A TWENTIETH CENTURY ROMANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 81, 26 April 1901, Page 4

A TWENTIETH CENTURY ROMANCE.

Thb daughter of Francis Berkeley, well-known in Oamatu (<s»ys the Ohrislcburch oorraspondf n.t of the ' M.aii'), who died some time back, it lhehero'neof oou if those siogular freaks cf fortune wh'ch translate poverty to riches with unexampled t.addenßiß. Berkfl.e;' who married an '>amara g.r', wai the brother, of Lady Nt, Geoige, wifa of Sir John St. Geoig 3 , uu Irish baronet liviag ao Glasgow, md htlJ an interest in £5,000 of tha Bi rseley estates, For thirteen yanrs he livid with hia wifa, bno died early last leaving a daughter about five yta-s od, named Bole. Mrs, then lefo Oamaru for Coristchnrih Oa the sth J&ouuy ths> little girl was plaaed in the Nelson Industrial Home, and her mother ordi rad to pay 8a a week for iti m-.ULt'uause. .News of this came to the knowledge if the child's relatives at H« m ■, who had (rjviois y ht>ard of be' father's death. Sir John i 3', George immediately cabled to say that Lady St. G orgs was anxious to adopt her utKce. At first her mother was naturally unwilling to pait with the child. She bhnogh!', ale 1 , that the in erest iu thu £5,000 of the estate which was left hvt by h r hcßband wouid terminate with the loss of her daughter. It transpires, howeyjr, chat this is not the case. Aft-sr some deliberation Mrs Barktley w»s satisfied that it was for tha ohild's welfare that she should go, and arrangemintiß were made for the girl to leave Mew Zealand on Rimutaka on the 28th. One provision which the mother made eonld not be refused. This was that j Bhe should go to Wellington by Tnesboat to say good-bye to the child before parting with ber on Saturday. Mr. Bectham, before whom the matter came, gava permission for the child to brought up in the Anglican religion, in accordance with Lidy St. George's wishes, instead of the Romaa Oatholio, as prescribed in the committal order ai the mother's rrqatgt. Captain L«ppam ia to take charge of her on the trip Horn®.