Untitled

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 23, 5 January 1878, Page 3

How Harriet Staunton's Aunt became Lady ßivbbs.— The "Bedfordshire Times " says : "It has been staled that the .deceased Harriet Staunton was a niece of the late Lady Rivers. The late Lady Rivers was originally of very humble birth. Her father was a fisherman at Brighton, and she being remarkably light-headed, and remarkably fond of pleasure and gaiety, came 'to grief. She then appeared m town, where, as ■ ' Nelly Holmes,' she was what is called, , ' successful ' m her career, and strange to say, kept free from intemperate habits. She thus saved a goodly sum of money,- and, being of a generous disposition, she was not backward at even lending a little to a favourite lover m pecuniary distress. . One of her favourites ' Handsome Horace Pitt,' to wit— was almost always m this position, and Mistress Nelly relieved nis needs, till ultimately Horace stood her debtor to the tune of £2000. Of course he . could not pay her— poor Horace never could , pay anybody; but when his fair creditor began to dun him he hit on', an ingenious expedition for squaring ; accounts'. He offered to marry her, and after a little hesitation she - accepted her debtor's hand. "Thus were the two united, Nelly knowing absolutely nothing of ■ her husband's prospects. As matters turned out, to everybody's surprise, Horace Pitt fell heir to the earldom of Rivers, and poor Nell Holmes; suddenly found herself a real live countess. She never forgot her poor friends, however; and, having her inoaey carefully settled on herself, she provided for her sister's child, the poor creature who has met**rith sucn a shocking death at Penge." -^