The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-26
SERVANTS AS WIVES.
Many Conspicuous European Person
ages Have Married Their Maids

Many Conspicuous European Person
ages Have Married Their Maids:
London Express.
The young man in society who caused
his family great pain and anger the other
day by marrying his servant girl can plead
the example of many celebrated men as
an extenuation or a justification OF his
act. There was William Cobbett. the
great writer, and the Vibrator of the
English press" as he is frequently called
He was only q years OF age when, walk
ing out in the streets of Halifax, Nova
Scotia. one morning. he CHANGED to see
buxom servant girl busily engaged in
washing the family linen. The GIRL
though only Is years of age, was pretty.
so Cobbett spoke to her, learned her
name and the same evening called upon
her parents and said he would like to
marry their daughter.
This is probably the origin Of the ex-
preston, This is SO student which
blushing maidens have made use of ever
since. The parents of the girl informed
the young man that they had no objec-
ton to him as q son-in-law. but that he
would have to wait until their daughter
was of a mafriageable age. Accordingly
Goblet gave the girl all the money he
had, which amount to G140, and she
went to England and became a servant
in the family of clergyman. Five
years later Goblet returned to England
ard married her.
The late Sir Henry Parkes. premier of
New South Wales is another example
One night. when dining at a friends
house, he was struck by the appearance
of a servant girl who waited at the table
and persuaded his host to allow her to
enter his employ. This she did and for "A
short time held the position of cook in
Sir Henry's household. Then his love
for her overcame all conventionalities
and he made her Lady Parkes. Sir Gervais
Clifton, whose history of Jamaica is one
of the finest books of Its kind in ex-
istence. married no fewer than seven
times. and each time selected his lady
from among his domestic servants. The
seventh Lady Clifton outlived her lord
but the other six he buried in a family
mausoleum which cost G50.000
Thomas Day. the author of the famous
book, Sanford and Merton" selected two
girls one from n poor house and one
from a founding asylum. and took them
into his house as servants. One rejected
his suit The other promised to marry
him. but withdrew her promise on ac-
count of his eccentricities. Day. how
ever, admired the girls courage. and set
tied a dowry of $500 upon her, at the
same time deciding TO remain d pdcheioF'
But more illustrious than all these ex-
amples is that of Peter the Great One
day the founder of the Russian Empire
the great and terrible Peter. was dining
at the house of Prince Menchikoff. He
noticed one Of the serving maids particu-
larly, and though she was not hand
some, she caught the fancy Of Peter.
Her name, the Prince told the Car.
was Martha. She had been servant in
the house Of a Lutheran minister OF
Marienburg, and when that city was
captured by the troops of Russia she had
been taken prisoner by General Bauer,
who had passed her over to the Prince.
whose serf she was
The Count politely made present OF
her to the Car. who eventually married
her, renamed her Catherine, and she
reigned after him as Catherine !, En-
press Of all the Russias.