The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-08
Strange Romance.

we h3ve p00n placed In possession Of the on {.
much Munchaasen about it to seem true. vet.
we are informed, IL Is substantially correct -
In the summer Of 1850, John Hardwick, psor
mechanic OF Pittsburg, was induced, by the
goio excitement then raging, to try his luck in
the mines Of California. He accordingly left
his wife and two children behind and took
passage around the horn for the Ell Dorado
On arriving there his money had given out,
and he was obliged to 60 to work at q mere pitt
tancs, to keep from starving. He made his
way, however, as fast as he could. and, hav-
ing entered into partnership with another
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.
cnlations 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 almost discouraged. He had
had sent nothing back to his family. He wrote
to his wife, giving her a true statement Of his
condition. She never received the letter, and
consequently he never received any letters,
from her. Hardwick went to work again, but
the tirnes grew hard and he earned but little.
He freq uently wrote to his wife, but she,
strange TO say, never received single line
from him. 1t is needless 10 20 through every
particular of his history--sufce 1t to say, that
hearing nothing from his wife, he concluded
that she was glad to get rid of him, and would
not trouble herself to write 10 him. He there
fore 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 years that be could not leave
Caiifornia, but stay ed and acc um tied hand.
some fortune. stg
In the mean time, Mrs. Hardwick, thinking
her husband was dead, after IN rec years, mar
ried another and emigrated to ST. Louis. Her
name became Mathews. Her two children, Of
whom John Hardwick was father, died, and
all traces Of John were obliterated, except
from very remote corner of her heart. Mrs.
Mathews was good wife to her second hus-
band, so far as we can learn. and bore him
two children. Mathews was in the grocery
trade, and throve we'll but about a year ago
he was taken sick with fever and died, leav-
Ing Mrs. Mathews and the children without a
protector, as she thought, but with a snug in
come.
John Hardwick, tired of California life, and
tired OF business to0 collected together his ef-
| fects-which amounted to a nice fOrtune-and
| started for home by the overland route. He
arrived in this city two weeks ago, and re-
| mained few days to rest before taking the
cars for Plttsburg
way market, Mr.. Hardwick saw a familiar
face. 1t was the fist familiar face he had seen
since be had left San Francisco-and that face
belonged TO woman. He quickened his pace
and came up to a stall where the lady was
about TO purchase a beefsteak. Mr.. Hard
| wick's heart beat wildly beneath his waist
| coat Could it be possiblel No. "What
mould Jane be doing in ST. Louis !" thought
he. be was about TO turn away, when the
lady raised her mead, and their eyes met
"John Hardwick, as sure as am living |" ex-
| claimed she. "Jane, is it you - said Johp.-
1t proved to be both OF them, and after mutual
| explanations, Mr.. Hardwick accompanied the
lady home, carry ing her market basket for her.
Two children met them at The door. They
were biue-eyed and rosy y-cheeked-Just like
those John had left behind, and just as large
but they did not have features ike johns
What matters it," thought our hero-"my
two children are dead, and these are sent to
take their piaees-I will be q farther to them. :"
MIR. John Hafdwck was as good as his word.
He helped Mrs. Mathews-formerly Mrs
Hardwick, and destined to be aga n-to dis
pose of her property; then calling a clergy
man, they had the matrimonial link tied again
strong and last In two days they started for
| the East, where, we hope, in Pittsburg or some
other delightful town, they are enjoying at
| the meridian Of life, another honeymoon as
pleasant as the frst.-!St. L0Kts Bulletin, Oe:.
|