her home and heart,
warmly welcomed back to both. Unluck-
lily, he had either miscalculated his will
power, or the demon of indulgence was
simply asleep and by no means dead with
in 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
avnari an+o1 - a,l ,-oI1o -
main where she was, determined to
try what change of scene would do for
this miserable man. who, naturally kind.
talented. and wholesome, seemed to
be i~nsanely 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 ST.
erras to Virginia City this little and most
wretched family iourneyed. The doctor
pulled himself together for a while. but
he very soon died. Widow and orphan
were left in the very depths of poverty.
The generous miners had dubbed together
to bury the doctor. They made up a purse
for the mother and child. from time to
time, and thus saved both from utter depri-
walton of food, shelter. and raiment. There
was, at that time. superintendent of one of
the mines, a sturdy young ~Irishman. who,
from the lowest rounds of the ladder. had
begun to push his way to fortune. He
was not then more than comfortably well
off, and little dreamed of the Monte Cristo
casket in store for him. He used to carry
the weekly or monthly stipend to the
widow, and his visits to her became more
and more frequent. At last he married
her, and her days of fear on the score of
poverty were over. She possessed a we'll
to-do husband, who was the master of his
passions, and certain to make his way in
the world. But in the days of distress the
unhappy woman had resorted to the NOR
phine habit, and could not, of her own eff
fort, release herself from it. A young
physician at Virginia City, who had recent
ly graduated in France, informed her that
if she would visit Paris and put herself
implicitly under 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 treatment.
1t was successful after many months of ell
durance. Meanwhile the famous Califor-
MIA and Consolidated Virginia Mines were
penetrated by the husband, and the world
renowned big bonanza, of which he was
millionaire. The wife in Paris. now per-
fectly cured and blooming, at once rose in
to prominence and celebrity, for how could
the marvel loving Parisians help adoring a
woman whose talents and beauty were
matchedby such fabulous wealth. so roman
tically discovered? For years this lady.
who is no other than Mrs. John Mackay,
has been a 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. She
outshone the Empress, W hen the empire sur
vived, and, during the alleged Republic, she
has refused for her daughter the hand of
Royalty itself. Money, world without
end, has been at her disposal and she has
lavished her gold like one born in the pur-
pie. 1t was wittily said that when the
French Government declined to allow her
to illuminate, at her own expense, the Arc
de Triomphe, she banteringly offered to
buy it at the Governments own pricel
Her sister married an Italian Count, said
To be a genuine article, who was rich, dis
tinguished, enterprising, and a gentleman.
He has for some time been building rail-
ways from Texas to Mexico. Mrs. Mackay
is a devout member of the Catholic Church,
and her almsgiving is munifieent as her
powers of conversion are said to be potent,
in some directions, as those of Monsignor
Capel in others. Though thoroughly good
and pious, she has a woman's pardonable
vanity as to personal pulchritude, which is
all the more precious to her because it is
about to Danish. Hence her world-famous
quarrel with the illustrious Meissonier,
whose portrait of her was pronounced by
her friends a perfect fright, = while the
old artist and his cabal insisted that it was
i