The Helena independent., 1892-05-08
SISTER LILY.

New York or Chicago, where ona IS lost to
the sight of all hut the e,ched creatures
for whose benefit the sacrifice is made;
where misery exists in such hideous forms
that to see, even if not to touch, seems to
defle; with none to approve but the unfor-
tunates to whom the hand of pity is ex-
tended and the voice of sy sympathy is lifted;
scotfea at, even reviled on all sides; such
is the life Voluntarily adopted by woman
who came to Helena few weeks ago on an
eriand Of mercy, and who now thinks she
may find field for her labors in the bad
lands Of this oity. The woman is Mrs.
Lilly Van Dunn, for seven years past 4 self
ordained missionary in the vilest parts Of
New York city. where she is known as
"Sister Lily."
Though but thlrty-three, Sister lilly has
crowded into one half her life more 70
nance and tragedy than falls to this lot of
most women. even in the high keyed litera-
tn OF the present day. Moreover, il is all
fact, not fiction. The offspring Of a
wealthy ana distinguished people, once the
pet Of society, now by her own choosing a
friend Of the ontcast and the thief, her
story is one Of dramatic interest. Few
would speak Of her except as "orank." !"
She recognizes that fact and it gives her no
uneasiness. Still. those who know Of her
life and her work believe in her sincerity.
Her methods may be criticised but she
thinks they are justified by the results, and
she follows what she believes to be call
from higher power to do the work that
falls in her way. S :.......
~,
ander DeForrest Mclean, son of Sir John
Mclean, Scottish nobleman, and was
born in Canada in 1858. When she was but
ten years old her father moved to Chicago,
where five years later he died. Soon after
her fathers death she married wealthy
man named Fred Colville OF Syracuse, n.
Y. Despite the almost puritanical teach
ings Of her father she asplred to social
eminence, and her early marriage gave her
the wished for opportunity, both at their
home and in Chicago. But the marriage
proved unfortunate Her husband OK
hibited disposition which kept his young
wife in constant dread and she even feared
for her life at times. She left him, and her
guardian. the late Senator Doolittle ol
Wisconsin, secured divorce for her at
Chicago, conducting the ohse himself. II
was the sensation of the day.
10 avoid her former husband and in q
measure to indulge her love of social life,
the divorced girl went to New York. There
she took the family name of her fathers
people and her beauty soon made her known
in society as Rosebud" Alexander. In the
ranks of the "Four Hundred'' she was &
star. From the study of purely philosophi.
cal works she found she WAS fast forgetting
the teachings of her father, and sho sayi
she found herself drifting into infdelity
While living at the Windsor hotel with he1
mother she made the acquaintance OF Geo
Dunn, at that time we'll known figure ir
New York society. Returning with hin
from social gathering one evening he pro
rosed that they be married. She con
sented tho horses heads were turnee
toward the residence OF a preacher, anl
they entered the hotel as man and wife.
| few days after this strange wedding
woman VINO had been Dun1's companion
TOR nearly two years previous, visited tn,
| young couples apartments at the Windsor
They had been out attending an entertain.
ment, and found the woman there on re-
turning. With bitter reproaches the wo
man accused Dunn of being the cause O
he. ruin. The young wife tried to auie
the visito; even offered to give up he1
husband if be preferred his former associ
ate; prouised to go away with her and care
for her as a sister. But the woman woull
listen to nothing, and moving toward tn,
door, with quick motion drew revove
from the folds of her dress. placed tn.
muzzle to her temple and fred. She fol
dead at the doorway. There was scandal
of course, but Mrs. Dunn undertook to in
quire into the matter. and found that he
husband WAS not all to blame. Tn
dead woman had been one of those frai
creatures who bestow their favors on NOR
than one man, but like many of her class
she had given all her love to one, and tina
WAS Dunn. -..-
In spite of this tragedy Mrs. Dunn live
with George Dunn for several years, main
tanning all the outward semblance of
happy domesticity. Returning one nipf
from reception clad i'll a costume b
Worth and wearing multitude of dif
monds, she says the folly of tho life sf
was leading suddenly occurred to he
Going to her room she picked up Bibl
read it and found what she considered tt
true doctrine of Christ. From that tin
she denounced society and became acti,
in the cause of charity and Chrstianit
Dunn did not object to her work. One
while reading her Bible, she came aoro
the words: what God has joined t.
eether let no man put asunder." 1t r.
called to her the fact that she was
divorced woman. and that, as she puts i
'in the eyes of God she was not the lawf
consort of George Dunn She told hi
80, and that she meant to leave him ar
devote the remainder OF her life to VOL
/ that would atone for the folly of her yout
!, Dunn tried to dissuads her, bnt she WI
firm, and they parted. They have new
been divorced. She did not think it nece
sary MS she considered herself not his lay
: full wife
After leaving Dunn abe prefxed IL
!, name Van to her name at the request .
h his mother. Thus she became Lilly Vi
7, Dunn. Jewelry was discarded and her a
@ parel became as simple and as severe
n plain as that of nun. Hor beauty th
<, won her the name of "Rosebnd" has n
suffered by her seven years of hard wo1
Her fortune has. 1t has gone in behalf
II the people she has tried to help She b
" established missions and preached in the