Year: 1873




A correspondent of the Louisville Cougiey.


Journal furnishes the following interesting
episode of the Treasury Department al
Washington:


In this connection / will write all the
pleasant things that have been told me by
one who recently visited an ex-treasury
lady, in her baronial castle near Antwerp.
1t Is one of the few instances where the
foreign alliance has been success. 1t is
another romantic treasury story, taken
from the National Asylum for Distressed
Females.


In ante-bellum days there was rich
Washington wldower with two sons and
two daughters who married a wealthy
widow lady With one daughter, from Lou
isiana. They lived and flourished until
several more children were added to the
joint stock concern. and then the husband
suddenly died and the cruel sheriff came in
and claimed the house and furniture. All
the wealth which the former husband had
left to his widow and child had mysteri-
Ously disappeared. The poor woman was
wretehedly i'll when all this transpired,
which was during the thickest and hottest
Of our national conflict. lady who had
been perfect stranger to the family wher,
in at1uence heard Of their great distress and
called upon them, offering TO share her home
with the two girls, then sixteen years of
age and who We're step-ssters. Other
friends came forward and the family were
distributed around. The girls soon found


employment in the printing bureau of the
treasury, from which, in course of time,


they were transferred to more congenial


positions.


There was wonderful development of
talent, industry and heroic virtue displayed


by the girl who is the subject of this


sketch. She took house and gathered all


the family together. she rented all the


rooms she could spare. Before entering


upon her official duties in the morning she


purchased the marketing and superintenl-


ed the household, for her stepmother was


helpless invalid. After office hours,


which was T. NJ, she returned home and


sat down to the sewing machine to convert


into clothing for the younger children, who


were half sisters, the material bought with


the money she earned.


Fully five years were passed in this way,


The girl was beautiful and finely educated,


ana with all tie natural instincts for be-


coming dress and elegant society, yet she


mover indulged in either, but wore a simple


black dress, with plain linen collar and


cuffs. One day some strangers were pass


ing through the different rooms in the treas


ury sightseeing, and one, an attache OF the


Belgian legation, caught sight of the fair


young face, intent upon documents that


were strangely at variance with the refined,
ladv-like appearance OF the girl. TO cut


the story short, he found a way to her ac-
quaintance, and also to her heart. After
allowing some time for him to order the
tfousseau from Paris, the wedding day was
fixed. Then arose the obstacle of a diff
ference in faith. He was willing to abiure
the Catholic view of marriage being a
sacrament, and be content with the Episco-
pal service, but while marriage from that
hoo l. ,&xr - II.


try, 1t is not valid in Catholic country.
The representative of the Church of Rome
in this city refused to marry the couple if
the Protestant ceremony was to succeed the
Catholic. The infatuated lover considered
that stratagem was lawful and right in such
a case, so he took his betrothed and few
friends to st. Aloysius, distant cb urch,
and there, with few white lies about
themselves, they induced the priest t. tie
the knot. A few days afterward this pri-
vate marriage was publicly solemnized IN a
crowded Episcopal church.


The next Sunday the man who had defieI
the canons of Rome was publicly exce,n
municated And now, after six years have
elapsed, | will repeat what was told bv A
gentleman who, in June, went to Europe
with the syndicate. He and the lady had
served the government together in the saroA5
bureau. He says: when l arrived on Ant
werp sent my card TO Mime. Won Harve. 1
soon received note from her inviting me
to dinner. Of course accepted. She re-
celved me III her boudoir, as her little daugh-
ter 1.-THE third child was only three weeks
Old; She was elegantly dressed and looked
both happy and beautiful All the children
were fondly shown the baby being complete
ly enveloped in old Flemish lace. The es-
tate Is one of the finest in The country,
and the house sumptuous. The dinner was
served in dining room that was grand
with silver and rare pictures. Four SER
wants in livery waited on the table, and
there were nine different wines. The lady
assured him that everything he ate vas
raised on the estate from American SEED.
The corn and other vegetables, the fruits,
and even the turkey was Of American
After a pleasant renewal Of
their old friendship, and the Baroness had
extracted all the news about the old office
and those still there, the Major rose to take
his leave. She had sent her own carriage
and liveries for him, and returned him TO
his hotel the same way. Who will not say
she deserves all her good fortune and hap
pnesss Her friends rejoice to hear that her
husband is man ensugh to appreciate MS
treasure and good luck in obtaining SO.
noble woman for his wife,