The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-31

thetic voice than Patti. Poor Lucca like Ris-
tori, she has had her sorrows. When Ristori first
appeared Young and brilliant musician heard
her with rapture. "Bwt," said he to her, you
lack pathos-vou will not be perfect until some
one breaks your heart. Her heart was broken,
and so was Lucca's. But it is only from the
crushed flower that the most exquisite per-
fume is taken. The world is indebted to the
martvr-makers for the most brilliant products
of genius. IF there were no suffering there
would be no happiness.
1t would be difficult for any novelist to de-
pict sadder and more touching scene than
was witnessed over the coffin of young William
Spraguc, who recently committed suicide, and
whose body was sent to Canonchct to be in
TERED in the family burying ground. Mrs.
Kate Chase Sprague, the daughter of chief
and the former wife of governor of Rhode
Island, with her daughters, came from New
York to attend the funeral. Ex-Governor
Spraguc and his present wife were also in the
church where the coffin lay. Here are all the
living members OLA wrecked family. Governor
Spraguc, once worth many millions, the happy
husband of gifted and beautiful woman, now
poor and broken in spirit. The liaison with
Conkling, the scandal, his escape from shot
gun, divorce, suicide of gifted boy! The
Governor and new wife, the boys mother and
sisters, all meet around the coffin. The mother
has on the coffin a wreath of flowers, and an
embossed mourning card containing the words:
From m cvcr-lovng and devoted mother.
"kArE CHASE SrRAGrE."
Irresstibly impeled by motherlv tender-
ness she seeks to get glimpse of her dead
child's face, but the coffin is sealed and the
undertaken tells her he has 'ordcrs from the
governor" The coffin is moved by the pail
bearers. She tries to get as close to it as pos
sble-to touch it, Her former husband inter-
cepts her-almost pushes her back; but not
word is uttered. The poor woman sinks in
pew and sobs and sobs as if her heart would
break and love to break right there. The old
servants of Canonchet, her servants of happier
DAYS, crowd around her. touch her dress, cover
tears.
There are traces of her former beauty yet in
her fine face, but the harrow Of suffering has
passed over and over it, and wrinkles mark its
track. All! what wreck is there. High
born, brilliant and beautiful woman, she WAS.
But oh! how swiftly did the ruin come
''fastcr," as De Quincy says-"faster than
showers run along the mountain sides"
Oh, We womcn--vou who fall before the guile
of "A serpent; YOU who press your throbbing
temples upon marble slabs and find your downy
pillows full of thorns-you poor, longsutfering
martyrs to love-what parts you play in the
dreadful tragedies of life!
There is bitterness in high life that the
simple minded provincial knows little of. The
most ranking jealousias and exquisite sorrows
have their homes and abiding places on the
pinnacles of society, and they pierce and tor
ture their victims in spite of an.armor of gold
and the dazzle of diamonds.
God help us; let us humble folk be content
with our lot. Promethcus stole the fire of the
stars and his fate is warning.
4 movement is on foot to erect monument
to the memory of the late President Arthur.
Mr.. Arthur was a gentleman. Indeed, had he
lived in the time of George ". and in Europe,
he would have rivaled George ". in his claim
to the position Of the finest gentleman in
Europe Mr.. Arthur's death was precpitated
by his luxurious taste. He used to have late
suppers at the White House, and the bright
lances of the morning sun" often appeared
before his guests rose from the table, or from
under it. There were numerous scandals cur
rent in Washington which sprung from these
morning orgies. The Washingtonans, how
ever, liked Mr.. Arthur, and they did not give
them an exaggerated Importance, particularly
as there were so many other scandals about
other people, only little less prominent, to
CRAFTY their taste in that line.
He was invited to open the Louisville EXPOSE
ton, and he delivered a brief, but very grace
full, speech on that occasion. A dinner was
given him, to which Henry Watterson came
very drunk. Watterson threw his arm around
the neck of General Sheridan, who was one of
the guests, and with the other hand took leg
of grouse out of his plate and proceeded to de-
your it in true canibalistic style. Sheridan
rather resented the intrusion,a and manifested his
disgust, whereupon Watterson walked around
to where the president was, requested Mr.. B.
du Pont, who was sitting next to him, to give
him his seat, pushed his face in the presi-
dents, and mumbled out, ''Mr. President, don't
believe a id word that Dave Yandell says"
This broke up the gathering, and the president
was manifestly annoyed by the familiarity and
indecency of Watterson.
Arthur was also entertained at the Pendennis
Club, in Louisville, and number of persons
requested him to give them his autograph.
There was some difficulty in getting paper
enough for this purpose, when Sam Mallory
produced blank check and said, "Mr. Presi-
dent, YOU can just sign this, if it is the same
thing to you" Mr.. Arthur laughed heartily,
aud seemed really to enjoy his visit to Louis
vile.
He was good judge of eating, and had
keen and discriminating appreciation Of liquids.
He once invited the writer to take glass of