December 17 , 1800. OMAHA ILLUSTRATED 1EE.
f
I k Madonnas with Millions
. J H i vl
It la snfo to assume that If the vnluo
the votlvo gifts and thank offerings ma
at the various notable shrines dedicated
the virgin wore estimated , millions of d <
lara' worth ot treasures would bo fou
rmong the madonnas' mere temporal posse
slons. Slnco the adoration of Our La
4 became a Christian cult princess and pr
letarlat have never ceased to glorify t
sanctuaries of the Mother of Christ by prc
ontntloti of great values ; each ono gave
proportion to his puiec cf such treasures
would testify to nn outward and visit
thanksgiving for inward and spiritual gra
wrought by prayers In her presence.
Year after year these gifts accumulal
At ono famous Italian shrine In New Yo :
City where the fete of Our Lady of Carm
Is held the votive offerings at the sprli
festival In her honor pour in In such abui
dance that the Jewels , pins , rings , watchc
cMns , cups , etc. , sometimes fill to the brl
an ordinary flour barrel. The priests , who
duty It Is to gather up the contrlbutloi
cast by generous hands at the base of tl
virgin's statue , never pretend to make ai
estimate of the aggregate worth of tl
countless trinkets and ornaments receive
The contributions are made freely and will
out Imposed conditions by the pe pie wl
come to worship before the benign motln
of sorrows ; n few cf the loveliest ornamen
are preserved to decorate the statue , and tl
rest of the gifts arc utilized In charity nr
church Improvement as the clerical author
ties think best.
This clearly proves that , though the ad (
ration of the virgin dates almost from tl
introduction of Christianity , enthusiastic b <
lot in and love of her shrines and sancti
arles Is as keen in the nineteenth as In tb
second century. Votive offerings to Our Lad
pour in upon the madonna as freely in on
own country as in Europe , and one Httl
country chapel records gifts to the value c
nearly $15,000 laid by pious churchmen an
women at the feet of the blessed lady. Tak
ing all things Into consideration the rich
est shrine of the virgin In the world is i
America. This is Our Lady of Guadaloupe i
iMexlco. The figure of the madonna hersel
Is partly of pure gold , her robes are en
crusted with the virgin metal , her shrin
so decorated with it that her altar seems
grotto of unalloyed gold. Perhaps the shrine
that rank next in value of the offerings be
stowed upon them are those of Notre Dam
do Chatres in France , and Notre Dame i :
Antwerp. The madonna of Chatres Is a figure
uro partially wrought of ancient wood an
finished with gold , silver and Jewels. He
sanctuary is in the great cathedral of Chat
res and her robes and gowns fairly begga
description. One Jeweled veil she wears ii
sumptuous procession is said to have beei
given her by the Empress Irene in the day
of the emperor Charlemagne , and tin
statue itself could bo easily concealed undo
the Jewels given by generations of ardentl ;
pious men and women.
Once in a century the Virgin of the Ant
werp cathedral Is borne in a magnlficen
procession through the streets of the Bel
gian city. Bishops In gorgeous robes am
statesmen wearing splendid orders walk be
fore and after the platform on which she ii
carried , but with her great diadem am
marvelous cloak she easily outshines then
all , for possibly the English crown Jewell
alone are admittedly more glorious that
these the statue wears. Her coronet Ii
Immensely tall and encrusted with precious
stones and in her cloak alone several hun
dred thousand dollars' worth of flashing
Jewels are strewn upon its velvet and satin
widths.
Far down in the south of France IB a
sbrlno frequently honored by the exiled
LATEST DRIVING COAT.
royal family of that country and parti
ularly noted for the unique laces given
the virgin to whom the llttlo church
dedicated. Our Lady of Bctuarran is c
very far from Lourdes , but the sancttm
Is much older and has been always to
dorly regarded by the ladles of the Bourb <
house. In 1843 the counters of Chatnbo
gave her entire wedding dress and brld
veil of lace to this shrine , a gift of no smc
value in the art world , and previous to tl
the Duchess d'Angontolno presented tl
Virgin of Bctharran with the exquisite la
veil that had been Used by Marie Antolnet
at her first communion. A llttlo later tl
duchess of Berry also presented this mi
donna with her wedding laces and not vo
long ago the countess dc Paris sent beaut
ful and historical flounces ot Venetian poll
to bo used in this Virgin's shrine.
Our Lady of Loretto , a black cedar stall
of the virgin that came frrm the Holy Lan
Is one of the madonnas richest In Jewel
When she left the Holy Land she wore a re
woolen gown said to have been the proi
erty of the Blessed Virgin herself. Sim
established In her shrine and working wcr
derful cures , the Lady of Loretto has bee
the recipient of marvelously flnc gems froi
crown heads and private Individuals. Ord
narlly , on days of great importance , tl :
madonna wears a gown of richest brocni' '
on which as many as fiOO Jewels of unusui
splendor glow and glisten , but with her , r
with the other madonnas , no computatio
Is allowed of the gifts she has received.
None among the healing shrines la moi
visited and honored than that cf St. Anne d
Beaupre , just outside the city of Quebec I
Canada. Prayers are said before the 111
slzo figure of St. Anne , the mother of Marj
who holds her little daughter , blessed abov
women , In her arms. It would bo quite use
less to try to Itemize the possessions of thl
famous shrine , for every day In the yea
sees some offering laid at the feet of th
miracle-working saint. Chief among th
treasures of St. Anne and her llttlo daughter
tor are red velvet dresses elaboratel
worked with gold threa'd. These are of in
estimable value for the embroidery wa
idono by the pious consort of Louis XIV c
[ Franco who presented them to this mos
Important among Canadian shriners.
In addition to these beautiful pieces c
needlework , two crowns deserve especin
admiration. They are of gold set with Jewel
and one fits upon the head of St. Anne , th
other upon the llttlo girl on her arm. Whll <
the first is estimated as worth $20,000 , tin
other is valued at $17,000 , and both wen
fashioned from numbers of v tlve offering :
that men and women cured of their Ills havi
showered in their thankbgivings on tin
statues of the two divine women.
Estranged From
Her Husband
The Chicago Tribune prints a letter re
solved from a woman , resident in Chicago ,
sntltled "A Woman's Wall , " which Is pub
lished herewith and is self-explanatory. The
n-oman who tells "how she sinned and suf-
lered" has signed her name frankly to both
: ommunication and note which accompanies
t , and was apparently willing that her name
ihould be published. Only her Initials ,
lowever , are used.
The note which came with the communlca-
lon is as follows :
CHICAGO , Dec. 2. Editor of The Tribune.
am sending you a little history of my life ,
unbracing only facts , and as I have several
vomen friends who are nearly as bad as
ayself I would ask you to publish It , trusting
t may reach their eye and the eyes of
thers , too , and be the cause of doing some
ood. I trust you will give the communica-
lon a prominent place in your paper.
M. E. D.
TellH HIT Story.
The communication bears the title : "A
Voman's Wall ; How a Wojnan Sinned and
uffered. Told in Her Own Language In
lie Following Communication :
Then it proceeds as follows :
"Iwas born In a small country town
tiirty-four years ago. My mother brought
10 up In Idleness , humoring'me In my every
him. This , I am satisfied , was the means
f my ruination , as idleness Is the means of
10 ruination of thousands of other girls
'ho are brought up , not knowing the value
t money or the first rudiments of house-
old duties.
"I was married at the ago of 21. I took
smo Interest In my married life for the
rst two or three years , but when the
Dvelty were off there was a change. I was
; norant of household duties , and , although
ly husband allowed me far more than he
> uld afford , the servants controlled the
juse , and expenses doubled and tripled.
"When my husband asked me In a kind
id gentle manner if there was not some
ay to reduce expenses I would fly Into a
iselon , use strong language , and ask him
hat ho meant by insulting me.
"Matters grow WOIKO Instead of better un-
1 I determined on separation. I had ono
two women friends who at that time
lemed to bo the only friends I had. Their
Ivlco to mo was always to bo Independent ,
id pay no attention to my husband's plead-
gs , but to assert my rights , and demand
hatever my heart desired or craved , I can
iw BCO the many mistakes I have made
irough selfishness devllIshneBS would ex-
c-fls It better. I found fault with my hus-
md at every possible occasion , I made
s life a hell on earth. I was always sick
id complaining before him. I never
TAILOR GOWN OF GOLDEN BROWN LADY'S CLOTH.
thought It was my duty to make pleasai :
the home , which ho furnished in luxur
greater than I had ever known as a girl ,
thought my women friends were the trues
friends on earth , and I took their advice 1
preference to my husband's on every occa
eicn. My mother made it a point to cncour
ago mo in all my extravagant ways an
willful and contemptible acts towards m
husband.
"When a child was born to us it secme
to be my delight to make hcme life disagree
able when my husband was around. I al
ways kept three servants , although I wa
brought up in much simpler style.
FullH to Comlmt IlcvcrHCN.
"When my husband had a reverse Ii
business and was unable to furnish me al
the money I wanted I was peevish and ugly
My actions , as I see them now , were tin
actions of a fiend. I am at a loss to knov
how my husband endured It so long as hi
did. When ho told me he was in debt ant
that it was Impossible to keep up such ex
travagant expenses I called him a liar
When the crash came and ho lost everythini
I left him by the advice ot my mother and r
woman friend ,
"Not until a year ago did I realize what :
had done. I found it impossible to live will
my mother. I found my disposition so un
controllable I could not get along with an )
ono with whom I was thrown in ' ontact ,
I can see now that If I had been brougnt
WHITE BROCADE EVENING COAT.
up to understand household duties , to kno'
the value of a dollar , and had been coachc
In childhood to read the Bible as I read I
now these things would never have hap
pcned.
"My llttlo hey is now living In a con
vent , while I am working in sweatshops
trying to better my condition by studyln ,
stenography. My mother has refused t
support me. My luxurious home and lovln ,
husband are gone.
"I am writing this hoping it may read
the hearts of mothers , and hoping they wll
take heed and bring up their daughters si
they may be able to fulfill the duties of i
wife. I am writing this to warn younf
wives who are dissatisfied with their present
ent surroundings ; to warn them against out
side influences ; to warn them by the example
plo of my condition ; to warn them agalns
the selfishness and unscrupulous method ,
they may fall Into In their h..mc lives.
"You will , no doubt , ask why I write thlo
It Is because I bavo learned to read tin
bible , and learned at last to learn my Inn
self. I now believe It was my fault thai
caused my downfall.
"Tho woman friend I mentioned , I hav <
learned since by separation from my bus-
band , was my worst enemy. She was in love
with my husband and thought to gain hit
attention in case we separated. My hus
band told me my seeming friends would de
sert mo In time , and I laughed at him nn
told him thp thought was absurd. It was r
fact. They have all deserted me. Young
wives will find , when It Is too late , they , and
not their husbands , will bo blamed.
IlliuiiCN Women for I'lilnipiiliii-HH.
"I believe 95 per cent of all the unhappy
homes today are caused by lll-tcmpeied
undomestlcated wives. This is to a great ex
tent the fault of their early education. I
ndvlso every young woman who believes she
Is being Imposed upon , and who has a good
homo , to endeavor to lead a Christian life ,
and by doing so she will work the roforma
tlon of her husband. It Is the woman's place
to make the homo pleasant and happy. If
she falls to do this through any fault of her
awn she Is unworthy to bo called a wife ,
"It was through reading the niblo and
through the good Influence of a friend my
3yes were opened and my own faults ex
posed. Will others take warning from my
sxperlenco and avoid a hell on earth ?
"I am , sincerely yours ,
'A BROKEN-HEARTED MOTHER , M.
E. D. "
Medallions and Chains
"You nn qulta mistaken In all that you
mvo said about Jewelry and trinkets , " said
mo faehlonablo woman to am ( her , "I have
ust returned from Paris ami know that the
elgnlng novelty there Is the neck chain
tnd medallion. It is also such an attrac-
ivu addition to a woman's toilet that I am
uro all that can afford it will own ho wcar-
ng ono. "
These new medallions nro Indued very fas-
ilnating , although in reality there Is llttlo
ha : Ii now about thorn. They are an o'd
ashlon revived. From a heavy chain that
1 clasped about the neck they are BUS-
londecl and hang oo the front of the gown
to about six InoliM below the collar. A
good deal of the ntjlo would bo lost If the
chain were either tro long or tro short. The
mcdnllloiiii thonischcs am largo , the la RT
In fact tha better and nru equally f.ish-
lonablo of cither gold or silver. The nn-
tln.ua ones are ot course the moat desirable ,
hut they nro scnrca and very expensive. Re
productions of them , however , can bo pro
cured that It would tfoiibhi tlui cleverest
numismatist to detect. For tlur.u nlss when
wrought In gold alarmingly high prlciv are
obtained. Tim majority of women , thpicforr ,
wear them in silver , or slhcr-washed gilt.
Tim effect ot having the now oat thing and
the style Is really what Is IIKHI desired.
When they nro worn of this quality a pictt )
lduIR to hnvo them plorcod In thrco p'ncoa
on thn lower half circle and to liavo mis-
ponded from them soml-prcclnuii stmioi sot
nlmplu that they may bo hold In a tiny
bund ot metal. It would of course1 bo pure
vandalism to plorcu an antique tiu-dallli n ,
although many nro found that hiuo already
been so treated. From them the Idea of
hanging them with Jewels no doubt oilg-
Inated.
Ono of the prettiest of those moilallltim
ami chains that Imvo been seen In thh
country woi o ( silver , a copy from nn nn-
tlquu and dangling from It wcro tinea
oval shaped and highly colored amethysts.
Tim silver chain that hold It wan very aim-
plu and heavy. The clnsp was nn nmetlijet.
It was worn on n wnlst with nn abundance ?
o ! whlU chiffon in the front and the iMTcct
thnt It produced was most novel
Living Fashion Models
Seasonable styles In hats , coats and gowns
arc illustrated by this week's living nudoU
poitrayed In The Bee's fashion photographs
They shjw theory latest gaimonts from thn
most stylish tailors and hat builders.
Nothing could bo more chic mid attractive
than this simple tailor gown of golden br wii
lady's cloth. The skirt Is absolutely plain ,
the llttlo coat fastens far over on the left
Bldo with fancy butt us and whore the front
Is cut It shows collar and tiny chlmcsette
of blue cloth embroidered In black and
white. The hat Is a chinchilla turban
diossed with a tall how of blue \el\et. It
Is a creation of Paris.
The sumptuous evening coat Is of the
richest silvery white brocade , on the sur
face of which la ombrssed a flowering lose
vine , each blossom made of velvet and
tinted by hand the coloring surpassingly
beautiful , varying fiom pale llcsh shades to
glowing crimson The bodlco of this lovely
coat Is of chinchilla , having frills of willow
Hieen moussollno do sole edging the high
moillcio collar and wide rovers. It In also
a creation of the Paris brand.
Hero Is a smart example of ono of the
very now driving coats that have taken so
violent a hold upon the fancy of foshton-
ublo women. This garment Is of drab satin-
faced melton , with rovers and collar faced
with white velvet. Elaborate Rtltch
Ings servo to make an effective finish on
3Uffs , front and skirt and a white felt round
lint , dressed with n bunch of drab and white
'eathors , completes this altogether perfect
; ostumo.
In n singularly offoutlvo lollot , over a
, vhlto silk slip hangs white tulle spangled
vlth black vslvet dots , the three flounces
if Irregular width being edged with sable ,
"ur trims the low-cut bodlco and a bow
md belt of geranium velvet glvo Just the
oqulslte touch of color.
Educated
Detroit Journal : The red man drew his
ilnnkct more closcfy about him.
"I will not smoke the pipe of pcaco with
on ! " ho answered.
Wo oigued with him , but In vain.
"No ! " ho persisted. "A pipe makes me
! iz/y ! Make it n cigarette and I'll go you ! "
Sciutlnlzlng him more closely , now , wo
lorceivt'd that ho was an educated Indian.
SPANOLBD WHITE TULLE ,