The Monte Vista journal., 1899-12-16
(San Francisco Letter.)


The San Francisco dive girl whom
Kipling openly owned to having loved:
who had. he said. "a Greek head and
eyes that seemed to speak all good and
beautiful things" died In this city re-
Gently.
When Mr.. Kipling's tender COATES
sion was made. woman. to the genius
Of the century's end. seemed to have
been something other than "a rag and
. bone and hank of hair; but that
was ten years ago. on the occasion of
the word. wizards passage from the
orient through San Francisco. when to
him the world was young. his fame
unwon: when . halo hung about every
pretty face and vampires were out Of
sight 1t Is generally known that the
credited stan correspondent of the
Allahabad Pioneer did not. when here.
eonfne his visits to Mob Hill and the
aewspaper onices. He went where all.
Or nearly all. bohemian tourists. globe
trotters. sailors. soldiers. reformers.
and close students of humanity go. He
vent to the theaters, music halls,
vaudevilles, the dens and dives Of what
ls called the under world. In one OF
those places he made the acquaintance
81 one billed on the boards as Corinne.
Whether 1t was the incongruity OF the
mention Of Mime. de Staels masterpiece
In such place. or the girl who had
adopted the name. that attracted the
bespectacled scribe from Bombay. Is
not recorded: but. certain 1t Is. he was
attracted, and to such an extent that
not a day, nor . halliday. hardly.
passed after their meeting without the
passage Of some token Of tenderness
from him to her. III looked from my
window I was sure to meet his eyes In
the street below. and when l went out.
the first to salute me was this swarthy
Joss as used to call him: for he
talked SO much about Buddhas, idols.
shrines, Shlntoos and other things
with strange long names that l con-
Guided he must be q heather Joss"
These are Corinne's own words. And
who was Corinne! At the baptismal
font she was given the name OF Jessie
Mcfarland. Her home had been with
the children OF the heather and the
wind" but her footsteps like those OF
many another. had strayed far. far
from the straight and narrow paths
which abound In the North Countrie."
There had been 4 husband. who left
her (whether by death or desertion
II unknown. and It certainly concerns
rs not) In extreme youth and poverty.
1t was the pathetic grief imprinted
upon her face. the mother-love In her
eyes. that made her noticeably like
the Madonna In the Greek church. At
least. Kipling told her SO. After her
baby died the poor. little. lonely
mother sat white and mute In . sad.
still chamber day after day. with fold
ed hands upon an aching heart. and
wept and wept II would have been
90 sweet to lie down with the tiny
waxen one out there In Lone mountain.
where they laid it-but-life and youth
must assert itself. and Jessie had been
taught. back in the Scottish kirk. that
It was wrong to kill ones self. She
had. too. been taught to do work. Of
the sort done by women Of her own
Kin and class. which consisted. for the
most part. In tidying her own room.
keeping her clothing In order and
making herself clean and wholesome
and sweet. Would she. In . country
new. get leave 10 live by the perform
ance OF such simple tasks? Time and
much persistent effort gave the agoniz-
Ing answer. She found that knowledge.
eommendable though It was. availed
nothing in the great. selfish. hurrying.
bewilderinE world In which she found
herself alone: for NO one wanted .
little lady to work. Sometimes. when
In desolation and despair. people are
comforted by music. BY II the mind
may. at least. be momentarily diverted.
The little, lone mother knew songs
which the HiEhlanders sing In their
native heaths. and she sang from sheer
relief to her tense soul. there In that
silent chamber. little dreaming she
would be heard: but some one listened.
and once. after she had finished her
a00R WhAn m asln1 mt 0vAp tho