New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-10
TWO WIDOW S.
AN ITALIAN BRUNETTE AND TErToNi'
BLONDE

ures-I mean O. course. MasoNcaily Yea sore
" have they troubled meof all ages. all s'ses' all
colors: even from sll nationa'ities they came 40
ho-ber me when held office in lodge or chapter:
with husbands and without them: 1t did not mat
ter 10 them now long their departed 'do had oeeh
stricken from the roll o. membership; the! he'u
some receipt card. or some communication s.s"
nv the secretary and therefore. this was evidence
enough for them tina, they in some way mao
.,claim" and ! must 90 something for them
remember one in particular. who obtained my
.ddres, IN the Grand Secretary's Office and called
upon me for assistance. She claimed 70 oe '"e
widow OF Bro. Giovanni! De La Nershe NV"
knew this brother and his wife very "''
and remembered the latter as very dec'ded o'u-
matte with coal-back eyes and hair an o!iVe com
-,.x,or and Enthusiastically Italian IN speech and
manners while this present mazda ne was fair pue
svss haxen hair and decidedly Teutonic IN ap-
pearance
Rro Giovanni, De La Vergne was an Italian o!
birth ard a performer by profession HIS consu"-
ing ambition was to rival the then famous Signor
Rlondn and Bro. De La Versne initiated sue
...s,,,,lv hts prototype IN almost everything the
celebrated ropc-walker did He crossed Niagara
Falls with a wheelharrow and stove baking pan
cakes and eating them or his way over ana many
other breakneck acrobatic feats which at the time
as:onished gaping world
He was proposed in our lodge. claiming a resi
dence in this city lie spoke about dozen differ
emit languages all o. them more or less broken /
often though; ~ he could only manage 10 menu
or stick some Of these broken and fragmen'arF
idioms together. al least decent knShsh might
=. thus obtained However. We managed TO teach
him enough OF the ritual in English SO as 70 MAKE
himself known as Mason; and as 10 signs and
sr,ns ANYBODY 20 whom Brother Giovanni ever
rave "a grip" could not possibly entertain any
doubt Al least 10 zeal and strength OF pu'
pose OF his grip for when he got your hano III MS
big brawny and sinewy claws. you "ouo swear 70
Fvnrr i,Nh
grin He was very inpulsve. and Masonry TOOK
With him: I. had taken deep root AND when ne
met brother or shook hands. his paws "ouio
close on the victim. IKE an anaconda unti ever,
drop O. blood seemed TO disappear ne wou'1
then launch forth avalanche or quesuons ai'u
greeting. az you and IN quick succession wouio
come a piece Of Italian. Spanish or German inter
mixed with the frequent question. Dem IS So
hey? OUT Dola YOU tinke so, hey?
Brother Giovanni pe La Nersne had mace ar
rsnxenents 10 travel through the western N'a'es.
with his wife and little SON. 10 exhinit tnelr sSlI
as acrobats and before leaving the cl'S ne "d''e.
10 do something for the lodge. So II was arranged
that We have picnic. afternoon and evening fest-
val etc in one OF the numerous "wooos up TOWN.
and tina, the brother and his family were 10 give
an exhibition on rope stretched across the trees
We advertised the affair extensively and II vas a
rrea, success financially We got up a h''c soid
medal TO present 10 our acrooatic hrother. IHs
was done one lodge night In the presence OF large
gathering o. brethren and visitors Inc W. MaS'T'
called the brother NJ to the last ana III ~"
speech with a few impressive remarks p'esen'e'1
him the medal Bro De la Versne WAS at hrs'
surnrtsed and overcome, bu' soon recovered MS
usual assurance and volubihty. ana WIN ms m
nul.iye nature and the exaggerated manner OF ms
Ssynnv naive land he fervently kissed the media
enc sinking up09 4,s ssVers languaees known
him '.or and avar @ guordee 'hlS P'e'"''S
uihs me presentation he insisted that We accom-
pany MIN &c his hotel and partake o. Ws
Here sadame pIesil"9 En9 ny ,poke IA
English performed as well on the piano as on .,s
rh5 Inc eraca OF an arlstocrai!c lady: IN fact. II
was plainly to be that Mrs De La vsTgnT ra %ss
above and superior 10 her husband ,r.,o,ed
The pair left ne iy soon asI sne and souh
America but never ret1rntd TO ne c{ ba dsrcd
Several times recsiyed ls,eFy fT@m sne" Brsz
always wr ten BY the accompshsd Iao Sore Sn ~
spooSsee 25 en ana oher excuses Finally
long time elapsed and heard notn.ae IA, az an
10 considerable sum and several times ms nam
came up for action. but In reInemo OF ahct I" I.h
services the lodge at ina; picnic we Were joan oa'a
have nonaliate him in the enG ana sbon,d be
ever turn I'D again and so one evening. ~hen the
lodge IN an economical mood BRO ni
dues thought this would be ;he end OF my con con
nseion VIII the s err ra iasn HEr 50 ore
rected TO me. and in the naniwritnF OF Icy Dr
d La 'bsv had reiurned TO On open
ing tho letter. however. found IL was rom
msSi,On Of asq EsF hs
in an Eas, SIDE tenement house In Norfoik,st
S Sas known a her al home scarcely recosni1ed
her sr could no, bring myself to bel;eye that this
y:isn 1ee Her ess Rad lost he u.e
ne pss9y ony Sos Rff her
her Voice II was short but sad and cruel H Dor
They w sss , siIf' SToRs n 4 had
knocked out. and was carFer mncG ms a 'U
snt by hrdorate bunrns surgeon. In the sam"
place the smallpox was raging ana no preca az.
n sTsb. me loahsoTae disease in most malignant
form Her hrs ban a II 'nS Reo % until
She had partially recovered when sFr Sc. pe oa9 La
rersne asser,ed her "a, with her badly reset
lex she would never again be able 70 assist him
that poc a ma attraction for the public And so
the hear less coolly and cruelty deserteo her
alone among strangers sick. poor. with an aching
heart byt not dise9%Isgea motives in human life
came 10 her aida mothers love her a9 Ha!.t 70
her ch6 6o a Ss yan
these motives she started out 10 follow her iugl-
tive spouse eT an" Srs in furnishing her WITH means
10 travel about. and second to ilnpart 20 her
Selp to her While iraycliing both Of which polite
~ hat firmly declined 70 90 totn 1er o., ma ~ :
snHicient FOR hcr immediate wants. and that while
I sincerely ympathlzed with her ~ nc loss Of
nor how her husband and her beauty al at once.
4 as"- no way for TO interfere except 50 far az
~ sid her in her prcscnt difficulty. and " We
couid ron N her tr,irnt husband. We would he
very willing 20 him punished. or endeavor 10
- rhon. reconciliation This WIS % no avail
srd she refused III offers 81 nechniary aid mon
she wanted me get her n diploma or cortihcat"
njsinrd 10 her coulc not he Obtained. She then
took nv address and only requested me 10 call
az her occa s,onaiy while she remained In this
city bu, she did no; know then HOY long she wouiG
ye,na In here promised TO call on her again. and
a,so that I would let her know should ever hear
anything from Bro. DC La Fersns 49, .,o
This wa about the state or annirs NA'n th"
b,ond Nine De Ia Vergnc called on me with
.her'' tale Of woe. Hers was altogether different
story Sts reported herself sadly In need Of funds;
sNs hsG nore OF tho pride OF the brunette she was
very willing to accep. aid from us. wanted nothing
~ IN :. Continental hourishes about her: she
Tan,cI cellars and CENTS; her husband was a rem
Der Of our LODGE she had his diploma and sooo