Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-11-03
A cHEckEReo CAREER.
Nhe MlsfortunNs ami Death or the Once
Reigning Belle of Virginia
IRaIfinnra Snn. iaI

baltimore Special
A few days ago several weeping cclored
women followed plain pine coffin NJ the
shady lane of s.. Paups Episcopal Church
graveyard and saw deposited in the
grave the remains OF a W man who was
once reigning Virginia belle, and whose
charms were exiolled thrau hou. all
Southern society. Born in filence and
raised in luxu y, she died in ob-curity and
infect poverty, almost starving TO death.
Fiction writers seldom tell more ro-
mantle story than the narrative of Sarah
Beach's life. Thirty years ago, when she
was about seventeen years old. she was
the acknowledged belle of Accomac COun-
ty, Va. She was then being educated at
fashionable boarding-school in New
York State. She was possessed OF lovely
face and fgure, which, as she grew
older, brought many suitors for her
hand. Her father, William Beach. was
one OF the W ATHEIST men on the eastern
shore of Virginia. He owned thousands of
acres and scores of slaves. Her vacations
were spent at the family mansion, where
her slightest wish was law. After leav-
ing school she entered society, and spent
seasons in Richmond and other leading
cities Of the South. She reigned a queen
In y. Finally, when about twenty
one years old, she married a dashing
New Yorker named Thomas Bailey.
When the news of her marriage reached
her father he was greatly incensed and
refused to see his daughter again. The
newly married couple had but little
means, but struggled along happily for a
few years, when the husband died,
leaving his widow almost penniless,
with two children, girl and boy. Mrs.
Bailey came to Baltimore with the
hope of returning to her Virginia home,
but the war had broken out, and the fami-
ly had tecome scattered, and she was I'M
able to loca them. One of her fathers
slaves, Emma, Girl about her own age,
had married, however, and was living in
Baltimore. and Sarah found her. Though
their united exertions the widow found
some employment at teaching dress max
ing, VIII. IL her boy died and was buried In
st. PauPs graveyard. The daughter
grew up, married Mr.. Charles Baughman,
OF Philadelphia, and removed to that city
with her husband, where, 1t Is said, she
still resides.
Mrs. Bailey remained in Baltimore until
about two years ago, when by the death
OF an aunt she inherited a couple of thou
sand dollars. The daughter urged her
mother TO go to Philadelphia, which she
did, and there opened large boarding.
house. The venture did not meet with
success, and they were compelled to move
into a smaller house, where failure again
met them, until finally all the inheritance
was expend d, the furniture sold, and Mrs.
Bailey was again destitute. Then she
was taken i'll and removed to the hospital,
where she occupied bed In the charity
ward. Feeling that she would like to see
her old friends in BRlt more, and being
sufficiently recovered to travel, she came
to this city three weeks ago. Tie trip
was, how yer, too much for her, and she
arrived here sick and penniless. She
called upon one or two OF her old friends,
but they were unwilling to take her in.
She then thought of her old colored play
mate and slave, Emma Bloxam, and with
the aid of two li:tle colored girls hunted
her up. Emma did not at first recognise
her, | ut invited her In, when she fell,
faintinS from hunger and fatigue, upon a
sofa in the modest little parlor, As soon
as Emma found who she was she luvished
every possible attention upon her, but
death had set its mark upon her and she
gradually became weaker, and died in the
arms OF the former old slave who had been
her nurse in infancy.