Helen Corinne Bergen (October 14, 1868 – ?) was an American author and journalist, as well as a musical and dramatic critic. She made elocution one of her principal studies, and appeared at several private concerts as Parthenia in Ingomar, the Barbarian. Her poems appeared in several prominent papers, and received favorable mention from the press and public. Bergen was well-known to the press in Washington, D.C., New York City, and at Lansing, Michigan. She believed in equal pay for equal work by men and women.
Early life and education
Helen ("Nellie") Corinne Bergen was born in Delanco, New Jersey, October 14, 1868. She belonged to the Bergen family that came from Norway and settled in New Jersey in 1618, in the place they called Bergen. Her mother was the daughter of the Rev. Isaac Winner, D. D., a preacher in the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her father was Colonel George B. Bergen, one of the prominent politicians of Michigan, and Ella (Winner) Bergen. When a child, Bergen lived in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, and at four years of age, came to East Saginaw, Michigan. Graduating in 1887 from the high school, she continued her studies for one year at St. Clair, Michigan.
Michigan
In Michigan, she began writing for the newspapers. She later lived in Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Texas, working for The Washington Post and various periodicals like The American Magazine and southern newspapers. She was the Post'''s children's department editor and also wrote music and drama criticism, poetry, sketches, and stories.
Louisiana
In 1890, being in delicate health after her first social season at Saginaw, Michigan, Bergen's mother sent her daughter to Louisiana to regain her strength. Bergen was engaged at the time to E. Stanton Bliss, her first and childhood's love, and a nephew of Col. Aaron T. Bliss, formerly Congressman from Michigan. Bergen was introduced to George Carter Brush in a hotel while she was recuperating at a sanitarium at Ruston, Louisiana. On May 1, 1890, after an acquaintance of thirty-six hours, they married at Ruston. Mr. Brush admitted that the marriage was the result of impulse, and a divorce was obtained in 1892, contrary to the wishes of Bergen, but with the approval of Bergen's father.
New York
There followed four years of literary output while Bergen work in New York from 1892 to 1896. When Jack Comes Late, a "comedy monologue for a lady", was published in 1893. In 1894, prospectuses appeared for a new "contemporary review" entitled The Stiletto and the Rose for which Bergen was to be the editor and manager. It intended to focus on articles dealing with leading questions of the day, poetry, and reviews, but it appears that it never actually got off the ground.
Bergen met the Viscount Arnoult George Langlois de Brunner in New York, where he was a confidential clerk in the Standard National Bank. He moved in the best society, to which his natural and family titles entitled him. During the clandestine courtship, Bergen became quite ill, suffering severely from influenza, and the vicomte felt that his place was at the bedside of his fiancée. On April 2, 1896, in New York City, she married the viscount. This marriage was without the knowledge of the families of the bride and bridegroom, as it was agreed to keep the matter quiet until a special dispensation could be obtained from the pope, when it was intended to recelebrate the marriage in Washington, D.C., at the home of Bergen's family. The dispensation was necessary because of Bergen's 1892 divorce, and as the Viscomte Langlois de Brunner was a Catholic, his marriage would not have been possible other than by such dispensation. On April 14, she was sent by her husband, on account of her ill-health and upon the advice of her mother, to stay with relatives at Bayonne, New Jersey. Two weeks later, she returned to New York City, but again becoming ill, went to the residence of Dr. Goodman for treatment.
Washington, D.C. Having recovered, on May 25, 1896, she came to Washington, D.C. She was later informed that on the same day, her husband left New York for parts unknown.
During one of the periodical absences of the viscount from Bergen's apartments, Bergen's uncle had her removed to a private sanitarium, wholly unaware of the true relations between the viscount and his wife. The shock of this added to her severe illness, and brought about an attack of delirium, which necessitated treatment for dementia. The conflictions were aggravated by Bergen having been under contract for newspaper and magazine articles, but conscious that it was impossible to reveal the true state of affairs.