The herald., 1897-11-06
BRIGHT YOUNG LIFE
STOLEN BY THE YELLOW FEVER
SC0URGE AT NEW ORLEANS
Isabel Edwards Chapman of Los An
geles Succumbs to the Dread
Disease

AT Sl4 west seventh street there is a
wreath Of smilax tied with white rib
bon hanging on the door. A notice
above the wreath tells the sad story that
one of the brightest young women Of
Los Angeles has fallen a victim to the
dread scourge Of yellow fever, which
prevails in the south.
Mrs. Emily Chapman received a tele-
gram yesterday afternoon announcing
the death of her only child, Isabel Ed
wards, Chapman, in New Orleans on
that morning.
Miss Chapman possessed decided lit
erary talent, and was well known in
newspaper circles in this city. She
began her newspaper work in San Ber-
nardino and removed to Los Angeles
about two years ago to accept a position
on the Capital, which she filled accept
ably for some months. She was fire.
quent contributor to The Herald, and
was occasionally employed on the reg
ular staff.
In April last, her health requiring
change. she decided to visit her old home
in the south, to introduce California
fruits in that locality. Two weeks after
her arrival she accepted a position on
the staff Of a weekly paper, Men and
Facts, in New Orleans, which she re-
tained until the epidemic of fever broke
out.
An article from her pen appeared in
the current number of southern maga-
zine, and she wrote glowingly to her
mother Of the high praise she had re-
ceived from literary people. She was
happy in being with old friends and
relatives, and was looking forward to u
brilliant winter in the literary and So
ciety circles Of that lovely southern city.
Miss Chapman was only 26 years old,
and was born on Esperenza plantation.
Issequene county, Miss. Her father,
the late John L. Chapman, was PROM
inent attorney of that county.
With the aid and encouragement of
literary and influential friends, Miss
Chapman contemplated starting pub
lication Of her own during the coming
winter. Since the breaking out of the
epidemic she wrote reassuringly to her
mother, to whom she was devoted, say
ing she was not near the infected part
of the city, and that she did not antici-
pdtc ally uduScI VI COHIldCtluE tAC IC-
yer. The last message from her
was a card dated October 28th, as fol-
lows:
my Dearest Mother: Am we'll and
happy. Things are at their dulest now.
Business stagnated completely, and every
one blue. 1t Is clouding up, so suppose we
will have rain. The fall has been ideal. but
frost-frost-frost-itw what we want. With
love to Bertha and yourself, dearest mo-
ther, ISABEL"
The announcement of Miss Chap
mans death will be received with heart
felt sorrow by large circle of friends
here and elsewhere, where she was
highly. esteemed for her winning per-
sonality and nobility of character. 1t
is a singular coincidence that the aunt
for whom Miss Chapman was named
died of yellow fever in New Orleans i'm
mediately after completing a college and
musical education in Paris. On the an
niversary of her death Mrs. Chapman
learned, with unspeakable forebodings,
of the breaking out of the present epi-
demic.
The bereaved mother is Frustrated by
the great and sudden sorrow that has
fallen upon her.
Everything in life was centered upon
Isabel" she said, last evening, to one
who had known her daughter, and the
mother quoted, in illustration, of the fu-
ture bereft of her child's companion
ship, Bourdillon's expressive poem:
1.-THE night has thousand eyes,
The day but one;
Yet the light of whole world dies
With the dying sun.
The mind has thousand eyes,
The heart but one:
And the light of whole life dies
When love Is gone"