Ignoring the familiar pang the thought of him evoked, Margaret squared her shoulders. “First things first, M.,” she said to herself. “You’ve still to persuade them to take you on.” Stepping up to the door, she rapped the knocker.

New York Herald, Thursday, 18 March 1869

New York Herald, Thursday, 18 March 1869

A REDOUBTABLE IRISHMAN BIDS A FOND FAREWELL TO THE METROPOLIS

Yesterday evening, Mr. Patrick Valentine bid a grandiose farewell to New York by hosting—rather appropriately—a party on St. Patrick’s Day. Warm of heart and hard of head, Mr. Valentine is not everyone’s cup of tea, nor does he aspire to be. His guests were an eclectic mix, representative of their host’s most egalitarian outlook on life, and needless to say did not include many from Mr. McAllister’s infamous list. While Irish porter and soda bread were served, all tastes were catered for spanning the gourmand (lobster in aspic) to the common man (a hearty concoction of barley and mutton called Irish stew), and so the appetites of all guests were thus sated. The celebrations continued well into the night, with several Irish reels being danced and a rendition of traditional songs bringing a tear to every eye.

Mr. Valentine, who left Ireland during the years of the Great Famine, has embraced every opportunity offered to him by our Great Country, making his extremely large fortune in many and diverse ways, from iron to copper, timber to the railroads. Mr. Valentine likes to say that he enjoys a flutter, though the weight of his fortune indicates, we venture, that his fluttering takes place on the stock market rather than the track.

However, it is to the Sport of Kings back in the Old Country that his thoughts have of late turned. At the celebrations last night, Mr. Valentine announced that he had recently acquired a large tract of land in County Kildare, where he was establishing a thoroughbred stud farm and training stables. This is to be a charitable endeavour, providing much-needed employment in a rural area blighted by poverty. Readers might be surprised to learn that he has entrusted Mrs. Marion Scrymgeour, Lady Margaret Scott’s eccentric companion, to oversee the endeavour. Though perhaps we should not be too surprised, given the growing speculation amongst their acquaintances of a closer alliance forming between Mrs. Scrymgeour and Mr. Valentine.