WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 109, 16 August 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.) NOTES. A deal of interest was centred in the wedding of Mr. D. Pownall and Miss KvJyn Geary, which took place at St. Ibeorge's Ohurcli, Patea. The bridesmaids were Misses Mona and Maise Geary. The newly-wedded couple wore the lec'picnts of a large number of presents. They left for Danueviike, en route to Sydney on their honeymoon. Miss R. Taylor, of Mangere, Auckland, is on a short visit to her sister, Mrs. T. C. Schnackenberg, Vogeltown. She returns home cn Monday next with iher brother, Mr. Ralph Taylor, who has been here for a few weeks' rest. The wondeiful collection of Australian flower pitture-,. painted by Mrs. "Ellis Rowan, is being sold piecemeal on the premises of Angus and Robertson, iSydnel (says the Bulletin). The story of the collection is something of a tragedy. Mrs. Rowan did far Australian flowers wihat Gould did for ibirds. She travelled great distances to paint rare wild blossoms in their own environment, and very often one picture would cost £SO or £6O or so in expenses. Many of them represent rare and scarce flowers, which are vanishing like the aborigine - stifled by prickly-pear, crowded out by cultivation, or trodden to death by sordid cowhoefs. Twice at least Mrs. Rowan received very large of era from abrcad—offers running into a good many thousands; tout she did not want her works to leave Australia, and she always reckoned that, one day or another, some Austraian Government 'would buy the lot so that they might be kept together and made available for the public. No such Government eventuated, however, and things are not so good with the talented artist as they were; so one of the finest collections of flower studies in the world is being scattered to the four winds—in maDy cases at absurd'y low prices. There resides in Grey mouth an interesting lady who attained her 103 nd year on 6th May last, and to judge by her activity in conducting the duties of housekeeper for her two granddaughters', ■whom she has looked after since they ■were left orphans nearly three years ago, she seems good for at least another decade. Mrs. Joshua Osborne is (says a correspondent) tJhe widow of the late Mr. Joshua Osborne, who 50 years and more ago was the leading horse dealer in Christclmrch, and can be remembered by early residents t*>ere as the only man at that time who day in and day out, wore a white "belltopper" JiaU,, with sporting clothes to match. But as a judge of horses he had few equals, and had the confidence of all the stationowners at that time. It is his son George's children whom the old lady is looking after. 'Ho was 'killed in the locality of the State mine. Mrs. Osborne is a native of King's County, Ireland, and sailed direct from there to Melbourne as a child with her parents, finding it a place with only one house, and that made of "bark and slabs.

A ROMANCE OF DEVOTION. ■LIFE MASQUERADE FOR THE S AKE OF A GIRL. STRANGE EVIDENCE. London, June 24. Seldom has iso romantic a story of devotion and self-sacrifice been unfolded as that which was related yesterday at the inquest on "Harry" Lloyd, the Enfield woman who had masqueraded in man's attire for a quarter of a century, and whose long-kept secret was only .revealed by. her death. 4 • Twenty-six years ago she posed as the father of a child who was christened Elizabeth Lloyd, and who is now a school teacher. The child's mother died in 1890, and was inscribed in the death certificate as "ißliza Lloyd, wife of Harry Lloyd, newsagent." Even then "Harry" Lloyd did n , reveal her secret, and it was never suspected 1 by Miss Lloyd. The former was know at Enfield as an intelligent and well-educated old man, who gave lessons in French and German, took a keen interest in politics, and actually voted at elections.

By piecing together the evlden.e that was given at the inquest and the stories that have been related cf her, it is possible to arrive at an explanation of her strange conduct. She was careful to leave nothing behind that would disclose the story of her life, but enquiiies tend to shovv that she was in reality Marie Le Roy, a vivacious Frercliv >man, who worked with Charles Brr l'augh and Austin Holyoafee thirty years ago and took a prominent part at meeting; of Freethinkers'. It was about the time that Miss Elizabeth Lloyd was born that Mnvie IJ Roy suddenly disappeared. "It seems as if tihis woman was attached to Miss Lloyd's mother," said Mr. A. M. Forbes, the coroner, at the inquest yesterday, "that she passed as her husband during licl life-time in cider to protect her, that after Eliza Lloyd's death she tinned to pass a;; the father of the little girl who was left behind, in order to protect the honor of Eliza Lloyd. "If this is so it was a very pi the tic and kind reason which prompted her to undertake that task of unselfish lova for so many years." "MY FATHER."

Miss Elizabeth Lloyd, who lived with "Harry" Lloyd at Alma road, E.ifield Wash, was the principal witness at the inquest. She gave her evidence without emotion, and in a straightforward manner.

"I always regarded her as irv father," she said. "So far as my memory goes back she always dressed as a man. I remember things that happened when 1 was three years old. "I remember the death of my mother .perfectly. I was just six and a-half years old, and we were living at Ponder's End. After we leit Ponder's End we lived at Tottenham Hacikney and Edmonton before we came to Etifield." "Did you understand what her nationality was?" the coroner enquired.

"I always understood it was French," Miss Lilovd replied. "She spoke French perfectly." "Did she have any friends?— Not that I remember, except local friends. They were people who became acquainted with her after we came to live here. 'I have received a telegram from Mr. Ivels, an auctioneer at Southend.—She worked for Mr. Kels at Edmonton at the time I first remember definitely. She did some distraint work and kept a lodging-house for him. During what'period of her life did she give lessons in French? —Until last August, when .she became unwell.

Did she ever tell you what her age was?— She was seventy-four when she died. | Did she ever see a doctor? —Never to my knowledge. She was never ill until last August. Did you ever suggest she should see a doctor ?—I have done so many times during the last year, but she always declined, saying she would be better when the weather got better. Was she very decided about it?— Very. DEATH CERTIFICATE. The coroner read a copv of a death certificate showing that Eliza Lloyd, the mother, who was twenty-nine years old the time of her death in 1890. "Did she ever speak about your mother?" he asked. "If I questioned her she would tell me little details," said Miss Lloyd. "I rarely asked her, because it always upset her." ; What did slie tell you?—' She told me mp name was Con loit, or a name something like that. She said my mother and her brother were Londoners, were left orphans, and were brought up in Holborn. While they lived there her brother went away to the colonies, and she went to stay with her maiden aunt. Did she ever say anything to you about the circumstances of her marriage with your mother?—l asked, and she always said, "Another time." (Did you ever say anything about the name Lloyd, knowing she was supposed to be- French?— She said she came of Welsh people who settled in France some generations back. She said she had one brother named Paul Lloyd. Do you think you mother was her sister?—l do not think so. Sometimes I think she was one of the maiden aunts, because, so far as I know, she went as a man before.

Before the death of your mother?— No, before my birth. She told me about many of her connections with politics and things like that which led me to believe that she was a man. PHOTOGRAPHS.

;A number of photographs which were handed to Miss Lloyd included one of "Harry" Lloyd, iher mother, and herself as a little girl. Another was a photograph of a young girl in white who bore a strong resemblance to "Harry" Lloyd. , "She was acquainted with Mr. Charles Bradlaugih?" the coroner suggested. "She waa very intimate with him," Miss Lloyd answered. 'She went about and helped him to arrange meetings." "She told me she was born in Franle," Miss Lloyd added, "and that her father was some kind of an officer in the French army. She also said her grandmother lived in Brussels, and that in her youth ■she used to go and stay with her."

Dr. Foot stated that he had known "Harry" Lloyd by sight for some time. "My attention was directed to her by her peculiar individuality,", he declared. "I tried to enter into conversation with •her, but she always Stout me up sharply." ''When 'I reached the house on Saturday and saw .her lying on the couch I said to Miss Lloyd, 'I thought it was a man I was called to see.' She replied, 'Yes it is. That'is my father.' I said, "I have never seen a more effeminate expression on a man's face in my life.' "Miss L-oyd was afosoutely surprised when I told her the body was that of a woman. iShe had not the slightest knowledge that the person was' anything else but a man. Death was due to pleurisy." '""It is clear that she was not the mother of Miss Lloyd," said the coroner. "I extremely regret the position in which Miss Lloyd has been placed by this enquiry, and I hope her position will not be affected by what has taken place, in the opinion of every right-minded person it will remain unaltered."

The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, and expressed their sympathy with Miss Lloyd.

The widow of the late Mr. Austin] Holyoake, Bradlaugh's publisher, who, lives at Chelsea, is convinced that] "■Harry" Lloyd was her long-lost friend, Marie Le Roy, who lived for some time at her house, and whom she last saw in 1880.

"The description given points in every way to the fact that she was Marie," | she stated- last nigiht. "Her small and slim figure, short hair, and foreign accent, that thin voice, and, above all, her masculine ways—all these tend to confirm my toelief. "Marie Le Roy had a. wonderfully af fectionate nature, and even her masculine ways—she loved to wear a collar and tie—did not detract from her feminine charms.

''l first met her when I was quite a young woman. I introduced her to the Hall of Science circle, and she became a great help there, always taking an active part in the secretarial side of the work and in the management of the lectures. She was well known to all the circle, including ,M'r. Charles Bradlaugh and my late husband.

"While she was staying at my home she fell ill, and her mother came over from Belgium. 'Her father, I believe, had -been an officer in the French army. "We began to drift apart about thirty years ago, soon after I re-married, and whe,n I saw her last in 1880 she told me she was living with a woman friend. She seemed to disappear quite suddenly, and I never heard anything of her from that time. I

"I made mahy enquiries, but could not trace her, nor did'%ny of the circle hear of her again to my knowledge." Mrs. Smith, who lives almost opposite "Harry" Lloyd's house in Alma road, was introduced toy her in Isß6 to a greyhaired woman whom she described as her sister, and who was nursing a baiby. '"Harry" Lloyd told Mrs. iSmibh that her "sister" had been housekeeper to Bradlaugh.

MIDHIRST NOTES. On Thursday last Mesdames Perrott, Fenwick, Smith, Brown, and Misses Keightley, Huse, Saywell, Vickers, and Messrs. Perrott, Smith (2), Hall, and Huse, members of the Midhirst Wesleya* choir, journeyed to Tuna School House, to assist at the annual Sunday school social. Items were rendered by the choir in their usual able maimer, and were well appreciated. Afternoon tea and a bounteous supper were done ample justice to by the visiting members, and all returned home well pleased with the outing. The Mascot Club's Ball, which takes place on the 25th inst., promises to be a great success, and given a fine night, there should be a large gathering.