The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 4, 1904, Page 17

—_— ¥ FORTUNE REIFCTEE LANDONED AS CHILD BY PARENTS VA 4 vl CASE HAS MUCH IN COMMON WITH "MARY ANN" OF ZANGQWILL BERLIN, Dec being s 2.—O0ld Truth goes nger than fiction, fiction may be. newest in- t having happened in just Israel Zang- Ann" over again how- ent, iful writer ce to be made Well, to Mary a South so T fons, but ted to re- ele sational ro- u cen- an of good peared from the mneighborhood, leav- ing her little daughter in the care of the peasant woman, who naturally re- fused to be burdened with the main- tenance of a child which had no ms on her whatever. After wait- g a few months for the reappear- ice of the mother the peasant wom- an handed over the little girl to the nearest public orphange, in which she was reared and educated. The life of the little pauper was not a happy one. She grew up under strict and harsh discipline, wearing an ugly uniform as a token of her de- pendence on public charity for her maintenance. At the earliest possible age she was obliged to do household work, sewing, washing and other du- ties. Scarcely had she passed her fourteenth birthday when she was sent out into the world to earn her own living as a domestic servant. The next seven years of her life were one long round of continuous drudge was kitchen maid, house maid, nur- d maid of all work in turn of modest homes. Her month and She never hours’ rec- n on one single day in a fortnight. as hard and her prospects in Fina at the age of 21 succession ngs never exceeded $3 oft b ned a position as domestic the house on the banks of wh still living. a vener- 1 couple who contrive to con- to the happiness of those de- nt on them. It is not a la it is situated in its g he was com- to his ply to the stern parent herewith to pay his debts. UP HIS WIFE. 2 man absolutely with- ok a harsh view of the g from the assumption secret wess was an unscrupul- ress, who had plotted he dec settle his son immediately his young wife and prom- nothing more to do with fused these terms ¥ drove him to re- h his father. position young surrendered and in- that he must desert rdance with his father’s e offered to pay her the if she would consent to d to in her pride and unwill- e herself on a husband who » ak n her, Mrs. Meyer after a tearful The sum of $7500 ex-governess to be a d it never occurred to re opportunity of secur- herself. In due oceedings were sides and a legal nged. Mrs. Meyer o a daughter, who me of Mary and is the s strange story from the Rhine. however, felt little or ve for her daughter. vy, she conceived a dislike for the wunfortunate mply because it was the child of the husband who had humiliated and deserted her. About a year after the birth of the baby Mrs. Meyer in- trusted it to the care of a peasant woman, to whom she paid the sum of %5 a month for its maintenance. Soon this tax on her slender income be- came irksome to her and she disap- grounds of two acres In extent. Be- sides Mary Meyer, there is a cook and a gardener who helps about the house. There {s an atmosphere of perfect peace and contentment round about the whole establishment. The old couple, we will call them Schmidt for they strongly object to the publicity which has been indirectly forced on them through their unique domestic servant, live harmoniously together and create harmenious conditions in their vi- cinity. They regard their servants as mem- bers of the household in quite a patri- archal fashion. The latter are treated with dignity and never have the feel- ing that they lose their self-respect. Mary Meyer, who has now been em- ployed in this exceptional household for seven years, earns a monthly wage of $5. Her work is light, but includes sweeping and scrubbing floors. For the last two years she has been engaged to be married to the young gardener, who is only slightly older than herself. As a domestic servant she could hardly wish for anything better, but it was certainly to be expected that she, like any other mortal, would jump at the chance of being transformed from a dependent wage earner into a full- blown “millionairess.” } During the quarter of a century which has elapsed since Mary Meyer was cruelly abandoned by her parenfs great changes took place in their lives. Her father contracted another marriage, according to the wishes of his parents, and became a wealthy man. His marriage was childless, and turned out to be unhappy in other ways, and as years went on he becam¢ conscious of a desire to ascertain what had become of the daughter born tc him before his divorce. He instituted a search, but it was unsuccessful. When he died a year or two ago he made his daughter Mary his sole heiress, subject to the payment of an annual allowance to his first wife, if she could be found. His second wife had died before him. the girl who had become a double heiress. Step by step they traced her course in life, from the cottage of the peasant woman, long dead and almest forgotten, to the orphanage and through successive phases of her After his death his lawyers were career as a domestic drudge to the faced by the difficult task of ascer- home on the banks of the Rhine, B Woks MRs MEYER. GIVING HER, BABY IN THE ERVANT GIRL WHO RE- FUSED A FORTUNFE, AND HER MASTER AND MISTRESS. taining the whereabouts of his di- vorced wife and deserted daughter. Meanwhile Mrs. Meyer had also contracted a second marriage with a man, who gave her wealth and posi- tion. As years went on she, too, was troubled by her conscience regarding the fate of her daughter, but she feared to start investigations, for she felt that she could never confess to her husband how she had callously neglected her maternal duties. In course of time, however, her husband died, leaving her a comfortable for- tune and some solid house and land property. She, too, had been child- less in her second marriage, and when she was left alone in the world she felt a longing to be united to her deserted daughter. SEARCH BEARS FRUIT. ‘While she was engaged in search- ing for her lost daughter her first hus- band’s lawyers succeeded in tracing her, and from that time she co- operated with them in hunting for o S Pages 17to 24 - By German Servant Girl W ho Prefers Humble Position Near to Her Swectheart to That of a Lady of Riches REJECTS | HER FATHERS WeATH FALLS IN LOVE WITH. THE GARDENIR ! * where she had found happiness. On a fine summer morning a few weeks ago the mother and the law- years appeared at the Schmidts’ house and announced to the aston- ished lady and gentleman that their servant, Mary Meyer, was the heiress to two considerable fortunes. After the romantic story had been made clear to them Mary Meyer was sum- moned and informed that her long- lost mother was there in person. The meeting was not marked by any great cordiality. Mary was shy in the presence of the grand lady, and her mother, on her side, was roughly dis- illusioned. It had been interesting enough to conduct the complicated search for the lost daughter, and the romance of the whole thing had ap- pealed to her strongly; but it was an unpleasant shock to see the daugh- ter wearing the attire and possessing the inferior manners of a mere menial. Her enthusiasm was Kkilled in a moment and she left the lawyers to explain the situation to the girl. Mary Meyer now learned that her father had left his entire fortune to her, amounting to over a million marks. Her mother was willing to make her heiress to her own large fortune if Mary would come and live with her as her daughter. The prospect did not appear in the least alluring to the simple-minded domestic servant. Alone among her sex, she experienced no de- gire to be able to buy fine dresses and drive out in a gorgeous carriage with liveried coachman and footman to mark her grandeur. She perceived at once that if she became rich and went to live with her mother she would certainly be prevented from marrying her sweet- heart, the gardener John. Within twenty-four hours she had resolved — % to reject the wealth and to refuse her: mother’s offer. The lawyers came and impressed upon her the appalling folly of her de- cision to reject wealth and prosverity. Her master and mistress emphasized the gravity of her choice, which she would almost certainly regret In years to come. If her mother had exhibited real feeling and a real desire to reclaim her daughter, Mary Meyer would mrob- ably have been persuaded, but her mother remained aloof and did not at- tempt to Influence her. So the wonder came about that the domestic servant, Mary Meyer, signed a document rejecting the legacy of her father's wealth and another document testifying that she had no desire to live with her mother or to became her mother’s heiress. Mary Meyer, who could be a millionairess, remains a do- mestic servant with a monthly wage of five dollars. In a few weeks she will become the bride of John. the gar- dener, whose earnings amount to five dollars a week. She will inhabit a cottage of four small rooms and will have only the remotest chance of ever experienced anything more cheerful than abject poverty. Memorial to John Harvard. LONDON, Dec. 3.—Embassador Joseph Choate visited the site of the future cathedral in South London in company with the Bishop of South- wark the other day. There is some talk of one of the chapels being erected by members of Harvard Uni- versity in the memory of John Har- vard, who was baptized at South- wark, and Embassador Choate has offered to donate a window, which is being designed by John Lafarge, the American artist. BRITISH TURN TO AMERICA ~ FOR RECIPES Yankee Dainties Now Popular Across the Water. v LONDON, Dec. 3.—Still westward the course of empire takes its way. France has long exercised supreme gastronomic sway over the fashionable British stom- ach, but now America threatens to sue- cessfully dispute her rule. A significant sign of the impending change is seen in the number of American recipes— with American names attached to them, too—which figure in up-to-date menus at smart dinners and luncheons. They are more particularly noticeable in the matter of salads, desserts and what one might term the frills of the table as distinguished from the coarser viands which suffice to satisty the mere cravings of hunger. It is on such things that the true culinary artist depends for his best effects, which leave behind them a haunting memory of gastro- nomic joys. It is to the Waldorf-Asto- ria in New York that the -best London chefs now look most keenly for ap- petizing novelties. As regards candy, the highest reputa- tion in London has for some years been held by an American house. It is there the young man takes his best girl when he wants to convince her that his devo- tion rises superior to all considerations of economy. ) INTO SOCIETY IN A SEDAN ORIGINAL MAIDEN SOON TO WED. st 2 LONDON, Dec. 3.—Society folk here, particularly the Americans, are look- ing forward to the debut as a hostess of Miss Queenie Causton, whose en- gagement has just been announced, for they expect her to introduce many charming innovations into the business of entertaining. This witty and beau- tiful girl, who is the daughter of George Causton, and who will become the bride of Captain Oakes of the Fifth Rgyal Irish Lancers, has greatly im- pressed the fashionable world by her originality. Her coming out ball, two years ago. was one of the really notable events of its season. It occurred at her father’'s handsome town residénce in aristocratic Upper Brooke street, and was marked by a charming novelty of Miss Causton’s own devising. When the guests had all assembled she was brought into the ballroom in a quaint old sedan chalr of the kind much af- fected by our fashionable grandmoth- ers. It was decorated inside and out with superb white roses, and the arms of the supperts were festooned with rings of the same beautiful flowers. Stepping forth from this antique con- veyance, the white-robed debutante made her bow to society and distribu- ted the roses as mementos of the oe- caslon. In one of the cotillon figures the girls wore the rose garlands as bracelets on their arms. Ever since this picturesque debut Miss Causton has been one of the reigning favorites in society. At this ball, by the way, some of the cotillon pregents consisted of dainty workbags made from costly brocade which, rumoor had it, had been looted from the Royal Palace at Peking. Mr. Causton cuts a considerable fig- ure both in the commercial and sociar world. He was at one time chairman of the Chartered Company, wkich is just now in such deep water, but se: ered his connection with it because he would not stand for the Jameson raia. He is now the controlling spirit in the Peking Syndicate, which has valuable Chinese concessions.