Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-08-06
THE WEE LOVERS.
Mrs. Tom Thumb oiiictaiiy Announces
Her Matrimonial Programme How the
Bright Midgets Met, Good, Loved aud
Became Euyaged


| Became Engaged.
! The widow of the late General Tom
Thumb, after spending few DAYS at
the Murray Hill Hotel, left for Pmla-
deiphia to fill professional engage
inent IN that city. In an interview nc
corded to reporter before her depar-
ture, this little lady expressed much
| indignation at the aippant manner in
which the vital subject Of her approach
ing nuptIals with an ltalion Count had
been tossed about on newspaper pens.
She was dressed in becoming costume
al black silk. Her hair was creped as
artistlcally as when in the days of her
! youth she captured the heart of the re-
doubtal le little General. She wore
white lace fichu, which if spread out
would be about the size of childs
pocket handkerchief, around her throat,
and her little feet, clad in French boots
Of the number which children of wear,
dangled an inch or two below the cush-
ION OF the full-sized e@sy chair in which
she sat.
IL am glad you called" said she, af-
ter having warmly shaken the little fin
ger OF the reporters hand (sho had
clnmbered back upon the deliberately
upholstered chair, because i want the
public generally to understand that
there is nothing sensational about my
present relations with the Count or our
approaching marriage. We are not to
be married in a dime museum" and the
lady curled her lips in scornful disdain.
nor with fireworks and brass band.
l esteem tho Count very highly. and he
Is devotedly attached to me. Our nc
qualntance dates back nearly eight
years, and our union, when it takes
place, will DO the result of mutual re-
spect and admiration between q gentle
man, who, though small of stature, is
EVERY INCH A MAN,
and lady who fancies that the public
should by this time know her to be q
woman of sense"
There were seated in the room. boz
sides the reporter and the widow. Mr..
Sylvester Blocker, who for 81 years has
been the manager Of this little lady,
and Mrs. Blocker, his wife. The truth
is, said this gentleman, "the generals
widow has certain professional engage
ments to fill and her iiance is also under
contract fCI some time yet. This renders
it impossible for them to fix q date for
their marriage, but 1t will certainly occur
before long"
Indeed it will, broke in the sprightly
relict of General Thumb, "for the count
has imperative duties connected with
the settlement of his estate in Italy
which require his presence in that coun-
try by the latter part of May and he is
resolved that lie will not return without
me-"
"Do understand then" said the re-
porter as decornusly as possible, that
Count Rosebud is ?"---
There is no Count Rosebud about
it !" exclaimed the little lady with con-
siderable warmth. MY Intended hus-
band is Count Primo Magri, member
Of distinguished italian family; n
Count i'll his own right, and an accom-
plished scholar and q perfect gentle
man."
81 feel it my duty at this point"
broke in Mr.. Sylvester Blocker, ito as
sure you that the lady is not throwing
herself away upon any mere adventure.
| am in some respects the guardian of
Mrs. Stratton, and was lifelong friend
and partner of Eer husband. She has u
| handsome fortune, including beautl-
ful country seat at Middleborough,
Mass. Count Magri is not, however, d
fortune-hunter. He, is himself rich
man, and the match is in every way de-
sirable and equal.
HOW THEY MET AND LOVED.
The generals widow, who during
this somewhat embarrassing explana-
ton had sat with downcast eyes, her
| beiewelled hands folded in her lap, now
looked up at the ceiling and breathed
deep sigh. at is not" said she pres
emily, putting the corner of q lace
handkerchief, about the sIzo of a childs
renWiper to her eyes, las if l
were not we'll enough acquainted
with the count. / have known
him for more than seven years. We
met first in Springfield, Mass. That
was before the General had passed away.
He was member of our little company
during two seasons and was q warm
friend OF tho Generals. After the death
of the General in July, 1888, he wrote
me beautiful letter of coincidence, and
we frequently met thereafter in our
travels through the country. learned
to look upon him almost as brother.
/ was, you will remember, the wife OF
the General for more than 30 years,
having been married in Grace Church,
this city, February 10, 1863, do not
know" (and here the little lace handker-
chief left the widows eyes and wander
Il 4 -, E,.,. x,,h,,.y, b.nI
| coquetishly. as il she feared her tongue
would run truant with matronly wis.,
DOM chow my relations to the Count
gradually assumed that condition which
rendered courtship possible. Per-
haps tho Count can tell you more
about that. All I need say is that
we met last fall in Baltimore,
Count Magri having obtained an
engagement at the same place in which
was performing, and that / consented
! to become his wife. He is an accom-
| plished gentleman between 80 and 36
years of age, master OF several Language
es, and a finished and dexterous
swordsman. Ii is our intention to he
married in this city in time to sail for
Italy not later than the middle of May.
/ shall meet the Count two aeeks from
to-day, and the details of our marriage
will then be arranged. Our plans for
the future are entirely indefinite, but
| it is not at all improbable that. we will
never return to this country, or only
perhaps, for an occasional brief visit
| We are not at all dependent upon our
| profession for livelihood, and are at
1 liberty to follow our own inclinations
in the arrangements for our future
I lives"
| Mrs. Stratton, who is Al years of age.
| is estimated to be worth moro than one
hundred thousand dollars. She was, it
will be remembered, before her mar
riage to Tom Thumb, a Miss Lavinia
Warren. Her sister, Minnie Warren,
who married Commodore Mutt, died in
| July, 1878. Count Magri, who il ut
! present in Milwaukee, is one inch and a
| quarter taller than the wealthy widow
he is about to wed.
He Wasn't Sure.