The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-02
How Henry Cecil, Earl of Exeter.
Found His Wife.

In the year 1901, Henry Cecil, thenn
man OF seven or eight and thirty.
nephew and heir to the Earl OF Exetes
and Lord Burghley OF those days, cams
to live in the quiet Village OF Bolas, or
the River Tern, in remote corner oe
Shropshire. While young, he had beeH
led into marriage which had proveo
unhappy, and when he came to shror-
shire had recently divorced his wife.
In melancholy mood he resolved to
hide himself from theworld, ard con-
cealing his birth and rank, he eassumeu
the name OF Jones and the profession
OF travelling artist, and lodged dur
ing some months in the house OF
farmer called Thomas Hoggins. Here
he fell in love with the farmers fair
young daughter, Sarah. and, with her
parents consent, made her his wife.
The names OF the contracting parties
may still be read in the parish register
OF the Shropshire village, where the
wedding took place on the Bird OF Oc-
tober, 1901. Upon his uncle's death,
a year aiterward, Mr.. Cecil succeeded
to the earldom, and without tell
ing his secret he brought his bride
home to Burghley, where she learned
it for the first time.
For this and all the rest we may go
to the Laureate. 1t is true that the
village maiden made "noble lady,
and the people loved her much," for
not many years ago there were still
living in Stamford more than one aged
inhabitant who remembered the boun-
ty and kindness OF the Cottage Count
ess, and spoke with warm affection
and gratitude of her charity. 1t is al
so true that from the time OF her mar
riage she seemed melancholy and op-
pressed, and several who where per-
sonally acquainted with her bore wit
ness to the unspoken sadness which
seemed to bow down her spirit.
But trouble wcgh'd upon her,
And perplex'd her night and morn
With the burthen OF an honor
Unto which she was not born.
OF the three fair children which she
bore her husband, the second was
Brownlow, who was born in l795, be-
came the second marquis of Exeter,
and lived till 1867 The eldest,
Sophia-the graceful child OF Sir
Thomas Lawrence's picture-grew up
also and married the Right Honorable
Henry Manvcrs Pieyrepont, but died
young, like her mother, in the year
1923. She left an only daughter, who
married Lord CharlesWellesley, and
was the mother OF the pfssent Duke OF
Wellington, so that the blood OF the
Cottage Countess runs in the veins OF
two OF our most illustrious fQmilies at
this moment. In January, 1907, she
gave birth to q third child, Thomas
Cecil, and in the Autumn OF the fol
lowing year died, to the deep grief OF
her husband, who, all the same, con.
soled himself before long and married
third wife, the Duchess OF Hamilton.
| This lady, however. left no children,
and the earl, after being advanced in
1901 to the rank OF marquis, died in
1904, at the age OF fifty, and was sue
ceeded by Countess Sarah's youthful
son, the last Lord Exeter.
Tradition says that the Cottage
| Countess was, by her Lord command
and in fultillment OF her own last wish,
| borne TO her grave in the iowly village
maiden's dress she had worn OH her
wedding day, ''that her spirit might
have rest" So they buried her on an
Autumn day in st. Martin. OF Stam-
ford-the old church on the North
championships side OF the river, where
| the Cecils of many generations sleep.
Here, too, in seven years, herlord was
laid beside her under fiat tombstone
ma dark corner OF the church.
| The Lord Treasurer, we know rests
under stately tomb of marble and
a!abaster, with a richly carved cano-
py and an eflisy OF himself in armor,
wearing the red mantle and star of the
Garter Other monuments there are
too, OF various date and form; but no
splendid tomb or elegant inscription
marks the resting place OF the Cottage
| Countess. Nor is there any need Of
such memorial. Her memory ls fresh
in the hearts OF the Stamford people,
while her face lives in glorious colors
on the painters canvas, and her story
is enshrined in Tennyson's immortal
verse.-Magazine OF Art.