WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 319, 5 June 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen.'") YANKEE MILLIONAIRE'S ROMANCE. SOCIETY SENSATION* RECALLED.

The dentil lias occurred in Now York of Mrs. Charles T. Yerkes, widow of the well-known capitalist, and thought at one time to rank among the wealthy women of the United States. ] Mrs. Mary Yerkes was the typical j village maiden of the story when she met Charles T. Yerkes, very much older I than herself, and married him. She. lived in great luxury, driving a pair of blacks, and attended by flunkeys in black and gold liveries. During the later years of his married life Mr. Yerkes lived in London and sought other distractions, but he left bis wife about £1,500,000. About a month after his death, in January, 1906, she married Mr. Wilson Mizner, the son of a San Francisco law- j yer, who bad once been U.S. Minister to Mexico and Guatemala. The marriage took place at night in the splendid mansion which her husband had left lier. When the marriage was announced Mr: Yerkes' relatives refused to believe it, and Mrs. Yerkes added to the con--1 fusion by denying it. Mr. Mizner was staying at the Hotel Astor, and was turned out by the proprietor because hundreds of newspaper reporters norsisted in interviewing him and filled the corridors, so that guests were unable to get to their rooms. Mr. Mizner declared he was married; Mrs. Yerkes declared she was not.

So Mr. Mizner, who seems to have beeu a man of infinite resources, invited the journalists to follow, and, getting into an electric cab, drove to Mrs. Yerkes' mansion at Fifth Avenue, followed by a score of other vehicles. Jumping out, the bridegroom shouted to the reporters, "Gentlemen, have patience, and you shall see Mrs. Mizner." He ran up the. steps and entered the mansion.

Five minute. l ! later a magnificent butler in blaek and gold livery invited the pressmen to enter. The journalists were conducted through a marble corridor to a vast reception room with a gallery round it. It was like a scene from the "Arabian Nights." Suddenly in came the bridegroom from the Golden Gate. "I want you to meet my wife," he said. "She will address you from the balcony."

He whistled, and there floated into the balcony in a pink tea-gown the bride, her eyes twinkling. She made a little speech, in the course of which she said, "I am a bride, and such a happy one." The doyen of the journalists offered their congratulations, and Mrs. .uizncr made another speech, adding: "Now, gentlemen, please don't say I am eighty years old." winch caused much laugncer. It appeared tliat Mrs. Mizner had desired to keep the marriage secret for some months, but that the bridegroom telephoned the news to his brother, and was over''.nd on the telephone. In three weeks this bizarre marriage had ended, Mizner was on his wav to California, and his bride resumed the name of Mrs. Yerkes. She- confided her story in the American way to the newspapers, and one journal devoted two and a half pages of its space to telling the story of the six weeks in which Mrs. Yerkes was widowed, remarried, and separated again. She said that in her second marriage she made a horrible mistake, and that Mizner was only after her money. Mizner was also interviewed, .and denied this, also denying the story that he had been paid £4OOO to leave her. Afterwards there was much litigation with regard to the Yerkes estate, and in 1907 the New York Court decided thirt 47,000 shares in the Underground Electric Railways of London were the property of Miss Emilic Grigsby, Mr. C. T. Yerkes' mysterious lady friend, who was known in London and Monte Carlo as the "American princess," famous for her travels in special trains with a retinue of servants and piles of luggage, and for her daring play at Monte Carlo.

When the confusion in which the railway magnate's affairs were involved was finally cleared up it was discovered that his widow's share amounted only to some £32,600, and that the riches which her husband has disposed of in his will were largely imaginary. ROMANCE OF A LEGACY. PARENTS VANISH ON A VOYAGE. Thirty-seren years ago in Ireland a young able seaman in the mercantile marine married the daughter of a naval

lieutenant in Irelasd. Tho result was that her relatives generally would have nothing to do with the wife, and husband and wife in 1884 sailed for America. They were never heard of again, and in the Probate Division leave to presume their death was granted, upon application made on behalf of a daughter. The missing husband and father was William Henry Fowler. While none of the rest of her family would speak to the wife after her marriage—she was 19 at the time —her mother, when she became a widow, went to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Liverpool. A son and daughter were born in iiiverpool, but the only surviving child was the applicant, Emily Rose, who was now married. In November, 1884, Mr. and .Mrs. Fowler announced their intention of poing to America. There was some evidence that they sailed, said counsel, but nothing had ever been heard of 'them since, and the name of the ship | was unknown. Tn 1880, Mrs. Truvers, I the mother of Mrs. Fowler, returned to Ireland, taking her grand-daughter with her. The other relatives refused to assist the girl, and she went into domestic service until 1009. when she married. She has now inherited a sum of money, and the decision of the Coirt win enable her to take possession of it. CARUSO'S SHOP GlkL. GREAT TENOR'S LOVE AFFAIR. I ' Rome, May 2ii. Signor Caruso, the great tenor, is I striving to free himself from an eu- | tniiglemrnt which threatens to develop

into an interesting breach of promise case.

Two years ago, while in Milan, the silver-voiced singer was in a shop buying neckties, and is said to have hecome enamoured of the clfarming shopgirl who served him. She gave up her situation on the understanding, so she says, that Caruso would marry her, and the tenor supplied the money that took the young lady and her father to Berlin, where, at a dinner, the engagement was announced.

Soon afterwards Caruso wrote to his quondam sweetheart in the following terms:—"lt is impossible. I cannot marry you, and 1 cannot explain why. You must forget me."

At the same time he offered £2OOO to settle the matter, but the girl's I father, who claims that the affections of his girl were stolen, is standing out for double that amount. He threatens to publish the correspondence between the coiiplc. It is expected that Caruso will agree to the terms that have been asked. THE MOTHER'S INFLUENCE. LADY ISLINGTON'S VIEWS. The annual social of the St. Matthew's Mothers' Union, Auckland, held in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, the vicar (Rev. W. E. Gillam) presiding, was attended by Lady Islington, who gave an interesting address on "The Profession of Motherhood.'' Her Excellency was attended by Colonel Hucrh Boscawen, hon. aide-de-camp to the Governor, and Miss Stapleton Cotton. lOn the platform were Mrs. Crossley, ' wife of the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Mrs. Gillam and several other ladies.

"As the sun gives color to the flowers, so the mother's influence colors the character of her children," said Lady Islington in opening her address. Her Excellency proceeded to dwell upon the responsibility of motherhood, which she opined was not, perhaps, always suffiicently realised. In training the ci..ione trained oneself. Lady Islington discerned more harm in teaching the doctrines of Christianity than in not teaching them, unless one lived its precepts in one's own life, such as by never showing irritation or impatience, and never being, by even a shadow, unjust. There were no such critics, observers, and judges as little children. They were quick to sum up character, and to sec the slightest inconsistency and unfairness.

Her Excellency went on to deprecate hastiness towards children on the part of parent-?. She approved of unions where mothers could meet and give each other help. The power of the examnle of parents was shown in their most intimate daily life, all the more so if they had a sons.' of religion, accompanied by a tender, wise, happy and self-controlled life. But they must go together. "It is no pood diving," remarked Lady Islington, "if you can't swim. Religion, as I understand it, is to believe so much in goodness that you can see no badness, and to create such an atmosphere of gentleness and faith in the best around you that wicked, jealous, suspicious, irritable thoughts cannot live in your neighborhood. Of course it is very difficult for a wife and manager of a household, because daily life seems to encourage irritability, as the rain makes weeds grow. I find my only hope is to take each day by itself—to say, 'I am going to do my'best all to-day.' It seems nothing by the day. However old one grows one never stops making good resolutions—and breaking them." Here in New Zealand, Her Excellency went on, mothers had an extra taskto teach their children respect and admiration for heredity and antiquity. They had also to teach them that the truest independence was a capability for obedience, and that the greatest dignity was to be able to show loyalty, courtesy and veneration. Another lesson to teach the children was that without ideals life was unlovely. Mothers should imperceptibly demonstrate to their off-spring that the truest goodness was practical, and lived in every smallest action of our daily life. In conclusion, Lady Islington bade her hearers remember that a mother was "the toliest thing alive."