The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-05-20
A Romance of an Old Couple.

The following somewhat remarkable
narrative is related by Western lady,
now on visit to this city from Mariposa.
She is herself character. She has
crossed the Plains twic,-first in 1849,
during which her husband perished-
and is the first American lady who re-
turned to the East by the way of the
Isthmus of Panama. She is genuine
heroine-a fine specimen of stout heart
ed Western womanhood-and her adj
ventures in the wilds of the unpeopled
West have been numerous and exciting.
II the good folks of Mariposa have
missed a lady from their neighborhood,
they are hereby apprised that she is
comfortably located at the boarding
house Of Mrs. Nesbit, on the corner Of
Montgomery and Sutter streets, and will
not return to the mountains until Holmes,
Of the Gazette, ceases to harrow the hearts
of the Mariposa mothers by calling their
little babies brats."
Well, while this lady was encamped
on the Humboldt, where the Lessen trail
intersecls the Carson track of travel, she
visited the tent of family, consisting of
an elderly couple and one child-a
daughter of fourteen or fifteen years.
The old lady was sitting on pile Of
blankets, under the canvas, encouraging
most determined attack of the " sulks, :"
while the masculine head Of affairs had
planted himself on his wooden tongue,
and was sucking his pipe as leasurely as
though he expected to remain there for
ever.
A single glance developed the fact
that there was difficulty in the little train
OF one wagon and three persons, and that
it had attained point Of quiet despera
ton beyond the reach Of peaceful adjust
ment. Three days before they had
pitched their tent at the forks Of the road,
and as they could not agree upon the
route by which TO enter California, there
they had remained. The husband ex-
pressing a preference for the Carson
road the wife for the Lessen-and
neither would yield. The wife declared
she would remain there all winter; the
husband said be should be pleased to
lengthen the sojourn through the sum.
mer following.
On the morning Of the fourth day, the
wife broke the sullen silence OF the thir-
ty-six hours by proposing division OF
the property, which consisted of two
yoke of cattle. one wagon, camp furni-
ture. a small quantity Of provisions, and
sic in silver. The proposal was &C.
cepted, leaving the wagon to the old man
and the daughter to the mother. The
latter exchanged with a neighboring
train the cattle belonging to her for a
poney and pack saddle. and piing the
daughter and her portion of the divided
spoil upon the animal. sic resolutely
started across the desert by the Lessen
trail, while the old man silently yoked
his cattle and took the other route. Singu.
lar as this may seem, it is nevertheless
true.
1t is among the many occurrences o.
lifc stranger than fiction. OF course
both parties reached California in safety
We say "of course" for il is scarcely
possible that any obstacle, death includ
ed, could have seriously interiered will
/ the progress of stubbornness so sublime
Arriving al Sacramento with her daugh
ter, the old lady readily found employ
ment-lor women were less plenty the