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A CARD FROM THE COUNTESS [1] BLAVATSKY [2]
To the Editors of the N. Y. Sunday Mercury.
In last Sunday’s issue I read an article headed “Heroic Women,” and find that I figure therein as the primary heroine. My name is H. P. Blavatsky. I decline the honor of a comparison with “the latter heroine” C. Gerebko, and proceed to explain some of the statements of the said article. If I married a Russian “nobleman” I never resided with him anywhere; for three weeks after the sacrifice I left him for reasons plausible enough in my eyes, as in those of the “puritan” world. I do not know if he died at the advanced age of ninety-seven as for the last twelve years [3] this noble patriarch has entirely vanished out of my sight and memory. But I beg leave to say that I never was married again, for this one solitary case of “conjugal love” has proved too much for me. I did not get acquainted with Mrs. Gerebko at the residence of the Russian consul; I never had the honor of visiting this gentleman, but upon business in his office. I know Mr. G.’s family in Odessa, and he never rose above the rank of a captain of a private steamer belonging to Prince Worontzoff. I was residing at Tiflis when Mrs. Gerebko came there in 1866 from Teheran (Persia), and heard of her as well as others did 56 daily for about two months. She married Gerebko at Kutais. When they arrived in this country, a year ago, they did not purchase a beautiful residence, but simply bought a farm of six acres of land at Northport for the modest sum of $1,000. My unlucky star brought me in contact with her about the latter part of June last. She represented to me her farm as giving a revenue of nearly $2,000 yearly, and induced me to go into partnership with her on the following terms: I had to give her $1,000 and pay half of the expenses that might occur, for which sum I bought of her the right on the half of the yearly profit of everything. We made the contract for three years, and it was recorded. I paid the money, and went to live with them. The first month I spent nearly $500 for buildings and otherwise; at the expiration of which month she prayed to be released of the contract, as she was ready to pay me my money back. I consented, and gave her permission to sell at auction all we had except the farm land and buildings, and we both came to New York in view of settlement. She was to give me a promissory note or a mortgage on the property to the amount of the sum due by her, and that immediately after our coming to New York. Alas! three days after we had taken lodging in common, on one fine afternoon, upon my returning home, I found that the fair countess had left the place, neglecting to pay me back her little bill of $1,000. I am now waiting patiently for the opinion of an American Jury.
H. P. BLAVATSKY, 124 East Sixteenth Street.
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