The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-12-08
SANTA ANNA'S BRIDE.
A BEAUTIFUL, SHABBlLY DRESSED
GIRL, PLAYING WITH a KITTEN.

The story of the Dictator's second wife.
Her Rich Nardrobe-A Lazy Lady.
Lesson In Misunderstanding
Visitor.
When Gen. Santa Anna lost power and
prestige and was exiled. his young wife
proved true and devoted woman In
1874 the exied hero, old broken in health
md bowed in spirit, received permission
from the Mexican government TO return
to his native land, and then his wife was
his chief solace and did all in her power
to alleviate his moral and physical suffer
ings The ex-dictator lived very plainly,
for the greater part of his fortune had
been squandered in the West Indies; those
who had fawned upon him in other days
utterly ignored him, and he was totally
neglected even by persons on whom he
had once conferred immense favors. As
TO his fayorite generals and other military
chiefs, many assumed n virtuous or pa
triOtic indignation and disclaimed inter-
course with man who was traitor;
all seemed to forget how well and bravely
Gen. Santa Anna had fought against the
Americans in 1916.
LoLLING IN A ROCKING CHAIR.
recovered some of his former possessions,
and his widow was comparatively
wealthy She owned city residence
here and pretty country seat in Tacu
baya Her wardrobes were filled with
silk, satin and velvet dresses, her laces
alone constituted fortune, and she still
retained costly sets of diamonds, pearls
and emeralds; but when the stimulus of
the old generals ambition was with
drawn Mrs. Santa Anna became so care
less, so inane that she had not energy
enough to sustain the position she might
have held il possessed Of any spirit.
Her apathy was not due to any regrets
for past rank or splendor. She was sim
ply lazy, and soon degenerated into n
nonenity, and instead of opening her salon
to those who respected her and fully APP
preci;~,d her virtues, she received but u
few relatives and passed her days idly
lolling in rocking chair. Some two
years ago Spanish lady, who was
really attached to Mrs. Santa Anna,
tried to arouse her from her oyster like
existence. One morning, when she found
her ex-highness in torn, soled wrapper,
with her hair hanging down and her
feet thrust into old slippers down at the
heel, she said
lola, it is q shame for you to be SO
untidy"
Mrs. Santa Anna replied II have no
person to dress for
NONSENSE" exclaimed her friend
"You should remember that you are the
widow Of one of Mexico's most illustri
Gus heroes. Allow me to give you one
lesson in neatness. !"
"What is it?" asked Mrs. Santa Anna
with languid smile.
A LESSON IN NEATNEss.
at must be given in the parlor, )" re-
| sponded Sonora b., and, leading the
| widow into the salon, she pointed to the
portrait Of the deceased president, say
ing: 'Look at that proud face" then
stopping before full length portrait of
her ex-highness, said; Look at your
graceful figure, your beautiful face, those
magnificent jewels which you yet possess
and those. almost regal robes" then
quickly turning to large mirror, added:
"And there behold what you are nowl"
Mrs. Santa Anna gazed ut the figure in
the mirror, then replied: eyes, my
beauty has all gone.
"No," responded her friend; ''your
teeth are still beautiful your hair is but
slightly changed, your figure is still ex-
| cellent, but you are so sloyenly that you
look worse than any of your servants,
and you are so indolent that il you do
not soon rouse yourself half of your facul-
ties will be paralyZed for lack of exer-
| else"
| Mrs. Santa Anna rallied for while,
| but about year ago, when the writer
had occasion to see her, and had called
| and waited some time, woman in a
faded calico Dress having her head and
form developed in a blue cotton rcbosa,
such rs servants and Indian women
wear, entered the parlor asked:
"Does Mrs. Santa Anna know am here'
| Was my card given herf'
The reply was: "Ahl l see you have
entirely forgotten me-" 1t was Mrs.
| Santa Anna.
Mortified at my own stupidity, Iquickly
replied: 1.-THE parlor is u little dark;
have not seen you for two years. and then
| you were dressed in black But in very
truth | had never seen the lady looking
| quite so untidy. So little was Mrs. Santa
| Anna known, or rather SO completely
was her very existence forgotten, that
when she was buried not long ago some
of the Mexican newspapers alluded to
her "extrcme old age" although she
could not have been more than 55 or SO
years old. They evidently believed the
deceased was the presidents first wife,
who would have been at least S0.-
City of Mexico Letter
1