Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-03-26

been bride, VINO was wiuOw, anu
who had never been a wife.
"Then there were those lovely girls
in Richmond. Why, my dear Madam,
the New York men used to race down
TO see them. When l say race, l mean
race in imagination, for in those days
trains were slow and cars were
miserable. But to get a glimpse of
beautiful Matte Ould, Of lovely Mary
Triplet and of dainty lizzie Cabell
was worth an all nights travel in an
uncomfortable car. They were beau.
ties and they were wits. Mary Triplet
was
A TINTED VENUS;
her hair was of the gold like unto GOD
Almighty's sunshine; her skin WAS like
the ripe side Of a peach her eyes were
as blue as the heavens, and her lips as
red as the cherries. But she was
marble. Then there was Miss Cabell !;
brown hair, brown eyes, tiny Of size. a
pocket Venus in semi brown shades.
But Matte Ould. | cannot remember
the color of her hair; | think it was
fair. Nor can | describe her eyes ;
they looked so far into my soul that |
dropped my eyelids in reverential ad-
miration, and never saw what shade
they were. But there was that beau
tiful figure, and best of all, there was
that wonderful wit, Do you remember
when the three beauties we're at tho
Old White, and ten of their adorers
gave them wonderful supperY First
one and then another Of the ladies' was
asked to give toast Each declined.
Only Matte Ould was equal to the
OCCASION Quickly grasping tho tiny
white slipper of Lizzie Caball's, she
filled it TO the brim with champagne,
and turning to Mary Triplet, she said,
Here's to youth. beauty and wit
they make a Triplet. At another
time, when | was dining with her
father, she was being wooed by Nat
Schoolcraft and young lawyer named
Campbell. We were quite large
party, and some suggested that Miss
Matte give toast. She held up her
glass, in which glittered the imprisoned
laughter of the peasants of France,
and she said Here's to the woman
who strains at gnat and swallows
camel.
Then | remember her marriage to
Nat Schoolcraft; her going abroad and
her coming home. Mr.. Schoolcraft had
wonderfully beautiful bachelor apart
ments over his stable, and while they
were waiting for their house to be
finished, he and his wife occupied
these rooms. The child they had hoped
for came, and came unexpectedly. but,
with her baby ON her arm and with
death staring her in the face, tho
beauty and the wit asked her doctor,
Who is my baby like, since he is born
in stable?' Death respected neither
beauty nor wit.
ALL RICHMOND WAS AT HER FUNERAL,
and the grave in which this beautiful
woman was laid had been lined with
tho flowers she had loved--the daisies.
At her grave that day no hymn was
heard, but four men whose beautiful
voices she had appreciated stood there
and sang Under the Daisies. Every
year when | go home on Memorial
Day, | walk over to Matte Ould's
grave. And it is covered with bouquets
OF daisies. Nothing else. 1t seems to
me fine, my dear, when city can
take pride-no, this was not Just a
city, it was the whole South, in one
woman because of her beauty and her
wit. The other two? They did as all
good Southern girls do--they married
and were good wives.
beautiful Mary Triplet. like her
rival, sleeps in the grave in the beau.
tiful Gods Acre close to the river.
But who can think of her and not
remember the duel that was fought
about herr She had been engaged to be
married to a young lawyer; the engage.
ment was broken, but ono night at a
| Oh 10 tVEu AL "a, o.. L.
and she either had TO dance with him,
or make a scene. Being well-bred
woman, she did the former. A few
days after, short poem appeared in
one of tho papers. 1t began in this
way
When Mary's queenly form press,
In Strauss latest waltz;
would as we'll her lips caress,
Although these lips be false
There we're a couple more verses in
the same offensive strain which ! have
forgotten. The etfuson was discussed
at the smart club with great ardor
and men hinted that the lover who had
been rejected was the author ar il. A
Mr. Mordecai, who was present and
who belonged TO one of the oldest
families in Richmond, said that any
i
publish il was coward and scouu-
drel. In d few Gays, what he had said
reached the rejected lover. lie at once
wrote him note, in which he told
that he was the author of the poem.
hut that no had not intended it 70 ~.
fleet 10 an unpleasant way on Miss
Irlp!et, and he demanded an apology.
No apology was sent. A few DAYS
later, when the men met in tho club
house
THE REJECTED LOVER
brought up the question again with
this result he was knocked Clown.and
50 badly hit that he was confined to
his room for several days. Common
rumor--for You may he sure that there
was much gossip-said that the mother
of the rejected ono told him that il hc
could find no one else 10 carry hi
challenge to MIR, Mordecai, that she
would. But thore was no trouble
about a messenger, Tho duel was
arranged, At the first shot, both mon
J missed Each was asked if be wished
another shot. Each said, Yes. - Al
) the SECOND shot both men fell, the re.
lected one with a ball in his hip. and
MI Mordocai with a, ball in his
stomach. They were taken 10 their
! homes, and a few days aftcr the due
! Mary Triplet's defender died. There
} was some sort of trial, and the re
iected one was fined smal! sum Of
I money, and allowed TO go free. thinl
! this is the last case of duel beint
9 fought for beauty, hut, as toll you,
! my dear, we have no beauties nova
G days.
We have beautiful women and faa
7 cinating women, but no women who
/, are sufficiently marvellous to stand ou
from, all 5,tt,,r, .,,.1 a ~. -