Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-05-11
scon's REBEcCA An AMERICAN



That young woman born In Penn.
sylvanin who during her life time wa
never beyond the c0nhuca Of hef
nutivo lanj, and who vas 90 shrink
ing and modest in her disposition % &.
be- personally unknown even 10 many
Of those who gratefully accepted hui
bounty, should be the prototype n the
heroine Of the greatest romance ever
written, the author OF which wa,
never Ia America, seems At fret glance
the height OF tmprobabilily. rhufe
II abundant evidence 10 prove, how.
ever, that Rebeccs Hfalz, phlladel.
phia woman Of Hebrew descent, wa.
the original OF RebeCca the Jowess In
Sir Waiter SCOTS "lvnnh0v.0
Tbs Graz family possessed blosd as
blue ne can JB found even In the
afistocratic Quaker city, and Reboccl
was born Bud reared n gentlewOman
Ia every aeBso OF the wort. The
Hebrew birth did not prevent the
family from numbering among their
friends the most distinguished pef.
HJnuges In what was then tile leading
city VI the country ami In tho brilliant
society Of which General Washington,
as President OF the UHited States, was
the center, thU name Of Graz was
glways prominent.
The rare beauty OF Rcbecca, allied
with her accomplishments and ~.
tfactive manuers, brought many nd.
mirsrs 10 her feet, bus tile only ono
whose passion she rscipr0catet was
Christian. Although che loved this
youth Ne only a high.stfung delicate
being can love, her conscience would
not permit AN alliance with one GU slide
her own faith, and 90 shs frsOlutely
trsmplcd upon her feelings. The
final meeting between the lovers wa.
too sal 10 be- dwolt upon, but II Ia said
shs told her Gentle sweetheart that
although she could not marry him she
would never wed another, q vow which
was sicrcdly kept
IL WIS ahortly after this episode that
Washington Irving passed a consider.
able period Ia Philadelphia as the
guest OF her brother ia the fine old
county house Of the Gfatz family,
which stood on large farm then
several miles distant from tho city, but
which has long since been built over
The house was standing until recently
near the corner OF Eighteenth ami
Diamond streets, being razed 10 make
room Tor church edilcr. Here
Irving learned the story Of Rebeoca's
abncgaiion, a tale which 40 Impressed
itself upon bis mind that when be
went abroad some time later the fe.
msmbrAnce VI tho young woman.
wonderful soli.deninl for the rako Of
her religion REQUIRED NJ constantly %
WAS but natural he should mention tho
Incident 10 Walter Scott when stop.
ping with that master.
The novelist at once saw how strong.
ly such a character could be brought
out In romance, AMI Rsbecca u
York, lhu leading feminine parsonage
In "lvanhor," was the result. The fact
that Mits Gral1 was the prototype OF
the character was very vol known 10
her iriondr, tut NJ fat a. can DO learned
no communication ever took place
between tue author hnd the heroine.
Alter the separation from her lover,
Miss Gfatz devoted her life 70 charity,
and, among other actions, founded the
Grst Jewish sabbath school In tho
world, an institution which ~ yet In
active existence, with a mrmbership
OF over 1900. She died at the advanced
are OF IS In 1869, anu IL buried In
little Hebrew graveyard In Spruce
street, Philadelphia, directly opposite
old Pennsylvania hospital. Through
tue rusty aud ancient iron gateway
one may catch n glimpse Of her tomb,
bearing simply the inscription; "ite-
becua GfatZ, born March 4, 1851.
Died August q, 1909"