The Starkville news., 1908-11-06

is to be found in her makeup. A
plain, old-fashioned village woman she
started her career, and that she re-
mains to this day. She never cared
anything about fine clothes or society,
and her friends were chosen by prefer
ence frcln among the people who were
doing the work OF the world. With
professional women she was particu-
larly friendly. That period Of her own
life between 1S47, when she was grad
uated, and 1869, when she married
Mr.. Sage, was spent In teaching school
whenever her health would permit,
and she never felt above anyone who
earned his or her living. Anyone who
had ever been introduced to Mrs. Sage
could see her as easily in her own
home as If she had been the wife of
clerk instead of a multi-millionaire.
DUT the papers had barely an
ID nounced Mr.. Sage's death when a
rush began upon her house that beg
| CARED description. Mrs. Sage had been
| advertised to the world not only as
| very rich woman but as a very chart
! table one, who intended to distribute
! the fortune which Mr.. Sage spent his
| life in heaping up. There are men
| who spend their lives watching for
| just such people and whose standing
| in the educational or charitable insti-
tutions with which they are connected
| depends on the size of the contribu-
tiOns they can secure. Innumerable
| persons OF this class besieged Mrs.
| Sage's house, and she frequently was
| amazed at the character and standing
of such persons and at the means they
| used to secure interviews with her.
| Human strength could not endure the
strain, and she intrenched herself be-
hind solid wall of humanity.
| The experience of one woman who
| tried to pierce this rampant will illus
| trate the process. This woman was
Philadelphia of good family and high
social standing, interested in worthy
object She was not the type of wom-
an who is denied admission anywhere,
and she came to New York armed with
letter of introduction from an old
and highly esteemed friend of Mrs.
Sage. She drove straight to the
house, at No. 632 Fifth avenue, suppos-
ing that her visiting card and letter of
introduction would be enough to at
least gain her admission. The front
door was opened about three inches
and there appeared in the aperture
face quite wooden in its immobility.
\ IN hn Of nd
/ was old Nelson, who belongs to
the nearly extinct species Of old family
| servitor. He is known among those
| familiar with the subject as Mrs.
Sage's dragon" and his business is to
keep people on the wrong side of that
| front door. He would not touch either
card or letter, and shut the door In the
Philadelphia lady's face.
Then she set in motion the various
means of communication known to CIV
ilization She telegraphed, telephoned,
sent letters by special messenger.
Nothing received the slightest reply.
She went to the pastor of the Dutch
Reformed church where Mrs. Sage
worshiped He was courteous but OBJ
| durate. Hundreds of such requests
came to him; it was impossible to
| grant them. She went to Mrs. Sage's
country home on Long Island, thinking
that in the more easy atmosphere OF
country life the guard would be re-
| laxed A maid rejected her card and
| turned her from the door with no more
ceremony than If she were peddler.
| She set to work to find personal
| friends of Mrs. Sage who would intro
duce her In every direction she en-
| countered the human wall, made up
of lawyers, physicians, detectives,
nurses, secretaries, servants, all in
| 1exibly barring the way to Mrs. Sage.
The lady from Philadelphia returned
to the city of Philadelphia q sadder
| and wiser woman.
| e ONE ONE wrote book once on
- Prisoners of Poverty" Mrs. Sage
| is a prisoner of wealth. Behind this
| human rampant she sits, afraid that
| . some one may reach to torment her.
| In the old days, when Mrs. Sage had
only a little money to give to any,
| thing, her personal interests were all
| in charities and educational work for
| women-the Womans hospital, the
| Woman's Exchange, the Pascal Insti-
tute, the Emma Willard School for
Girls, the Home for Aged Women at
Amsterdam avenue and One Hundred
and Fourth street. She used to like to
go around to meetings of these socie-
ties. and of other women's organiza-