A Romantic Career.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 96, 26 March 1885, Page 4

A Romantic Career.

Li|fk of Miss G e n Evrr. v c :Wa rd. c'"- ■ ■.'•';«■.!•■. •■•!- ..- ... . ..... .1 ,•• !"\p,n'ie ; years ; ago— -in fact a, good many— the celebrated ' 'Madame Sointag, wjiilp visiting m Ciiicinatti, happened to mee'tiii' society n' young girl whose charming', manner captivated &b£illu.sjjri£ius visitor. «' This young-girl^ , whose * singing *more especially attracted Madame Son-' tag's attention) on account, offthe) rich and flexible voice - was *m ■ i that ; lady's own words, " too a thing $©;be lps^tpithe^vprld,, jit is. a gem which.,! polished, . wiJ ( V sparkle with m. frst .lxrUlifin^t ; jus fre.^i , It was M|:ss vho^t;,, early .Age-— =alXi}pst childjsh,; jage- T - : tluiS! jcharropd . ; tine of the most observant, .art-critjics ! 'df ) Europe, and by,, fie? B.w.e^tj voice anid elegant dfepoEtmcnt .gained ! a powerful aus, ever., true £rie»,d.> .W;itoh 'little difficulty Madame persuaded |.!M:iss Wardjtoigo.wiitfi'Jhec to',J?aris, .tjhere to prepare for the operatic ( stage.- Her^pii'p'il ahdifriefod^whbm she delighted' io instruct and superintend, gave Madame Sontag per-r feet satisfaction. Miss Genevieve studied faithfully "and" prattieally ', 'at' the sarnie time obtaining a quick and acurate 1 ttriowledge ' of the ' fVencn " language., , Her stay m Paris was varied* with' 1 mWy > trips — fificiuairi^ j visits to Rome and "'Flor6titfei I 'and v her talent, voice, and pei'sonaF '-attractiveness, and American vivacity could not be hidden under a JsJie''be'ca'rtie 'very much admired and "sojught after by gentlemen of all ranks and fortune^ 1 sSheJ'-bestoXved her friendship ftndi.finftllyi^her Q'dve on ' Ce'Mt'De Gu&bel, i»/ Russian, wjiose wealth, magnificent -physique, and^fa'siMfltliHg'thahnerv ■ riiade^ oHrerw^ielntittgly; agreeable'.; by v.a f ''Tealiy d^ep passion, won from ! th4ftri ! ie"aikl appreciative heart of Miss 'Wai'd-'kn esteem and admiration? which: 'iwoulld jdo honor to any man^vho lived. -She wks tlien'-'eighteeri, ipetitedy'jloved, an^ f sur:otlnded. iby ' every. 'luxury. Her mother, whose- -worldly eyes saw morev plai4l^ than iher i daughter th^e advantage! '6f :suchi dm •; ia'lli&tfc^; i/fHyoted the match, and evenftilally, M 4 full pomp and ceremony, m the Roman Catliblic' 1 ' Ch'uKli^ Miss \V"ardhad the happiness of being united to, the man, of her, chpic.e, and thus bec'oming the : rr: '' l) 11 I COUN^js'M GuMifetl i It.iwas. but..a t ;few ( n)9me,n^s. : aft9 r r., tlie reception,; , and fthenJliej happy cbuple had started by carriage. ( on their Vending Jbiirriey, "that ■ af' inexsenge^^arijiyed . ; m,; .breabhle^s,, haste ahd;.anno;uneed tp. .-, the , ; , astonislied and indignant -mpther.' that Count d^e. GuerbeV being Russian^ i consideire'dlhe'm^rriagesacrament\as performed >m the Roman (^Catholic j Church. a^ 'not' Uindiug at -i all ; and thati'iii fact; "unless a was also consecrated '■' in ■* the ' Greek Gh'iVr'cs'nv'tnie Count could repudiate lltfis^TSVakCifi itny'timej'declare 1 susfcaih h ; iS 'clajm ; th'a£t tlib marriage \fas void and' A 'null,;' &rid leave' his* beautifiai. w ( ife,in a most : unenviable position, '!ss% S V}?B "H$ i^ a^ we^ aware of these facts, and , had, ,the rep.«4ataQn / pfb < eing.anunsc^upu*J9usly fast man, he probably hacj intenddd to secure for -his own pleasure th&persen of Miss Ward urider thele falsfe" *pretences," and ; would ■■ m - 'all prbbabflity iw time betray her," ■The ' 1 mb^hef; like ''£ brave and diplomatic ■ woinanY cbtisulted' the/ Americhri (Donsu j, obtained hi s ' Mvice, anfl ; instant!^ Ypllowied 1 her ' ddughter ' b.^ 1 , tjrjjirdf'., patching tHe bricpl\' party | v wjth]n a fpw %urs of their 'dejja'r-^ 1 ture',' She ! immediately) , pr.esen t^cj' ' ; herself to the pount, ,y fio^np t w^ vtr ' was ; disagreeably, sur.prised :i ;tp , , meet. .sosopn^again,|iis;,.mp^her-ip r ]a^, li aft4. : under such awspices.t.^ut „;Ji^ immediately proved- himself to be , the vjMaiVihe! iwas, for Pn>her/irifbrm- ■ ing^impf' the^tabpof affair^ as ; shq. .had ascertained' them, he utterly re-' .fused to be united to Miss Ward m the Greelit Churchy and -neither, proposed any other method of making ' good the marriage^nooeyertatitempt^ ■cdi to excuse^ hirriself. '»UpoH this 1 Miss^Wkd returned home with her i m6the'r,:'safe and 'sound, 'but'bitterly i i ) ; ; tMGUTiIFjED , AND .UNHAPPY. ,,,.., : They rettrrried to Paris, i and de4 <' : termined to appealto the Emperor 1 of Russia for W jirstifce' and protec- ' tton of Miss Ward's ihonoim < They ) 'received an -invitation from- His; Majesty 'fo v-isit'thei(3our6 bt St. Peters^ .burg. That she might more ; ably I fnaKd'heV personal apneal,' ahd"lay' i the cas^.more eloquently .' before ' the Toy al mind|' 'ISliss' Ward : devptfed ' ■ fess.?elf.tp the study of Russian,' ' and m six weeks had so mastered th"is~" difficult language^: that she could ! ' converse ihrCordiriary terms quite sufficiently well -to be understood. ; I at, Petersburg, „tb.e, ; mother arid daiJgjiter.F.ere given a ; suit of rooms m the Palace, and ' were received r b,y ; the.., |?.^in cess with fevery mark of sympathy and;es,teem. Tiie EnipQi;9r.{lP ar^ their,' sj-pry, F <^f, t\iH* ;^uth . of which, ; of . course^ thqy had Wndo,«j|>ted ; proof^r wisJ .indigr nant cippreciatioji of the mortification and' social disgrace w^hich his subjpet, had • so -Villainously iheaped. , upon] theni '■. He 1 i mm ediately ordered . th e world 1 tp bf search ed' ! for the Count* ■But the'Cbunt 'had ' hidden himself well. 1 It was' not until six months that W] was "broiight 'triumphantly jii'tb"' the " Russian ciapital. The Emperor personally 'cbmmanded the ■Cpupfj to niarvy Miss WarfV, 'atid' he :w,as .obligexl to. 'gjve,' 7 fiis ! reluctant |cpns^iti -'jWjy^li^ acted itf^the iway lie had done, and what f \)j& objection !tp, a inarrjagp, wit/?, 4. ybi^ng girl of irreproachable charactcv, : wliom .he- 'seeiricd' <to passionately adore, and had takon So much ; pains to possess, he nqver told, and no imii ever knew. . Miss Ward's broth- . cr>*. jl'vacl -,'.arri Vc : d " m . St. retcr'sblirf:., ' arids'Ju'ino; a man" of c l liara'ct6'r. H\dd > sworn l(> see Jus sister liitidG the ' honorable wife of her suitor or"'"' '''- i . Kfl-L THE COUNT. I The marriage ceremony, performed m the Palace m presence of

the F m f)cV6rf and - }< Eni]vve.ss; thy j royal household, and the many ; , r/iont's -Miss 'Wacd ; : \iiul givhtrri rtnr- ■ ing her stay m St. retevsbur^, ; .w;i!i ; ,An ih>poijinK!scene,i! 'riuvbr.lde,! y v as i attired m deep .mournings, ; ; aaul was ' eccoi'ted /to the.i altai- by li^r- b.vpfh^ I'-.1 '-. whose hand.v.,was. on . -v. Revolver ready to shoot the bridegroom at the slightest sign.. of .false-, play. {l?lie meeting between tlicse 1 t^o, who had loved and breathed the words oPlove to.,ettch utlier, »,and who! -how "stood up to be married by force and 1 m; the*; httitude i jpf. ! idcadljl c.ehjeftiiGftj.-. w^is strange and| melanbholy 4n the extr£ia£.JjSut Miss Ward even more spiritually focjautiiM^rid* eVtn .felfo uf h«WM '■ soj wronged her she always loved tho Cbunfc'-'de'Glierb'dt; 1 afitJ- 'still loved' hi;m with all v her w6rhan' ) s soul.. It, was too lwcir 6%H for his cold.' atfd wicked • '■ Hfer /: beauty, hbr 11 borrow, her mourning atitiTe;^H-^ppcirrcdtordmnTTtnd^thetr-ai^d there all his veal passion was renewed within him, and added to it aij exalted feeling of remorse and adoration, which made him fling himself at her feet. But at the expiration of the ceremonies her brother sternly led her away, and the Count was coldly commanded by the -Kmperor to go his way and ■nevfer show his face m Court again. 'Humiliaiedi and despairing, he made the- strongest by message to his wife, begging her to be his wife in| reality, assuring her of-this>Cpdbst^ tanc^ ffisi although her J^p^cjfed^uL ta'him, her sense of moraf 'obligation was stronger. S|ie refused, TheTamily went to Pjarfs; Vnad'tlfe -^C!(!> c unt?"tr4ed I "ev^if nietliod't'o'sek" liW : anfd : hYake fi) ''her )t listWil 1 tel s his 1/ sl ! ie' 1 sailed for Ameriai^"' 1^- {i « I '"' l « " ll) • I It was on her r^barjytrip to this York. The critics pronoun ced.^iiqiv vjoice exquisitely sweet, well-trained afr&ffl&WftU teie it ' wk§.j3otk dttbygl | chough for ; p,|»era, and^e^asr c^sidercd a fatlurei : .Sj]^ retired into private life, and, loosing her mother, (juietly ><pe,rfornjejd] th^ jsir^pjerxlutjes of the household for her father fbr seven j'e&M At'the'eMof kti&t tim.e jCoijnt, dp Guerbel , die^l^ and . she iinmediat'eiy' went 'bacfc ' t6" "tw boards 1 • of- the ;theatsre, ; 'i i with-*'wha i (/ excellent and increasing success is iwell knowu. v . ■;! !•)