The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-10

81
married his wife. She was the second OF
I'VE beautiful sisters. who are stili spoken
OF IN St J8seph as the pretty Comstock
girls AIr Field had been studying, or at
least had been at the University Of MIS-
souri,. at Columbia. and had become lntl-
rnately acquainted with Edgar \. COM
stock a fellow student. They arranged
10 20 to Europe together. and prior ID
thelr departure Mr.. Field was invited 10
spend a few days at the Comstock resi-
dence. He accepted. and there was intro
duced 10 Julia then a girl Of -. II was
case Of love at first sight Mr.. Field re-
manned a month. and during the whole
time devoted himself 10 the object Of his
affection. In a poem entitled Lovers
Lane" not included IN his published
works. Mr.. Field has commemorated the
days OF their wooing. II was written about
year ago. while they were IN London
Here are two OF the verses.
LET us sit awhile. beloved,
And dream Of the good old days,
OF the kindly shade the willows made
Round the staunCh but creaky chaise.
With yOur head upon my shoulder
And my arm about you, so,
Though exiles We may seem to be
In Lovers Lane, Saint Joe.
in the Union bank Of London
Are forty pounds or more,
Which I'm like TO spend ere the month
kIldN end
In an antiquarian store.
But Id give 1t all. and gladly,
If for an hour or so
I could feel the grace of that distant
OF Lovers Lane. Saint joe
TO those who know the poet intimate
ly, the line referring ic the creaky chaise
speaks eioquently OF the depth of his
passion. Mr.. Field looked upon a horse
as savage beast. which, like the Scrip
tural lion, goeth about seeking whom he
may devour. His regard for Miss Julia
must have been strong, indeed, if il en-
abled him TO overcome his prejudice and
take her out driving.
Al the end OF month Mr. Field had
declared himself and been accepted. Il
was arranged that the marriage should
take place on his return from Europe,
where he proposed to remain a year. He
said goodbye to his beloved and with
her brother as A companion went to New
York TO embark. Somewhere in the East
Mr.. Comstock lost sight of him, and after
several days of careful investigation
learned that he had gone back 10 ST.
Joseph for another fond farewell. At last
they sailed. but six months of absence
was all that Mr. Field could endure, and
at the end of that period he returned TO
America. hurried to the home of his lit
tie sweetheart, and insisted on a speedy
wedding. OF course, he carried his
point: men always do in such cases. He
was then p; she was barely 10.
On attaining his majority Mr.. Field
had come into possession of handsome
fortune left to him by his father AT 2S
he had contrived to part with a large
slice of IL, and as he had no occupation
and lived extensively after his marriage,
the housekeeping bills made serious in
roads upon the balance. Before it was
entirely exhausted he engaged in news
paper work. but as his salary was paid
in promises instead of currency his La
bors did not serve TO check the drain up
on his bank account. However. he gain
ed a knowledge of the newspaper bust
ness. and when his money was all gone
he was enabled to take a position on a
solvent journal. The income thus gained
was small. but it served to support them
after a fashion, though Mrs. Field could
tell the straits to which they were some
times reduced. ID was the experience
Of their early married life that made her
the financial manager she Is today. IL
is fortunate for the entire family that
she profited by the lessons of that period
of poverty, for they made no impression
upon her husband. lie was just as
improvident as ever. and although his in
come later was larser-sufiicient 10 pro-
vide for the comforts and many of the
Iuxuries of lfe-it would hardly have
paid the expenses of the household. add
ed to those Of Mr. Fields mania
for books and curios. but for
her wise administration of the funds.
There was only one weak point IN her
financial armour. she reposed conf
dence i'm her husband. Notwithstanding
repeated breaches of faith, she frequent
~ intrusted him with sums which she
had appropriated for specific and neceS
sary purposes. hoping against hope that he
might not divert them 10 other and un-
necessary ones \ case in point occurred
shortly before his death She mad
with some difficulty scrapsd TO-
sather the money with which to
make A payment on his life insurance
policv. and unwisely constituted him her
agent for the transaction OF the business.
few hours later he returned TO the
house accompanied by man VINO bore
eight large pastehoard boxes on his
shoulder. Mr. Field had come upon a
very fine collection of hutteEfiies-NH
specimens-a forgetting all about the
Insurance. had purchased them. Al
though IL was a seriously embarrassing
matter 30 Mrs Field Just Al that time,
her only complaint was expressed IN
these words.
Dear me. Gene. where on eartn can We
nut an those things
Mrs Field Is always spoken Of as little
woman bur. as a matter ar fact. she i
s.,r,aw hat above the medium height and
fallv ,in 10 the medium weight Her head
{s rather small and her hands and feet eN-
iremrlv So and somehow she gives the I'M
preston Of IttlenesS. She has soft brow
hair and eves-velvct eyes. her husband
calls tbola-auf q complexion as clear and
fair AS a child's She rs the mother a. SIX
children. three Of whom lve 70 remind
her that. in spite ct her Youthful appear
auco. time is festiuE Her eldest Is A