The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-12-02

The bases for sermons on tile wages
of sin could be continued ind afinitely.
Pfiladelphians of the generation that
is now passing away remember the
story of the beautiful Harriet Ely,
daughter of a Presbyterian clergyman
of that city. She was better known in
he days of her ~womanhood rs Hattie
Blatchford, when she reigned AS a belle
in London, Paris and st. Petersburg.
Thirty-flve years ago Harriet Ely
was one of the most beautiful girls il
Philadelphia. She was born to COM
parative wealth and high social posi-
ton, and was surrounded by the best
OF home influences until she was 18.
Th-2 her marvellous beauty proved a
fatal fascination for the men whom
she encountered, and she passed from
the straight and narrow path. 1t was
not long before she was so well known
in circles where clergymer'a daugh-
ter's ought not to be known tin. it was
necessary for her to leave ser home.
Her father abandoned his pulpit in
humiliation, and the family retired
from social life to hide its Shame.
The beautiful young woman had left
a note to her parents, saying that She
would never return, She went with a
schoolmate to Parkersburg, W. Va, but
1t was not long before she returned to
Philadelphia and became the wife of
Joseph Blatchford. When he had been
ruined by the eXtravagances of his
wife he left without the formality Of
obtaining a divorce. She vas next
heard of in London, where it was
freely said she received the attentions
Of the prince of Wales among her
many royal s~uitors, and in his interest
for her a very wealthy earl OF Scotland
sacrificed his position at court. She
was always well supplied with funds,
and when she went to Paris she was
abl2 to establish herself in the most
magnificent quarters. She at once be-
came the intimate friend and at the
same time the rival OF Cora Pearl, then
at the height of her sensational career.
One day in Paris Hattie Blatchford
me- at the Jardin Mabllle a party of
the set Of which the Grand Duke Alexis
of Russia was a member. This young
nobleman fell in love with her at first
sight and after that time she forsook
ali ether admirers and received only
the attentions of her royal sutton. II
was nearly a year before she learned
who he really was, but the discovery
of his important position in the royal
family of the Russian empire did not
discomfort her. When the grand duke
left Paris for st. Petersburg the beau
tiful young American was his com
panion. The duke was restricted in
his expenditures and had but compar-
atively little ready money. His rela-
tives threatened to abandon him if he
did not give up his companion. This
he would not do, and one day he stole
his mothers j~ewels-part of the crown
jewels of Russia-and gave them to
Hattie Blatchford. The loss was dis,
covered before the jewels could be con
verted into cash, and they were re,
covered, although the guilty ones were
permitted to go without punishment.
1t was said that the young woman
had urged the grand duke to steal the
JC" / "+lNl NhllC IC 10 lOCheu up Ill
the winter palace in St. PETERSBURG
she was compelled by the emperor tc
leave Russia. She then made a tour O.
all the principal cities of Europe, en-,
joying the notoriety she had achieved
ultimately returning to her old home
in Paris. But the wages of sin were
accommodating for her. Her beauty
was fast fading, and those who knew
her in this country heard of her will
less frequency. There came a time
when she passed cut of sight altogeth
er, and the wages we're fully paid. He
only daughter now lives in Paris.
That the wages Of sin is death was
never better shown than in the cas-
of the m who was first bes
known as Mrs. Beecher, and after
wards as the Countess Pourtales, In
der which name she was beheaded b.
order of the Mikado of Japan. Sh'
was the reputed daughter OF her moth
er's second husband. and was borI
near Columbia, S. C. Her mother wa!
a beautiful m who earned thu
wages of sin in many ways. Some peo
pie will say she was unfortunate. He
first husband married her on his dealt
bed. The second husband died in