A BIT OF ROMANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1669, 22 September 1887, Page 3

A BIT OF ROMANCE.

A lady contribntor in Melbourne sends the •* Sydney Telegraph " the following : — "It is not generally known that there dwelt in Hast Melbourne during the past six yearn, fn utter seclusion, one of the most gl'ted, talented and brilliant women of the present age. Yet such ia the case. This wonderful woman is Madame de Hazard, known in all the Aristocratic circles of Europeans as one of the greatest Bculptors of modern times. For some reason at prerent unknown eho left art, home, country, friends and relations to live alone in Victoria, unknown and unoared for, and until a few weeks ago her very existence was a blank save to tbe Viriom tradespeople with whom she dealt. It wkb then discovered that the poor lady was in a very weak stato of mind and body for some weeks unattended except by a yocng grocor'a assistant and a lawyer. She died, leaving all her worldly possessions to Iho grocer's boy, who finds him. self the owner of the most valuable private art collections in the world, irrespective of diamonds, sapphires, and pearls, and statu.es from the chisel of the gifted woman, excelling anything of the kind in Australia. There are complete S)ts of Llmoge China, bearing the monogram "N " Bormounted by the Imperial crown in gold, together with a set of crystal, similarly crested. Amongst the collection were equlsite articles of vertu, purchased at a sale in the Taillerlen. The collection includes presents from the Popes, p3it and present; htotz b from He; oulaneum and Pompeii j oil paintings and pcoof engravings of rare value, one of (ho former supposed to be from the brush of no less a painter than Raphael More will probably be head of this extraordinary woman, who Is a Russian counters, and was married 20 years ago to a Mr John Hazard, an American ( mjljionajro.