The Springfield herald., 1898-04-08


Jeens forms one of the strangest chap
tiers that was ever written in the Mas
sachusetts divorce courts. 1t Is a story
Of wrecked lives and Of utter inhuman-
ity on the part of mother. MRS.
Mary Jeens and her three children lived
in Cheltenham. England, before Elsie
was born. They were all too young to
understand much about life. Mrs. Jeens
had been a widow for several years.
One day after prolonged visit to an
other town she brought little Elsie
home. "She Is your little cousin, Ell
sic Graham" said she to her children.
And so the child grew up calling Mrs
Jeens "Aunty," and looking upon the
Jeens children as her cousins. Among
the Jeens children was boy, Harry
Moreland Jeens, who was nine years
older than his little cousin" He was
Elsie's favorite. She used to play
with him in preference to the other
children. and in all things he was her
childish hero. Elsie grew up to be
remarkably pretty child. She was sent
to private school and finely educat-
ed. At the age of seventeen she was
graduated. and returned to her home IN
Cheltenham with fne education. She
was also a good singer and spelndid
musician She thanked "Aunty" over
and over again for giving her the same
advantages that her own children en-
joyed. Shortly afterward her cavalier
cousin" Harry Moreland Jeens. now
grown into young manhood, came to
America to seek his fortune. The
young girl missed him sadly, but was
consoled in some degree by the letters
which he wrote. When the Jeens chill
dren arrived at years of maturity the
family gradually scattered broadcast
over the world. Mrs. Jeens and Elsie
wee practically left alone in the old
home. One day Mrs. Jeens said: Ell
sic. have made up my mind to go to
America to visit Harry. Would you
like to go?"
Indeed 1 would, Aunty. Oh. how
good you are"
Then preparations were made for the
trip, and month later Mrs. Jeens and
her niece" arrived in Fitchburg. where
her son was in business. Here it was
that Mrs. Jeens looked on and saw her
son Harry growing to love Elsie. She
saw all, and made no sign and uttered
no protest. One word would have
changed the course of two lives from
misery to possible happiness. After
brief visit to Harry, which was thor
oughly enjsyed by both. Elsie and Mrs.
Jeens returned to England. They went
with THO understanding thas in few
months the girl was to return to Fitch
burg and become the wife of her ''cou-
SIM" And Mrs. Jeens sat by and saw
the preparations made, still without a
sign. Can anybody solve this incon-
ceivable riddle of motherhood? There
were a few months of joyful prepara-
tion In the English home, and at last.
in December. 1898, Elsie said farewell
to "Aunty" and sailed away to wed
Harry Moreland Jeens. She arrived in
Boston, December 10. 1893. and on the
following day the couple were married
at Fitchburg by the Rev. George S.
Buffers. There are discrepancies in
the marriage register which the young
woman even now cannot understand.
Her age was given by her husband as
twenty, when it was eighteen. Her
husbands age, according to the regis
ter, was twenty-seven. The record
names the parents of Harry as Thomas
E. Jeens and Mary A. Jeens. maiden
name Ayers. Those of Elsie were:
Thomas Graham and Mary N. Graham.
maiden name, Williams. Elsie says
she had never been told anything
about her mothers maiden name. and
so she told the minister. After the
ceremony, however. her husband told