Year: 1870

one Hdu attracted some attention III private
circles by her reading and had given public
readings for the benefit of the Soldiers hospital
On this Mcfarland proposed TO take her to New
York and fit her for the stage, in the profession
of an actress. He also announced that he
should himself adopt the profession of an actor,
in case her success became assured He had
been some time teacher of elocuton in q mill
tary school in Maryland and began training her
in the reading of stage parts. In June, 1861, he
sold all the little furniture in Madison and
brought the family East, first going to her faith
ers to leave little Percy, so she could devote all
her time to the stage. AT New York he began
drilling her, and sent her to Mr. and Mrs George
Vandenhof to be fitted for the stage. She also
began to give readings in the fall, and paid their
board during the fall and winter with her earn
ings. At Christmas, in 1862, she felt so hope
full with the readings she had begun, that she
sent Mcfarland to New Hampshire to get Percy.
lie took all the little stock of jewery she pos
sessed and sold them in Boston


Mcfarland was unsocial and cruel to her in
the fall and winter of 1862 and 1868. They oc-
cuped the only sleepng-room on the pnrlor-
iioor OF 3S Narlck street, and he could not give
full scope to his furies without being overheard
She was studying hard for the profession for
which he designed her, and to make success
in the readings by which she was supporting
both him and herself. He would lock himself
into the room with her, threaten to take poison
and make her take it, snatchng up her scissors
and, tearing open his breast, would brandish
them about, swearing he would let out his
hearts blood, and told her he kent loaded MIS-
tolls, with which he would at any moment shoot
her. He fell out with her one evening, declar
ing he would shoot gentleman because she had
invited MN to join himself, her and another
lady, in party to some public picture gallery.
lie really protessed to be Jealous, however. for
her conduct gave him no cause, show of
cause. On one morning during the winter, af-
ter Mcfarland had been out nearly all nipht in n
drunken orgie, he struck her blow across the
face which made her reel backwards Althoucb
he had often pinched and hit her in some of his
hts OF drunkenness, he never before struck her
so cruel II blow. Without raising her voice she
said, " shall never be able to forgive Won for
such an outrage" Before that she had shed
tears under his cruelty, and tried to reason with
him, but atterward, whenever he was in one of
his paroxysms, as he called them, she never
moved or spoke, but kept self-control as far as
she could, looking him in the eye, because she
ihncled IT would prevent any mortal violence
She believes now, as then, that her life has
been saved by silence and self-control. He
sometimes approached her with hands extended
ana hngers bent like claws, as if he were about
to clutch her throat and strangle her, he would
say our life is bound sometime to end in
tragedy" or Your blood will be on your
own head, or How should like to strange
you" lie was only restrained because she
looked at him without saying word. In these
fures he wouI0 often seize and break anything
which was at hand. Lamps, glasses, mirrors
and sometimes the heavy furniture of the room,
and crushing things about the room till IL has
seemed to her there could be no pandcmonum
worse than that in which she lived, and all this
would he do without explanation, or even II pre-
text OF complaint against her, and when she
knew no more what excited his frenzy than n
babe. lie would sometimes keep up this con-
duct and this abuse for hours without syllable
or motion being made on her part She never
told him after that winter she could forgive or
could love him. although he sometimes implored
her to do so, because she could not say so with
truth. Generally she told him she pitied him,
which was true. Sometimes he said Your
ID silence irrtates more than if you talked 4"
When he struck her this blow, in 1862, she told
Mrs. Cleveland, sister of Greeley, the only per-
son to whom she spoke of Mcfarland otherwise
than IN manner becoming wife to speak of
husband till the winter of 1861 and she devoted
all her woman's skill and tact to hide his con-
duct from observers.


In the the spring of 1868, Mcfarland got ap-
pointed to position in the Office of II Provost
Marshal, for which she, under his orders, and
against her own feelings, intcrceded through
Greeley. AS soon as he got his Office she ceased
preparations for the stage, aud went to her



land summoned her to New York with Percy,
who was i'll at the time, saying he would burn
her fathers house over his head if she didn t
come. She arrived in New York in August
After few weeks the physicians said Percy
would die i: not sent back to the country, and
she again returned to her fathers and staid till
November.


During the previous winter she met Mrs. Sin
clair often at Mrs. Ceveland's, and had been
shown great kindness by her. Her influence
was given to securing the appointment for Nc
Farland. In the winter of 1864 they were Sin
clair's near neighbors. One night Mcfarland
came home so bruised and bleeding from street
broii-a not uncommon occurrence-that she
was Obliged to call on Sinclair for aid in getting
him to bed. She kept him in bed week, and
brought his meals to him herself


From the spring of 1868 to the fall of 1864
Mcfarland sent her home three times and moved
her to eight different boarding houses. If for
one moment she was in peaceful possession Of
shelter, his habits dissatisfied temper drove
him to change. Al last, in the fall of 8G4, Sin
clair offered him rent free his unoccupied farm
house, on the Hudson river, where they staid all
winter, and in the summer took n small tene-
ment, also in Croton, which was furnished
cheapy with $500, borrowed by Mcfarland from
her father.


His conduct was more endurable in the sum-
mer of 1865. He lost his place under the gov
ernment, and made no attempt to do anything
She suggested that she would have to give read
ings again. He swore terribly at her, but made
no answer. She went on with the readings, and
with the money saved thereby went to her
fathers, leaving her children with her mother
She gave other readings, and with the money
paid the physician who attended her at Danny's
birth, now eighteen months old. She also ar
ranged to print little book for children. Re-
turned to New York to occupy small rooms over
a stable on Thrty-sixth street, which Mcfarland
had hired. "This winter" she says, ." | made
desperate struggle for life. | had my two
babies-the younger just weaned had this
man half of the time coming home intoxicated,
and had nothing but my woman's heart and
hands to look to for support. gave all the
readings | could | did my own housework
when at home ! took faithful care of my