The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-11-06
HE LOVED AND LOST.
Alexander n stephens Lived and DIed .
Bachelor.

Alexander II. stephens Lived and Died
Bachelor.
There was always much speculation
Turing thelif of Alexander Il. Stephens
Why he never married, nor did this spec
ulation cease after he had gone to the
grave, = celibate. johnson & Brownies
Life Of Alexander b. Stephens" gives
one version, and the News, upon tho
authority Of the lady interested, gives
another version, but as to what is the
best founded, or whether there Is some.
foundation for both versions, the reader
must draw his own conclusions.
The Life of Alexander H. Stephens"
alluded to, says that whom Mr.. Stephens
was teacher at Madison, Morgan Coun.
ty, Ga, in tho fall Of 1881, he lost his
heart. It says: ''One little episode not
noted here, or even stated by him until
nearly forty years after this occurrence,
We may briefly advert to. One Of the
pupils at this school was young girl.
lovely both in person. and character,
from whom the young teacher learned
more than is to be found in the books,
and whom he grew to love with depth
OF affection all the greater that it was
condemned to hopelessness and silence.
The poor student, with no prospect Of
worldly advancement, the invalid, who
looked forward to an carly death, must
not thing Of marrying-mustn not speak
of love-. And he never spoke Of it to her
nor to any until a generation had passed,
and then to but one friend"
Tho other version of Mr.. Stephens
early love is located in Savannah, which
ho visited in the fall Of 1884, and the
authority or the story is Mrs. Caroline
Regina Maria Smith, . lineal descend.
ant Of Lord Richard Percival Bland.
Mrs. Smith says that when Mr.. Stephens
was In Savannah he met herself, then
tho wife Of Edward Thomas Courtenay,
her unmarried sister, Belle, and their
father, and after the meeting Mr..
stephens asked permission to pay his
addresses to Mr.. BANDS daughter. Mr..
Bland, on his return home, related to his
daughter Belle what Mr.. Stephens had
said, and she pettishly said she would
not receive Mr.. Stephens for q sutton,
::whereupon Mr.. Courtenay spoke up and
said: II think my wife is the younger
looking and the most handsome, and I
would not be surprised If Mr.. Stephens
fell in love with my wife, instead of
you, Belle" The father Of the ladies,
ipatting his married daughter on the
shoulder in an affectionate way, said:
II would not be surprised If Courtenay
is right; shall see Mr.. Stephens and
bring him around to tea this evening,
then we will find out"
Later in the afternoon Mr. Bland met
Mr.. Stephens in the Office of Mr.. Nc
Laws, and asked him to which of the
ladies he referred, and Mr.. Stephens de-
scribed the personal appearance of Mrs.
Courtenay, and remarked that she was
the only lady he had ever metand loved
at first sight; to which confession Mr..
Bland made reply that the lady in ques-
:tion had been married. Mr.. Stephens
rejoined that he did not care If she had
been married; that he desired to renew
bis request to pay his addresses to her,
and then Mr.. Bland said; my daugh-
tors husband is living, and you sec
how vain your request is" A shade Of
pain passed over the face Of Mr.. Steph-
ems, and the invitation to tea was de.
clined.-Savannah (Ga.) News.