The Philipsburg mail., 1899-04-07


books. At length they chatted OF 9TH
er things and eventually Miss Mooney
became Mrs. O'Farrell They were
married in the Church of St. Vincent
De Paul and the world went very we'll
then.
O'Farrell began to grow rich rapid
ly. He had horses and equipages and
hounds and country house at Long
Branch. He bought rare paintings and
developed taste for costly flowers. He
spent days far from home, hunting or
fishing, seeking game which was not
known near his place of residence and
men envied him his life of ease and
happiness. Suddenly, in 1888, he was
stricken with paralysis. His entire
right side became cold and insensible
as marble His friends flocked around
him to tender their aid and condol-
ences, but he jested about it and
seemed not at all cast down. He be-
came more than ever an omniverous
reader after his atfliction, when he was
unable to move around. Then came a
shock to the hundreds who had known
how happy his home life had appeared
to be. He applied for divorce and
secured it. There was year of men
tai suffering hushed in his Long
Branch home. Maria Whalen, the
faithful servant, took care of him with
absolute exactness. Clergymen who
were his friends called on him, ex-
changed books, ideas and observations
with him. He had an obstinate i'm
preston that he had done his duty in
the legal proceedings, the result of
which tortured him. He said it so
often that he ceased to convince him
SELF He was so persuaded Of the ap-
proval of the world that he began to
disdain it. Nature said to him that
what he had done was not we'll and
nature had in its defense his early
training as a Roman Catholic, by
whom divorce is summed And so
Mrs. O'Farrell returned to her hus-
band. They went to Europe together
in a second honeymoon, in another
seventh heaven. About year ago the
paralytic stroke returned with greater
force, and O'Farrel was obliged to
take to his bed. Death seemed to be
near and he determined to make pub
lie restitution to his wife of the rights
that the decree of divorce had taken
away from her. So he wrote a clause
in his will leaving her the major por-
ton of his estate, although in law she
was a stranger to him, and in the doc
ument he said:
"The maiden name of my said wife
was Elizabeth Mooney and she is the
same person who was defendant in an
action brought by me against her for
divorce, and in which l was granted
decree, and it is my will and inten-
ton, wish and direction, that the said
Elizabeth O'Farrell have the b1 nefit
of all the legacies, benefits and pro-
visions Of this will so far as they are
in her favor, Notwithstanding said di-
vorce. l have for the past fourteen
years lived with her as my lawful wife
and recognized her as such in every
manner and way that it is possible so
to recognize her. and l therefore direct
said decree to be null and void and l
therefore declare the said decree to be
null and void in every way"
He bequeathed to his wife his house
at 316 West Thirty-third street. his
cottage, stables, carriages, kennels and
grounds at Long Branch. He gave to
her all his furniture, paintings and
family records. He left in trust for
her the houses aha lots at 421 anu 423
West Forty-seGond street and 26O West