The National tribune., 1907-08-29

\ "SiS pressing UtI, OuAut htNtE
seemed to mind her debts. There has
always been a decided mystery about
the noveliSts early life. Her mother
and father separated when she was
very young. and her father took her
with him on his rovings in foreign
lands. He is said to have been disso-
lutte and brilliant, and to have devoted
himself to the education of his little
daughter. He trained her In the ways
I of the world, and in masculine modes OF
| thought. the result of which training
certainly showed itself in her novels.
II is said that her American publisher,
! J. B. Lippincott. once attempted to lift
the vail OF the mystery of Ouida's early
| life, and asked her point blank how she
came to know so much about ciuos,
camp life, gambling places and men IN
general, but she looked him straight in
the face, and told him that ii was none
of his business. Her knowledge of these
things can easily be accounted for by
her fathers ideas of life and the kind
/ of society he threw around her. AT one
time she mad a charming villa near
| Florence, about three miles from the
city, surrounded by cornfields, meadows.
vineyards and hills. The villa and the
beautiful large garden were hidden from
! sight by high walls. Here she enter
! tanned her friends once a week, in ac-
cordance with the Florentine custom.
and whatever else can be said of Ouida'5
| lTeCeDllOnS, IHtN were W."
the villa is gone. the horses she loved
| so much are gone, most of her friends
are gone, and Ouida is spending the
evening of her life in a milkman'S
| humble home, cared for by the mother
| of one of her former maids. OF her
many novels which, if any, will live?
| VIII future generations read Gran
vile de Vigne," "Chandos,' Moths?
If any of her work becomes known to
generations yet unborn it will be her
exquisite little story. The Dog of Flan-
ders, which undoubtedly is one of the
finest bits of patho5 in the English Ian
guage.
The suit brot by the relatives of Mrs.
| Mary Baker Eddy. leader of the Chris
tian Science faith, against her Secretary,
Calvin A. Fry, and other prominent
| Christian Scientists, for an accounting
of her property was suddenly aban-
doned last week. 1t was claimed by
them that Mrs. Eddy, on account of her
age and infirmities, was not competent
10 manage her own. affairs and had
therefore become q victim of various
persons associated with her in her work.
On March 2, she executed deed of
trust. putting her property into the
hands of three Concord gentlemen, and
the next friends have endeavored to
show that Mrs. Eddy's mind. affected
for some time past, was not sound
when she executed the deed, and that
she. therefore. should not be accounted
esponsibe. This they have not been
able to do. Three masters were ap-
pointed by Judge Chamberlain to hear
and decide the case which has been go
ing on lately, no perceptibIe progress
being made by those who brot it. Mrs.
Eddy was visited and for nearly an
hour talked perfectly nationally with
the lawyers and others present. estab-
| fishing beyond the shadow Of doubt the
fact that she was not only remarkably
strong physically for one of her age, but
mentally alert and shrewd in the gen.
eral management of her affairs. DIR.
Allan McLane Hamilton, the expert
alienist, also visited Mrs. Eddy short
time ago, and made a thoro examina-
ton of her mental condition, as well as
of letters and communications written
by her pronouncing her entirely in
| every respect. The Doctor found her
dignified, but cordial. even joking
about the case brot by her relatives, re-
| ferring to them as "ne2ters.' Moth
ing in Mrs. Eddy's appearance. conver-
satien, nor letters showed the slight
est trace of insanity.
| Former Senator William E. Chand-
| ler counsel for the relatives, gave as
his reason for abandoning the suit that
the costs were heavy and that it was
realized that success along the lines de-
sired could not be obtained Mr..
Streeter, Mrs. Eddy's counsel. wished
| to go on with the suit, affirming that the
| next friends were backing out now
that they might contest Mrs. Eddy's
/ will at death. but the Judge said that,
as the case had been withdrawn, there
was nothing left to hear. The Chris
tian Science people are naturally jubi-
liant over the result of the suit which
Alfred Barlow, who stands next to Mrs.
Eddy in the church. has pronounced
"a gigantic farce" The head and front
of the Christian Science Church may be
more or less of a fraud in some re-
SpectS, one may not believe in the re-
ligion of which she is the exponent, but
all must admit that she is a unique
and wonderful personality. Christian
Science may not appeal to you or me,
| but it is undoubtedly true that it has
enabled many discouraged, hopeless
soul to pick up the burden of life and
go on. Nearly every one has friends
either chronic or nervous invalids, or
unable to rise above the burdens and
sorrows of their environment, who by
the aid of Christian Science have been
made well, happy, cheerful and useful
members Of society. Mrs. Eddy has es-
tablished a great church. she has thou
| believe in her implicitly and look upon
her as their deliverer. What other
woman in the whole history of the race
ever accomplished anything like it?
Bob Pinkerton, the head of the ia
nous Pinkcrton Detective Agency,
dropped dead while walking on the
deck of an ocean liner last week. He
had not been well for some months,
suffering from heart trouble, which,
however, was not thot at all serious,
and had been persuaded by his friends
TO make trip to Europe and try the
effect of the waters of Nauheim- The
Pinkerton Detective Agency was started
many years ago by the father of Robert
and William, who was cooper in Hi
nois. He assisted the Sheriff of the
| County at one time to catch a counter
feiter, and displayed so much real tall
ent in this affair that he was forced to
| believe that he had been cut out for the
business of catching crooks rather than
a cooper or anything else. He worked
for while as a regular detective on
the Chicago police force, and then
started his agency. During the civil
war Pnkerton pere and his son Bob
! performed feats which won for them
the repeated thanks of President Lin
coin. Bob, who was then a lad of 16,
obtained much valuable information for
Grant and his Generals by running sue
cessfully the Confederate lines. He and
his father broke a wpll-OrQaniZed