Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-11-21
AMERICAN ADvENTUREssFs
Beautiful Women Whose Career, Hay,
Keen "a Scandal in Europe.

Women sprung from families where
every member in their own and the pre-
ceding generation have been far above re-
preach have spurned all the traditions of
their race and have trodden the paths of
evil with answering feet, saws Paris let
ter IN the Philadelphia Press.
Take for instance the .ase Of the all.
notorious Mrs. Blackfor I. whose career
ADDED more than one chapser TO the annals
Of European scandal. She was born of
ihlghly respectable family Of Pennsylvania,
her father having been a Presbyterian
clergyman OF high standing. She was re-
lated to several prominent and celebrated
personageS OF her native state. She was
possessed OF exquisite beauty and almost
irresistible fascination One of the lead
ing lawyers of Philadelphia who had
charge Of her affairs after the death of her
husband, related to the writer the follow
l1g story, which depicts this woman. and
others of her class, better than whole
pages of analysis and description could
do:
After the settling up of the deceased Mr..
blackboard S estate only few thousand dol
lars remained for his widow and her little
girl Now, Mrs Blac1ford. quoth her
legal adviser, you are young and very
beautiful woman Go TO Washington and
engage a handsome suite of rooms and en-
terrain elegantly. There are so many
wealthy men attracted to Washington dur
ing the session of congress that You will
have no difficulty IN winning a rich hus-
band. In language too coarse and too
vile to admit Of transcription here his love
" client announced her determination of
devotlng herself to a life of wickedness
She came to Europe and she fulfilled her
intent
In this most famous of her infamous
class there was no trace of the false senti-
mentality that lures honest women to weep
over the woes of La Dame aux Camelias. =
She knew neither shame nor repentance.
nor even the holy instinct that often fingers
in the hearts of women otherwise wholly
deprayed, namely, that of maternal love
There was no reason whatever for her en-
trance upon the path that leadeth unto per-
dition In contemplating the career and
the character of such a creature one is
tempted to believe in the old legends Of in
fants changed in their cradles 10y the fair
les who took away the human child and
left an unnatural imp in its stead
Another instance, well known to Ameri-
can residents IN Europe, is that of a beauti-
full woman who came thither from the
United States ostensiby to study music
She was past the age of girlhood. She
came of a thoroughly respectable family
She was in command ofan income sufficient
for all her wants, and she was placed UNI
der the chaperonage of "a wel-lmown
American family living in the city in
which she was to pursue her studies,
Without any reason. and without any
temptation, she hurled herself headlong
into the ranks of the demi-monde. Her
career made more than one European city
ring with its scandals Like Mrs. Black
ford she scorned hypocrisy, and openly
announced her intention of living as she
liked and doing what she pleased Her
3till brilliant but no largely artificial beauty
occasionally attracts the glance of her for
mer friends. They knew their fair country
woman in the days of her modest and un-
assuming manners and mode Of existence
in past years. Now, like Dante in his pill
grimage through the Inferno. they can
but look ON her and then pass on. She
has no need of help or pity. She leads
very gay life, dresses superbly, and boasts
openly of the Injuries and influence that
she enjoys.
Mrs. Blackford died of drink when she
was a little over 40. The notorious Mrs
Beecher, who fled from the United States
after trying to shoot former lover, did
indeed achieve marriage with a titled
European. Bat she was since mysteriously
disappeared and no one knows what has
become of her.
The beautiful and gifted young American
prima donna, who went some years ago to
sing in Russia and who became the mis-
tress of the heir to an aristocratic family
returned to Paris and died here of typhoid
fever soon after the birth of her infant. A
terrible and tragic incident marked the
catastrophe of her brief, errng life. The
physician called in to attend her telegraph
ed to her mother in America as soon as
the case assumed a hopeless form. The
poor old lady reached Paris only a few
hours after her unhappy child had expired
She knew nothing Of her wrOng-dOing and
believed her to be still the fair, innocent
girl that had left her some few years be-
fore. The nurse, thinking that the young
mother had been a married woman,
brought as consolation the little infant
to the aged woman. The wretched and
bereayed parent realized the situation at a
glance and fell fainting to the floor
The late Nine. Musare was one Of the
few American women in Europe that
closed life of wrong-doing in splendor and
luxury. Up to the last the gorgeousness
of her hotel, and her dresses, and jewels,
were the talk of Paris The sale of the
latter attracted crowds to the Hotel Drouot
for a week. The whole of the two prin-
cipal rooms III that great auction mart was
lined with showcases, where sparkled this
dazzling collection fortune in itself, be-
ginning with the Empress Eugene s
bridal necklace Of large pearls and going
down to hand-mirror and glove-buttoners
set with gems. But she was neither we'll
born nor wel-bred She began life as a
dish-washer and Stair-scrubber at a hotel
in Boston. She closed it in a madhouse,
her once lovely face distorted by stroke
of facial paralysis which had caused the
closing of one Of her eyes sew
eral years before. Yet, inasmuch as she
died neither poor nor forsaken, her end
may be considered as more fortunate than
most of those Of her countrywomen who
have occupied a similar position.
4 Hint to Boys.