San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-10

tween Them.
NEW YORK, Oct. 10.-The an
nouncement that Amelie Rives
Chanler has secured a divorce from
her husband, John Armstrong
Chanler, has caused great surprise
in this city, where she was we'll
known. 1t has never been intimat-
ed that she did not live happily
with her husband. Nine years
ago she was the most talked about
person in this country, the presi-
dent of the United States hardly
excepted. 1t was in April 1856
that Lippincotts Magazine pub
lished "rhe Quick or the Dead"
and, as the name under the title of
this amazing novelette, was
Amelie Rives, the world straight
way wanted to know who she was.
When it came out that she was a
young woman, less than % years,
the daughter of proud Virginia
family, brought up in quiet coun-
try place, there was universal
amazement. 1t was the story of a
young widow, Barbara Pomfra,
and of her mental writings be-
tween her love for her dead hus-
band and her love for a real live
lover, written with great enthusi-
asm and delightful flow of Ian
guage and kisses. The book from
beginning to end was wild whirl
of passionate love, of kisses, of
embraces, of tumultous emotions.
1t was the first of that long series
of eccentric novels written by
women. In reality the book,
calmly considered, was a rather
crude, but fairly faithful, at times
almost stenographic, report of the
courtship of a romantic young
man and romantic young woman.
A few months after its appearance
came the announcement that Miss
Rives was to marry John Arm
strong Chanler, one of the rich
great grand children of John
Jacob Astor. And then it was dis
covered that hero of "The Quick
or the Dead" bore a striking re-
semblance to young Mr.. Chanler
to quote from the picturesque de-
scription of the book: Between
the publication of the Quick or
the Dead and 'the witness of the
sum she married." Mr.. and Mrs.
Chanler went abroad, and it was
soon announced that they were
living in Paris, that she had given
up writing for the time and was
studying art. Gradually the eX-
element about her died out. She
was very i'll, but slowly recovered,
writing during her cOnvalescence
that very eccentric book, "Accord-
ing to st. john" Then came
several poems, notably CASINO
DEUS" poems of Swinburnian pas
sion.
Mr.. and Mrs. Chanler travelled
about Europe. He returned to
further a scheme for sending
plChcu AlIltIlCdH dTU SUuuGHJS
abroad for study. She did not
come back. After a short stay in
New York she went down to her
fathers house, where her husband
joined her. Then she travelled in
search Of health through the far
west. Mr.. Chanler was in New
York this last summer and two
months ago went to South Caro-
lima, where he has undertaken
some extensive enterprises. He is
a man of great force Of character,
a despiser of idlers, nervous, high
ly strung, bent upon accomplish
ing much in the world. If there
is anything in the theory that a
successful marriage rests upon a
union of balancing temperaments,
the causes Of this divorce are easy
to see. At the last report, Mrs.
Chanler was at home, leading the
life Of her girlhood in the quiet
surroundings she has so often and
so well described in her stories.
She has no children.