Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-11
Young Edward Tuck French and His Bride,
Lillian Harrington, the Telephone Operator.
Nh. French Died and Left His Humbly
Born Bride and Baby to Be Cared for by
His Divorced Mother, who Prided
Herself on Her Birth.

have every chance and that her grandchild-
to-be should be born under proper condi-
tions.
There had never been a divorce in the
French family until Elsie French Wander
bit, aunt Of Mrs. Polly French Wagstaff,
divorced the late Alfred Vanderbilt. That
was quite a shock to a great many people,
who expected both Trenches and Wander
bits to set an example of old-fashioned
conventional domesticity. The divorce
contagion was then beginning to work.
Even at that time Elsie's brother, Amos
Tuck French, was living apart from his
wife, and there were rumors OF trouble
Mrs. French, who was born q lie Roy.
would not divorce her husband, it was said.
because she had been married nearly
thirty years and divorces were considered
both vulgar and wrong by the LIE Roy
amily.
After the Vanderbilt expose and with
tho passing Of another year or two indica,
tions showed that her mental attitude was
changing. Mrs. French began to hold
more emancipated ideas about divorce.
and while necessarily disliking publicity
she realized that n little more would NOT,
damage the French family, and so, in 1914.
she entered cult In tho Newport court.
Shortly after getting his freedom Amos
Tuck French married Miss Martha C.
heockman, sister of Livingston Beeckman,
Governor Of Rhode Island. n
Then began whispers that the Sam
Wagstaffs were headed for the rocks.
iDutW0l0 nG1Ca- hOurQvnr Moe
until 1918. when things began to happen
thick and fast and fate handed the
Trenches n double heavy blow. Ned
French eloped with Miss Harrington, the
telephone operator. Julia left her Ger
agility domicile and chauffeur husband and
went home to her mother with her Young
son.
Following her mothers example, Mrs.
Geraghty brought suit in the Newport
courts, and In December, 1919, won her
freedom.
In tho meantime her brother Ned's ae-
fair had reached its climax. His matri-
monlal career was a short and tragic one.
Married in the Summer OF 1918, his TO.
nance filled the newspapers and the COS
sips ears for several weeks. AS We know,
his bride left him more than once; then
he enlisted in the tank service Of the army
and went to camp. After the armistice he
secured a job IN Chicago. His mother
then reconctled him to his wife and she
was with him when he died in August.
1919. ~
What young Mrs. French's future will
be is an interesting problem. Mrs. French
will see that she suffers no pangs OF pow
erty and also that Edward. Junior, re-
ceives every care and comfort. lie will
be educated and trained for some profess
sion and all that sort of thing. The amaz-
ing part Of this mix-up is that Mrs. French
has two helpless grandchildren on her
hands-the son Of Jack Geraghty and the
offspring of her own soE.
Considering their birth and all that went
before, 1t is hard to predict what the
future holds for these unlucky youngsters.
The divorce complex may find susceptible
temperaments in them. but again, so d.
verso are tho strains Of their blood, they
may prove absolutely conventional. Kind
hearted friends OF the family are hoping
for the best. -
Last Summer Mrs. Elsie French Van.
derbit. who also lives a large part of the
year in Newport. added a romance to the
family history by her surprising marriage
with a poor young naval officer, Ensign
Paul Fltz Simon. some ten years her junior.
And then, this Summer. her niece. Mrs.
eampel Wagstaff. the author of the fateful,
significant essay on "Obsolete Man."
heightened the family divorce record by
Kidding herself of her husband,