Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-25
GIRL MODEL TELLS
OF HER DOWNFALL;
CAUSED BY DRINK
Nellie Fenning, Once Noted
Beauty, Patronized by
Great Artists, Driven to
Despair by Divorce and
Loss Of Her Child.
From High Rank in Sphere to
Which She Was Peculiarly
Adapted, She Has Descend
ed to Condition of Abject
Misery.

There isn't anything that will send a
woman to the dogs SO quickly as taking
her child away from her. Every woman
knows that, but 1t seems hard to make
a man understand It. That's what they've
done to me and look at me-"
Looking at the slatternly, blowsy crea-
ture hunched in dark corner OF little
room at e42 South Water street, scarcely
enough clothes on her body to cover II
and her feet encased in rough wornout
pair Of mems shoes, 1t seemed hard to be-
lieve that this was Nellie Fenning or
Hulges, the model most sought after
few years ago by prominent artists and
sculptors Of Philadelphia and New York,
and 1t seemed hard to believe, too. that
the woman with features so refined and
a voice so melodious and cultured could
be the same brought into Magistrates
court yesterday morning on the charge
of drunkenness and released when she
took the temperance pledge.
Charles Dana Gibson, Howard Chandler
Christy, Cecilia BeauX, Bryson Bur-
roughs, George Grey Barnard and other
famous artists clamored for Nellie Fen
ming to pose for them. Starting at the
age OF II years to pose for a special May
pictorial number of a Philadelphia news-
paper. her subsequent success as n model
was so great that she soon found her
way to New York, where the perfect con-
tour of her arms and neck and the
Madonna like expression of her lovely
face won for her the name of being the
most desired model in the artists quarter
there.
But Chris Hulges came along after
little WHILE" she said sadly land I mar
ried him. He's divorced me, he's lied
about me and he's taken my child away
from me, but 1 can't help loving him
a little bit even yet.
AFTER we had been married a little
while funds began to get low and he said:
Nellie, If you went out to work again,
we might be able to put a little some
thing by for our old age. I was against
II from the first, but l went to work to
please him and that was the beginning
of 1t ALL
There was plenty OF work for me-
posed for George Grey Barnard for the
figures of Art, Music and Poetry which
decorate the New Amsterdam Theatre in
New York and also for Bryson Bur-
roughs when he was doing the murals for
Aeollan Hall, and for hundreds of
Chrsty's book illustrations and many of
Gibson's drawings, too
"They were wonderful gentlemen, all of
them. Sometimes l made as high as $50
II week, ana SnrlS NINA my uOlTlB
1t, apparently, but several years ago he
deserted me. Then he stole Helen, my lit
tie girl, from me and soon divorce papers
were served on me-"
Nellie Hulges was crying now HE
charged that I had been unfaithful to
him and also that I had beaten my
little girl. Lies, all lies. I took my
first drink when I got those papers and
then I couldn't stop. 1 was put into the
House of Good Shepherd and the case
came up in New York Just after had
been released. 1 had no money or clothes |
to wear to go over and see If l couldn't |
stop him from getting the divorce. but |
before 1 knew II he had 1t and then I /
started to drink again.
''He's got Helen hidden away from me
She's a beautiful little girl |
OF nine years and I don't think I can
live without her. What incentive is there
for me to work and to live? I'm going to
start in again, however. I've given my
pledge to the magistrate, and intend to
keep It. Maybe Chris will have some
mercy on me then and give me back my
little girl"
Despite the coarseninE traces which
drink and poverty have begun to leave on
her, it is easy to imagine the great beauty
that Nellie Fenning must have been. Big
brown eyes as clear as baby's illuminate
her face which quantities of heavy black
hair frame, and no amount of neglect has
been able to spoil the beautiful tapering
hands and well-shaped arms.
'T am 20, now" she volunteered, "and
suppose that's too young to go under.
AS soon as I can pull myself together
I'm going to look for work and then I'm
going TO night school and learn stenog-
raphy. Maybe If I can save enough
money, can get to New York to see my
little Helen. 1t was losing her that made
me what I am now. Perhaps after all
I'm /. ~. -