Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-10
THE STORY OF A WONAH'S LIFE.
A Virginia woman Born in Wealth,
Dies IN Poverty.

A Virginia Woman Born I'm Wealth,
Dies in Poverty.
Thirty years ago Sarah Beach,
then abOut sixteen years Old, was
not Ohly the acknowledge belle of
Accomac county, Va, but was the
.oyliest girl i'm a fashionable board
lng-sch0ol in New York State. She
was possessed olafne form, "a bean
tiiul face, and was accomplished
and an entertaining conversational
list. Her father, William Beach,
was one of the wealthicst men on
the Eastern Shore, owning many
broad acres and scores OF slayes.
Her vacations were spent ut the
family mansion, where her slightes
wish was law, and everything that
refined taste could suggest or mon
cy produce was hers at her bidding.
She was the idol Of her father. "a
rah did not look kindly upon the
advances of numerous Eastern
Shore SWANS, many Of whom were
in love with her, but during her
last year at school fell IN love with
and married a dashlng New York
er named Thomas Baily. When
the news Of her marriage reached
her father he was greatly incenSed,
and refused to see his daughter
again. The ncwly-marricd couple
had but little means, but struggled
along happily for a few years, when
the husband died, leaving his wild
ow almost pennileSs, with two
children, a girl and boy. Mrs.
Baily came to Baltimore, with the
hope of returning TO her Virginia
home, but the war had broken out,
and the family had become scatter
ed, and she was unable TO locate
them. One of her fathers slaves,
Emma, a girl OF about her own age,
had married however, and was llv-
ing in Baltimore, and Sarah found
her. Through their united eXer-
tons the widow found some em-
plOymcnt at teaching dress.making,
when her boy died, and was buried
in st. PANTS =. Il. graveyard. The
daughter grew up, married MIR.
Charles Baughman, ofPhiladelphia,
and removed to that city with her
husband, where, it is said, she still
resides
Mrs. Baily remained in Baltimore
until about two years ago, when,
by the death of an aunt, she inner
tied a couple of thousand dollars.
The daughter urged her mother to
90 to Philadelphia, which she did,
and there opened large boarding
house. The venture did not meet
with success, and they were COM
PEELED to move into a smaller house,
where failure again met them, un-
til, finally, all the inheritance was
expended, the furniture sold, and
Mrs. Baily was again destitute.
Then she was taken i'll and remOv-
ed to the hospital, where she o.
cupled a bed in a charity ward.
Feeling that she would like to see
her old friends in Baltimore, and
being sufficiently recovered to tray
ell, she came to this city three weeks
ago. The trip was, however, too
much for her, and she arrived here
sick and peHnlless. She called up
on one or two of her old friends,
but they were unwilling to take her
in. She then thought of her old
colOred playmate and slave, Emma
BloXam, ard, with the aid of two
little negro girls, hunted her up.
Emma did not at first recognize
her, but invited her in, when she
fell fainting from hunger and fati-
que upon a sofa in the modest little
parlOr. As soon as Emma found
who she was she lavlshcd every
possible attention upon her, but
death had set its mark upon her,
and she gradually became weaker,
and died Saturday morning, Just
three weeks after she had arrived
at the humble home Of this good
Samaritan. She was buried in
st. Paul's p. L. graveyard, along
side of the remains Of her infant
bOy.-BdltimOrc american.