The age-herald., 1901-10-13
''A Dream o5 Smpxe.' 5

ian, goes ashore at Blennerhassett Is- land and the beautiful Madame Blenner- hassett and her husband, the aesthetic Irishman fall into Burrs scheme, the most prejudiced against Burr will recog- nize how he succeeded in ruling his own ambitions to include in his plans the in- terests of those whom he so craftily drew Into his scheme.
 General Wilkinson, his fellow officer and commander-in-chief of the Western troops to whom Burr revealed his plans, stood ready to cooperate.
 To Blennerhassett the suggestion to separate the Western states from the Eastern and invading Mexico was by no means a repugnant one. But while Mir. Venable dwells upon the success of Burr in his. campaign. he does not neglect to bring together Madame Blennerhassett and the beautiful Theodosia, the daugh- ter of Aaron Burr. To them Burr com municated his minutest plan, and so ab- solute was their faith in him that the authors finest passages in Burr's de- fense are those when Theodosia inspires her father to speak of his empire in the South over which she will be the crown princess.
 His Eldorado. his Mexican Cathay, his woman's paradise. no feeble republic, no union of states loosely tied together by a filament; but a firmer government, a strong, liberal, enlightened empire-a throne at the old capital of the Monte zumas-such was the gorgeous dream to which the lovely Theodosia and her host ess listened in the sequestered home of the Blennerhassetts.
 The government spies sent to the is- land make a thrilling chapter with the escape of Blennerhassett in boat, and the magnificent house is destroyed by troops sent by the governor of Ohio for the purpose of capturing Burr. The lat ter's subsequent arrest. trial and escape are told in the succeeding chapters, the author giving somewhat dramatic tfnge to Burr's arrest, which was brought about by information given the Presi- dent by a woman whom Burr had be- trayed.
 Years later when Arlington and his wife. whom he first met at the Blenner- hassetts, Col. Warren Dauvess and his young French wife. the old boatmen, each of whom MT. venable has long ago introduced to his readers, revisit Blen- nerhassett Isle.
 Burlington and Evaleen stepping across the crumbiing foundation wall. find but bunch of wild violets in bloom in the charred leaf mould at their feet. and yet the once beautiful mistress, the imperious Madame Blennerhassett. nad aspired to wear the coronet of a duchess in the court of Burr the Emperor"
 
 The author refreshes the memory of his readers by briefly relating the tragic incident that marked the close of Burr's career The disaster of the il-fated Pa triot that left Charleston harbor in the winter of 1872, and the arrival for which Burr continued his ceaseless vigil from New York harbor. refusing to believe that his lovely Theodosia. who was a passenger on the vessel. could have been drowned.
 Madame Blennerhassett went abroad, and returning to this country destitute, her health gone. her beauty faded took up her lodgings in a poor tenement house in New York city. and it was here that she died. forsaken by fortune and friends Her husbands death occurred ten years previous. He had drifte6 rom Natchex to New York, to Canada, burdened by debt and unsuccessful in his practice of law. Mir. venable tells us that the two sons were reserved to fates not less ah-