The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-21

One who reads of the death OF Vera
Douglas In Paris, alone and neglected.
would not recognize in her the girl who
lived so quietly in ths little. Canadian vii
lage where she was born The child of
Stephen Douglas. an honest farmer in
Mitchell. Ontario. she Was bred to q. life
of usefulness and homer. Her beauty and
her wit were famed and lauded through
out the country round about the town,
and while she seemed to grace her sphere
SO Well many predictedS better things for
her than life on the old farm, the wife
of a poor Industrious farmer and death in
oblivion. More notable things she saw,
but better things weresfiot her lot.
She lived at home until she was sixteen
years of age She then took care of her
fathers home with her mother and sis
tiers. and enjoyed the usual life of mod
est country girl. Her beauty and the fiat
terry 1t won her led her to long for a wider
sphere Of activity, and 1t was this that
prompted her to PROPOSE that she be al
lowed to go to the United States to see If
she could not earn living and larger
place for herself in the, world. Her par
ents, who idolized her and granted her
slightest wish, consented, and she went 10
Chicago to take up stenography She
seemed successful from the start and was
soon earning a weekly salary Of $25 or
$50 and sending letters of comfort home,
with portion Of her earnings Somehow
she was not satisfied, however, with the
life of Chicago and chose rather to go to
New York to live, and in this. as In other
things, she was not opposed by her par
ents She came to New York and resumed
the thread of the stenographers life. AT
least this was what the people at home
supposed that she was doing. The rosy
reports Of her life continued to come
through the mail, and her parents were
proud Of her success. She had met num-
Der of well known people, who seemed to
take fancy to her in the great financial
world in New York, and before long she
thought she would have the opportunity
of advancing her station materially
Her letters continued to come for some
time without interruption, until one day
they ceased. For three weeks nothing was
heard from her In the little house In Can
ada in which she wasrborn. Her father
was on the. point Of sstarting for New
York to find her, thinking her Ill, when
letter came from London announcing
her arrival there.
Her employer had suddenly decided to
sail for Europe. He insisted upon her ac-
companying him and his wife aind secre-
tary. In London he had introduced her
and she was satisfied with nobility and
titles, and even royaItyitself. Her letters
were treasured by her modest, proud old
parents, who were delighted with her tri-
urnphs, and they were aHfte prepared for
the letter that soon followed. announcing
her marriage to Sir William Manners He
was scion of a noble house in England
and was wealthy beyond their dreams.
He had given her everything that her
heart could wish, and she hoped to be
able soon to come to Canada with him to
see the old folks.
These letters came regularly, as had
the others. until sud- enly again they.
stopped. Once more the old folksaworried
and We're on the point OF making In
quiries when letter. came, saying that
her husband " as dead She had ac-
eompanied him on a trip to South Africa
to look after sonles Interests he had there
among the diamond mines and on the
way back they had been shipWrecked.
Tie four In their party had been the
only ones that were saved, and they were
: thrown upon q desert island. Here Sir
William died of fever the day before
a vessel came to rescue them and take
them back to England 81
The fact that her daughter was now a
wealthy woman In her bWn right In vfr-
tue OF her husband s, death delighted
them, though they mourfed her sorrow
as keenly as she seemed to- They wrote
and asked her to return to Canada and
live with them, but she answered that
She could not leave her husbands fanli-
ly so soon after his death. So they were
put offeuntil they got aaletter, which an
nounced her meeting and betrothal to q
Frenchman, Count Malakoff, who was to
make her his wife and give her as distin-
guished a position. in. Paris as she had
had in England. The wedding was not
long in .consummat iont and she, was soon
In Paris on the scene Of, her great tri-
umphs.- ---,....,. 1855 So ,e,ej
Here 1t was that she ,shone in Partisan
society in all her glory Nobility and
even royalty worshiped at her shrine.
She was forever. attending balls and par
ties given by distinguished people and
taking the very foress rank in social
France -
The poor parents in, far-away Canada
were completely fooled BY her tales of
splendor, and they dreamed of her sue
cess by night and talked of it by day
She was ever in their minds and her let=