The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-03
The RomanceofS Stephen
Girard, One of Amer
ica's Greatest Finan-
ciers, and Pretty Polly
Lum, the Scullery
Maid

fairly well to de-. Too testy to be likable
and too saturii:ne Of visage. to be at
tractive. he had few friends.
But to Polly Lum the captain meant
opportunity. Admiration is dear to the
heart OF girl. She had caught the
CLINT OF his one eye the first time they
met. She knew how he hid In the vines
to view her at her morning trip to and
from the well. and when he sputtered
out his protest against the Shee order
that he should not come within their
grounds he announced his intention of
marrying the girl with or without their
| consent
Marriage to the captain meant home
to Polly Lum and escape from the
drudgery OF her situation. Maybe, too,
she loved Stephen Girard. Who can
tell?
In ITO they were married and went
to live above the little store in which
Girard sold goods. The honeymoon
scarcely was over before they quar-.
relied. He was domineering. intolerant
| and arbitrary. She was careless, slip.
shod and frivolous.
An angel couldn't suit Stephen Girard
The only time he knew tranquility was
when he was alone. Whatever there
was of sweetness of disposition in Polly
1.um soon soured in Polly Girard. Con-
| Jugal jars were common and became
more and more bitter and distressing.
Occasionally Polly Lum had reason
| to rejoice. That was when her husband
went voyaging. The call OF the sea was
strong in him. The chance for profit
in the Ssnto Domingo trade was big.
on one of these trips Capt. Girard's
proverbial good luck. or more properly
speaking, perhaps his courage, deserted
him. His ship had been fitted out with
| cannon for defence and his crew wer,
I we'll armed but when attacked he sur
rendered without resistance and he and
his vessel and cargo were taken into
Jamaica.
| 1t was long time before Polly Lun
saw Stephen Girard, but when she die
his temper was not improved. He wa:
| angered over the reports of his ALLEGED
cowardice and incensed because of hi.
losses. Here came the great turninl
point in his life.
Finding no particular pleasure IL
the c6mpanionship of his wife. he de
termned to educate himself. He bough
books and read and studied with all tn,
intensity Of his being. AS his affection
for Polly Lum withered his mind broad
ened. or all the authors whose works h,
read Noltare impressed him the most
Polly was glad when her husband tool
up a book. She couldn't tell the lette
A from the letter Il or do a sum IL
simple addition IL her life depended oil
1t, but when Girard was reading sh
might go about and mix with some o
her friends and forget for while he
domestic gales.
Girard was prosperous. Before he wa
25 people were talking of him as rich
although he then had less perhaps tina,
$4,000 in the world. But he always wa
talked OF as "Old Girard," so hard an
set did he appear. 1t did not matter tina
he was the subject Of criticism not onl
as to his treatment of his wife but hi
way of doing business. He did not car
, a fig about criticism.
Business was everything. He neve
permitted sentiment to affect him II
drove the hardest OF bargains and neve
abated a particle on the score Of friend
ship, favor or politeness. Any one VIII
, did so he considered weak. He neve
would give a penny except for servic
rendered or value received.
The Revolution was approaching. bu
IL he viewed 1t In other than it's rela
| ton to business there is little evidence
, When the British occupied Philadelphia
he moved to Mount Holly. n. j.. wit
Polly. opened a store there. and ais
conducted a bottling establishment 70
the bottling Of claret and cider.
Meanwhile Polly Lum had develope