Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-11-09
Strange Romance.
7Om the st. Louis Bulletin of the 25th

we have been placed in possession of
the outlines fsasstrnuge story, which has
| 'slmost too,m1ch- Mnpchausen ahout.its n,
seem true.syet, we are informed it is sub
stautinliy correct. In the Summer of 1853
John Hardwick, poor mechanic of Pitts
nurgh, was ind:ced by the gold excite
mrnt then raging to try his luck in the
mines OF Californin-He accordingly left
his wife and two children behind, and
took parsage around the Horn for the Ell
Dorado. On arriving there his money
had given out, aud he was obliged to go
to work Mt a mere pittance to keep from
starving. BE made his way. however, as
fast us he could, and having entered into
partnership with another man, commenced
the working of 81 claim. Hardwick pros
pered, and began TO think that the end of
the year he would be able to 90 home
with large pile of dust Human calcu-
lHtions are sometimes wrong Mr. Hard
wick's calculations were wrong-for he
was taken sick and came near deaths
door,
When be got we'll his partner had dc.
parted, and tnken with him the earnings
OF hoth. The poor man was almost dis
couraged. He had been away from home
eighteen months, and had sent nothing
back to his family. He wrote to his wife,
ton. She never received the letter. and
consequently lie never received any letters
from her. H3rdwick went to work arni.
nut the times grew hard. and be eArued
ont little. lie frequently wrote to his
wife, hnt she, stn.nge to say, never receiv-
ed IL single letter from him. 1t S needless
to go through every particular of his his
tory-suttice it to say, that hearing moth
ing from his wife, he concluded that she
was glad to get rid Of him, and would not
trouble herself to write to him He there
tore Determined to stay in California till
ne was rich, and then return to tue Atlln-
tic States He set himself to work assid-
uousiy, and made money. His business
relations were such, after few years, thar
he could not le'tve California, but STAYED
and accumulated IL handsome fortune. In
the meantime, Mrs. Har,lwick, thinking.
her husband was dead, after three years. A
She married another and emigrNted to St.
t@0i icnrdf9n9l 81 whom JOHN HaT5tW'}irsz
was father, died, and all traces of John
were O6Iiterated, except from "a very re-
mote corner of her heart. Mrs. Mathews
was II good wife to her second husband.
SO far as we can learn, aud bore him two.
children. Mathews was in the grocery
trade, and throve we'll, but about year
ago he was taken sick with fever and
died, lenving Mrs. Mathews and the chill
dren without protector, as she thought,
hut With snug income.
John Hardwick, tired of California life,
and tired of business also, collected to-
gether his effects, which amounted to "a
nice fortune, and started for home by the
toverland route. He arrived in this city
two weeks ogo, and remained few days
to rest before tMking the cars for Pittshurg
Que morning. while walking through
! Broadway market, Mr.. Hardwick saw 81
familiar face. 1t was the FIRST f,tmiliur
face he had seen since he had left San
+; Francisco-and that face belonged to Il
woman. He Quirkened his pace. and came
up to Il stall where the lady WAS about to
purchase heefsteak. Mr.. Hardwick's
heart beat wildly beneath his waistcoMt.-
| Could it be possible? 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 H.trdwick, as sure as am livingl"
exclaimed she. 'tJnme, is-it your said
John. 1t proved to be both of them, and
after mutual explanations, Mr.. Hartiwirk
accompanied the lady home, CARRYING her
market basket for her. Two children met
/ them at the door. They. were hlue-eyed
and rosy-cheeked-iust like those John
had left behind, and just rs large-bEt
they did not have features like Johns.
"Whut 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. Matthew'S
formerly Mrs. Hurdwick, and destined to
be again-to dispose of her property. then
calling n clergyman, they had the matri-
fmoniaI li:.k tied again strong and FAST
In two days they started for the East,
where, we hope, in Pittsburgh or some
kother delightful town, they are enjoying,
at the meridian of life, another honeymoon
as pleasant as the FIRST.