The St. Johns herald., 1889-10-10
A Curious Coincidence.

son not unlike that which, nearly a century ago directed public atten- ton to the private life of his great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the United States Treasury.
 That young man of Hamilton's social standing, wealth, personal refinement, and intellectual calibre should have become infatuated by an ignorant, coarse, immoral, and not beautiful woman-that he should have followed up this infat- uation by marrying her, has been made the subject of general com ment and the text for many moral homilies. Whether he has proven himself better or a worse man than his great grandfathe-, Is a question that will be determined by the reader for himself. In view of the facts developed by Hamil- tons most unfortunate connection with Eva Mann, the following brief sketch of the Jason of his illus tFious ancestor with a woman as unlettered, as immoral, and as designing as her successor, will be read with interest.
 In the summer of1791 a woman called at Hamilton's house, in Phil-I adelphia, and asked to speak with him alone. She told him her hus- band, who had been in the habit of treating her cruelty, had deserted her for another. She was destitute and wished to join her family in New York. Knowing Colonel. Ham, ilton to be of that State she had de- termined to appeal to him for aid. Hamilton told her he had no money then, but on the evening of that day called on her prepared to furnish the sum necessary to take her away. But Mrs. Reynolds did not leave for New York. For six months Colonel Hamilton and she lived on intimate terms. Many of their ire quent meetings took place in his own house, his wife and children being absent on a visit to her father
 In December, however, a climax was reached. The husband return ed and Hamilton was informed in letter written by Mrs. Reynolds that Reynolds ''has swore if he dose not see or hear from you to-day he will write Mrs. Hamilton" Then be- gan a series of terrible perplexities for the honorable Secretary of the Treasury. Reynolds called on him and demanded a place in the De- partment. Hamilton could not bring himself to buy silence by using the Government service for such a despicable private pur- pose. He chose a most embarrass- ing alternative-he gave the man two notes for $500 each; the first, to be paid in few weeks, the second in less than month after the first, and with great difficulty he man. aged to meet them. But in 14 days after the last note was discharged, Reynolds wrote to Hamilton that he twas reconciled to live with" his wife, and as he desired to do every thing, for her happiness and my own, and Time may Ware of every thing, So don't fail of Calling as Soon as you Can make it Conye- nient, and shall Rely on you be- friending me if there should any thing offer that would be to my ad- vantage" This letter and others from Mrs. Reynolds, begging Col onel Hamilton, in ludicrously spell ed monosyllables, to call upon her, were disregarded. Finally, how ever, one from the lady telling him if he 'has the least Esteeme for the unhappy Maid whose greatest fault Is loyeing him, that he will come as soon as he shall get this, and till that time my Breaste will be the Seate of pain and Moe.n was