The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-06-14

NEw ORLEANS, May %, 1889.
A story, strange and romantic enough Il
seem the invention Of an imaginative mind
became known recently to few persons il
this city; yet however romantic or strange il
may sound, the gentleman who communica
ted it to me assured me Of its absolute truth
and gave me the names ofthe parties conect
ed with the affair. At the time the terrible
catastrophe occurred at the Lost Island, Of
the southern coasts Of Louisiana, by which
so many unfortunate people were swept bod
lily into the Gulf by the raging tempest, Of
overtaken and drowned by the lising food
that overwhelmed the low sandy key, mid
die aged gentleman and his family consist
ing of wife and two or three children, were
involved in the calamity. In the midst o.
the thick gloom, the storm, the confusion and
terror of the scene, the gentleman became
separated from his little family, and barely
escaped with his life. The horror and dis
tress Of the poor man at the sudden loss Of
his dear ones may be imagined by those who
love their own wives and children Fol
several days his friends feared that his men
tai suferings would deprive him of reason
and one Of them kindly invited him to make
his home ut his house, in New Orleans, for q
time, hoping that he would gradually come to
look more calmly upon the misfortune that
had befallen him.
1t happened that with the family in which
he thus became domesticated was living q
young and accomplished lady, Of fine person
and manners, who, having compassion upon
the afflicted stranger, took upon herself the
pious duty of doing everything in her power
to alleviate his SORROWS and make him forget
the past. She played and sang for him, read
to him, rode with him, and finally laugh.
ed and joked with-so feetng and transitory
are the greatest of human griefs when
brought under the influence of the enjoy
ments and delights oflife
IN brief, she carried her consultations so
far that the gentleman became enamored,
infatuated, and offered his hand and fortune
Whether she reciprocated his passion, or
whether the fact that she was poor school,
teacher and he a wealthy planter influenced
her decision upon his proposition, is not a
question proper to be considered here
Suffice it to say that she accepted his offer,
STIMULATING that, out of due respect to public
opinion, year must elapse before their union
should be consumated As time passed on,
the preparations for magnificent wedding
proceeded The gentleman purchased q
splendid trousseau, laid out his plans for
bridal tour and for their subsequent domestic
settlement, and, in fact everything went on
unit, near the close OF his term of
probation. The event of single day, in this
case as in thousands of others, served to de-
stroy in an instant his matrimonial schemes,
thoug Oh whether his subsequent peace of
mind and happiness were not promoted there,
BY Is nquestion. A short time previous to
The day assigned for his wedding he received
! letter from his wife-still in the flesh
lated at Rio de Janero, informing him that
she and one of their children were alive and
we'll, and would probably be in his arms
within very brief period. 1t appears that
midst the destruction and chaos oi the ter
'ible storm in which it had been supposed
The and her little ones were lost, Madam
chung to her youngest child, and
when the waves submerged the island and
swept away everything upon it, she floated
put into the gulf upon certain fragments of
he general wreck Drifting, finally, after
much suffering, into the track of sea-going
'essels, to and from this port, she was picked
Up by an outward bound ship and carried to
tlo, no opportunity occurring, in the mean
lme to send her back to the States. The
'oyage Was long one, and sickness had
prevented her from taking passage in the
lrst vessel that sailed for her native land and
~ some fatality the letter which thus appriz-
ID him of her existence, reached his hands
tut few hours previous to her own arrival.
What followed can readily be imagined
low the sober, staid, middle-aged gentleman,
doubtful whether to be happy or disappoint-
d. broke the astonishing news to his I'M
iancee; how she, poor girl, went
lrst into tears and then into Mysteries, and
vas finally consoled by his pecuniary liberal
ty, and how all parties ultimately resumed
heir original positions and were happy, the
vie not being permitted to know how mar
owly her husband had escaped slipping his
eek into q second matrimonial halter.