Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-07
lQortestrr Daily Syn.



We have been placed in possession of the
outlines OF a strange story, which has almost
too much Munchausen about it to seem true.
yet we are informed that it is substantially
correct. In the summer of 1858 John Hard
wick poor mechanic of Pitsburg, was in
duced by the gold excitement then raging to
try his luck in the mines of California He
accordingly left his wife and two children be-
hind, and took passage around the Horn for
Edorado On arriving there his money had
given out, and he was obliged to 90 to work
at mere pittance to keep from starving He
made his way, however, as fast as he could.
and having entered into partnership with an
other man, commenced the working of a claim.
Hardwick prospered, and began to think that
at the end Of the year he would be able to 90
home with large pile of dust. Human cal
culatons are sometimes wrong. Mr.. Hard
wicks calculations were wrong-for he was
taken sick and came near deaths door.
When he got well his partner had departed,
and taken with him the earnings of both
The poor man was discouraged. He had
been away from home eighteen months, and
had sent nothing back TO his family. He
wrote to his wife, giving her true statement
of his condition. She never received the
letter, and consequently he never received any
letters from her. Hardwick went to work
again, uul tIie tunes grew nara, ana lie earned
but little He frequently wrote to his wife
but she, strange to say, never received a
single line from him. 1t is needless to 90
through every particular of his history-suf
1t to say, that hearing nothing from his wife,
he concluded that she was glad to get rid of
INN, and would not trouble herself to write
to hlm. lie therefore determined to stay in
California till he was rich, and then return to
the Atlantic states. He set himself to work
assiduOusly, and made money. His business
relations were such, after few wears. that he
could not leave California, but stayed and ae.
cumulated handsome fortune. In the mean
time, Mrs. Hardwick, thinking her husband
was dead after three years, married another
and emgrated to st. Louis Her name be-.
came Mathews. Her two children, of whom
john Hardwick was father, died, and all traces
of John we're obiterated, except from very
remote corner OF her heart Mrs Mathews
was good wife to her second husband. so tar
as we can learn, and bore him two children.
Mathews was IN the grocery trade, and throve
well, but about a year ago he was taken sick
with fever and died leaving Mrs. Mathews
and the children without a protector, as she
thought, but with a snug income.
John Hardwck tired of California life, and
tired of business, also collected together his
effects, which amounted to a nice fortune, and
started IOr nome by the overland route. lie
arrived in this city two weeks ago, and re
manned few days to rest before taking the
cars for Pittsburg. One morning while walk
ing through Broadway market, Mr. Hardwick
saw a familiar face. 1t was the first familiar
face he had seen since he bad left San Fran
cisco-and that face belonged to a woman. He
qulckened his pace, and came up to a stall
where the lady was about to purchase a beef
steak. Nh. Hardwick's heart beat wildly be.
meath his waistcoat. Could it be possible Z?
'What should Jane be doing in ST. Louis %
thought he. He was about to turn away.
when the lady raised her head, and their eyes
met. John Hardwick, as sure as | am liv-
ing" exclaimed she. Jane is it you 2" said
John. 1t proved TO be both of them, and after
mutual explanations, Mr.. Hardwick accompa-
MED the lady home, carrying her market bas-
ket for her. Two children met them at the
door. They were blue eyed and rosy check
ed-but like those John had left behind, and
just as large-but they did not have features
like Johns. "What matters it, thought our
hero-'my two children are dead, and these
are sent to take their places-I will be father
to them" Mr.. John Hardwick was as good
as his word. He helped Mrs. Mathews-for-
merly Mrs. Hardwick, and destined to be again
to dispose OF her property; then calling a
clergyman, they had the matrimonial link tied
again strong and fast. In two days they
started TOR the east where, we hope in Pitts
burg, or some other delightful town. they are
enjoying, at the meridian of lite, another
honeymoon as pleasant as the first.