The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-07

grew IN as most New England girls who
work for a living grow up. The little edu-
cation she had as a girl was attained at
the public schools and after work was
over for the day at the factory. she was the
belle of the little New England town, and
the SWANS of the village were ever ready
to do her bidding. firing of factory life,
she went to Boston and there met her hus-
band. the late Paran Stevens who at this
time was employed in the fremont house.
Mr. Stevens was a widower and had one
daughter, who at the present day is Mrs
John Malcher, but who in those days so
the story goes, held a position in the hotel.
Mr.. Stevens, who was old enough to be
her father, married the beautiful Lowell
girl, and it may be said that from this
marriage Mrs. Stevens rise in the social
world commenced. In those days the old
fremont house was the fashionable hotel
in Boston, and its corridors were throng-
ed with the representative men, not only
of the city of Boston, but also of the
country, while its parlors were overrun
with the wealth and fashion of the city
Mrs Stevens came in contact with tn ase
people. attracted attention and won their
admiration. This hobnobbing with the
fashionable world of Boston. even If it
were only in the parlors of the fremont
fired Mrs Stevens with the ambition and
ardent desire to become better educated
Accordingly with that iron perseverance
which has followed her through life. she
set to work and educated herself by
study and reading and it was not long be
fore she was regarded as a brilliant wom-
an.
There was no subject with which she
was not conversant and no topic of the
day upon which she could not converse
with force and disarmament She soon
mastered foreign languages so that she
could both read and write them fuently.
So rapid was her progress that the bright
est minds of Boston visited the fremont
to chat with this little Lowell woman
of brilliant mind
The fremont changed hands. and one
day found Mr.. Stevens a the head of the
hotel As wife Of the proprietor, Mrs.
Stevens sphere of social Importance in
creased. Again, after a few years the
Stevens moved to New York where Mr..
Paran Stevens took charge of the old
Fifth Avenue hotel Here also Mrs. Ste
vens attracted attention, and then began
her march into the territory of society.
fought every inch of the way with a
determination that has made her famous.
About forty years ago she was one of
the few visitors to Newport who owned
their own cottages, and here Mrs Stevens
E-ttertiaiUed on the most lavish plan
Though society was divided as to what
to think regarding her social ambition.
there were many who called upon her and
accepted her hospitality, while there were
many who numerically snubbed her
The men, as a rule. admired her on ac
count of her force, her brilliancy and her
beautiful face and handsome figure. and
her march became triumphant Every
winter Mrs. Stevens went to lEurope ana
there too. she dominated all who met
her. Her entertainments We're among the
most gorgeous ever given and she became
intimately acquainted with many Of the
nobility.
In recent years Mrs. Stevens had been
acknowledged throughout the length and
breadth of the land as leader of fashiona-
bic life in New York Her Sunday even
ing receptions had become famous. and
her dinner parties were UNSURPASSED Dis-
tinguished foreigners were entertained nv
the score in her old mansion. No 2A
Firth avenue, among whom is numbered
the Prince Of Wales, whom she enter
tanned 50 graciously that his roval high
ness returned the courtesy when Mrs
Stevens visited London later with her
daughter, who was then ,1ust entering
society. The Prince OF Wales afterward
stood as godfather TO Mrs Arthur Paeet's
daughter. II may be wei! TO add that