Year: 1877

Mrs. hoffman crossed the sea and join
ed her husband in this city, leaving her
child in care of her sister.


CONCEALING THE MARRIAGE.


Devotedly attached to her husband,
and willing to sacrifice any thing for
his love, the young wife and mother
followed her profession, Mr. Hoffman
residing with her when in New York
and attending her regularly to the thea.
ter, still leading his family to believe
that the acquaintance was simply one
OF the ordinary attachments, common
enough, as the world goes, and vet
n,lndlng his wife to secrecy until such
time as he was willing to acknowledge
the marriage and present to his parents
the woman who had made his way-
ward life happy-to whom he could al
ways cling as guardian of his peace
and comfort.


The fault of concealment was not
censurable in every way, for, as a pet
ted son, he feared displeasure, and
when, at last, stricken with sickness
and worn out with anxiety, he was sent
to his fathers country seat at HYDE
Park, his wife, fulfilling professional
engagements at Troy and Albany, was
only casual visitor to her husbands g
home on the Hudson.


THE SAD STORY OF DEATH.


Strange and eventful as his career
had been, George j. Hoffman, broken
in spirit, and with the lingering disease
gnawing at his life, was suddenly
stricken with paralysis, and on January
29 of the current year, he died at HYDE
Park alone, except attended by the
servants, and before any of his family
could reach him.


The story of his marriage had been
already told by him to those at the vii
lage hotel, where he had at times re-
sided while his fathers house had been
closed, and the young wife reached her
husbands bedside but few moments
after his death, and few moments be-
fore his mother reached the deathbed
of her son. Sc


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND LOVE.


The scene between the widow and
the mother was one over which care
less eyes may well draw the veil of
sanctity. Mrs. Hoffman, ending for
the mourner by her sons corpse, asked
the simple question:


"Are you Georges wifeP" The re-
ply came simply, in another question:


care you Georges mother?' and
when the answer was given, trembling
ly, and with head bowed in sorrow,
with mothers tears, the new-found
daughter was acknowledged, and the
end of the romance was begun.


The heart history of the dead son
came slowly to the mothers heart, and
it was received with kindness. There
was no word of reproach, no word of
censure, no semblance of doubt. Mrs.
Hoffman tells the story as only moth
er can, and that the danseuse is es-
teemed with all the fondness of
daughter is the best tribute to the men,
ory of wayward but not spendthrift
son.


After the death of George and the
funeral from his fathers residence in
Fifth Avenue, the widow resided for
some months with her husbands
parents and only left the mansion to
occupy the house of friend in an ad-
jacent street, during the absence of the
owner in Europe. During the last
summer she resided at Hyde Park with
her sister-in-law, Mr.. Hoffman's
daughter, with whom, as with all of
her late husbands family, she was
favorite as an "angel of goodness" as
her mother-in-l expresses it, in the
family.


WHY SHE IS STILL DANCING.


Welded to her profession and still
desirous while enjoying her great popu-
larity as danseuse, and at her own
desire, Mrs. Hoffman's late engage
ment at the Fifth Avenue Theater and
her present one in Toronto have
brought her again before the public as
a dancer.


So far as her present professional
career is concerned, the family of her
late husband consent to it simply out of
Difference to her wishes. Her mother
in-law, Mrs. George Hoffman, went
with her when her engagement at the
Fifth Avenue was made with Mr..
Stephen Fiske, Mr.. Days business
manager, and her home at Mr.. Hoff-
mans house is always open to her, and
where she is always loved visitor
during the interim of her engagements.


The statement of the facts as given
by the Herald is by direct authority,
and it is due alike to Mile. Bonfanti,
and to those with whom she is connect
ed, to state that in withholding the &C
knowledgment of her marriage with
George j. Hoffman until after his death
she acted in obedience to her husbands
wishes, and the best test of her purity
of mind and purpose and the secret of
her romantic marriage and it's result are
shown in her avowal made to Mrs.