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Show HAD ONE CENT LEFT. A Sad Stor, or Widowhood and a Fall From Opulence. . tfOHWALK, Conn., July. 10. -Mrs. Caroline Miller, colored, of Westport, well known in that little village for her honesty and thrift, received from Mau-liasset, Mau-liasset, L.I., one day this week a letter from Mrs. Georgians Alden, the contents con-tents of which show to what depths of poverty those, in opulence may fall. The writer is the widow of tho late Stepheu Alden, who for years was one of the wealthiest men in the country. She is now without' money or friends, is suffering from hunger aud want of proper shelter, and is. reduced re-duced to the lowest depths of poverty, and begs this poor woman, who was once employed in her household, house-hold, for aid. So reduced had she become be-come that onlv three cents were in her purse, and two of them were used to buy a stamp for her letter. Mrs. Miller sent $2 of her earnings, all she had left from her wages of the week previous. Before doing so, however, she showed the letter to persons who had associated with Mrs. Alden at a lime when for-tuuo for-tuuo smiled upon her, thinking that they were, better able than herself lo answer tho appeal. They offered no assistance. One of the parties to whom the letter was shown is the wife of a well-known citizen, who, when the unfortunate lady was shining in society there, borrowed her diamonds, valued at many hundreds of dollars, to wear to an evening reception. Twenty years ago Mrs. Alden's husband hus-band was reputed to be worth from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. Ho had previous pre-vious to that time been president of oue of the banks in Albany, and was also a prominent resident aud politician of that city. Subsequently he married, removed to New York, and became a broker in the stock exchange. By a series of daring manipulations he made the major portion of his great wealth. He spent his summers in Westport, and at tho expense of many thousands of dollars erected an elegant mansion, with spacious lawns and parks, aud lived in princely style. His home was filled with servants, a small army of workmen kept the house and grounds in the best possi bio order and a stable full of thoroughbreds with drivers and footmen, were always ready at a moment's notice. The quiet, easy-going citizens of the place were overawed at their neighbors' lavish expenditures. ex-penditures. No society event was quite complete unless Mr. and Mrs. Alden were present. At last business reverses set iu, heavy losses followed, ami in a surprisingly short lime money and property pro-perty were swept away to satisfy the claims of creditors. Mr. Alden died under the weight of his obligations, and his widow, shattered in health, started westward. For serosal years she remained re-mained on tho PaeHft coast, but later returned east. She is now poverty-stricken poverty-stricken aud a wanderer, and aid is now refused her even by those who were at one time her firmest friends. |
