ter more beloved and petted than Louise
Morris Corcoran. Her father seemed to expend on her all the affection of
his great big heart, and she seems to have been a very lovely character.
When she was about ten years old she fell overboard from a vessel and
was only saved from drowning by the quickness and skill of Gurdon B.
Smith. Among these letters are several in regard to this incident, for
Mr. Corcoran, in his gratitude for this merciful deliverance, sent
through an agent, $1,000 to Mr. Smith, an artisan, who was very grateful
and considered he had received a fortune. But, not satisfied with that,
Mr. Corcoran secured an appointment as lighthouse keeper for Mr. Smith
at a point not far from his home, a life position with a good salary,
but Mr. Smith refused it as he seemed perfectly satisfied with his
circumstances.

Mr. Corcoran's money doubled and trebled and quadrupled, and the
following letter shows how his judgment was sought on political as well
as financial questions:

My dear Sir:

I wish you would come to my house about 8 this evening and tell me,
in five words, what are the best reasons to be given to friends of
the administration for not passing the sub-treasury bill at present.

Yours,
D. WEBSTER.

He had a close friendship with Edward Everett, senator from
Massachusetts, who was frequently his guest. He and ex-President
Fillmore traveled abroad together. The letters he received from many of
the great of the earth make very interesting reading. By the middle of
the nineteenth century this Georgetown boy of rather modest parentage
was living in a very fine house in Washington, in great elegance,
entertaining everyone of any importance who came to the capital. There
is on record now a letter from a gentleman in England, bringing to his
attention the coming of the new Minister and his wife from Great
Britain, Lord and Lady Napier. Although, as he had said "he knows he
will receive a great deal of attention, yet he wishes Mr. Corcoran,
particularly to honor them." He was consulted by presidents for his
opinion on financial matters. Baron Humboldt, the great German
geographer, kept up a correspondence with him to the day of his death.

After a brilliant girlhood, Louise Corcoran had married the Honorable
George Eustis of New Orleans, representative in Congress. When the Civil
War came and shattered all existing social ties, Mr. Eustis, of course,
took the Southern side, as did M