Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-06-30
From the Southern Literary Messenger.
JOHN AND JACOB JORUM.


JOHN AND JACOB JORUM.
|
My name is John Jorum. I live in retir
} portion of Eastern Virginia, upon patrimon
{eState, the income from which enables me to 81
"lv myself and my bachelor establishment W
II comforts, to visit the watering pla
Fl -nand the winters either
~ sr,nsa may happen to 81
Richmond or New Orleans, as
my fancy
am an only child and, beside myself, I KIM
| OF but one member of the Jcrum family in th
world. This is first cousin, by the name {
JACOB Jorum, who was put In the Navy when
boy, has spent most of his time in active service
and now holds the commission of Captain.
My cousin Jacob and myself had never see
each other previous to the incidents am abou
to relate. We knew of each others existence
ana that was about all. We were once in tn
! same hotel together for week, without KNOWN
it, And yet have been told there is marke
resemblance between US, and that, except to an
one intimately acquainted with both, we Nigh
be easily mistaken, the one for the other.
In one respect my cousin Jacob was more for
tunate than myself. He was the possessor of
lovely wife, whom he had married just before
starting on his last cruise. SEe.resided in one o
those charming villages on the gulf coast of Mis-
sissippi, where she received the protecting care
OF a venerable uncle.
l had gone to spend the winter of 1856 in New
Orleans, and to enjoy the hospitalites of my ia
vOrite hotel, the st. Charles. 1t was pleasant
evening when l arrived, but | was fatigued will
travel, and retired early.
The next morning at breakfast, read in city
paper, under the head ofssPersonal,'' the follow
ing announcement
this city on yesterday, of Lieut.. j. Jorum, U.
5. N. (This was before the war, and my cousin
was then Lieutenant in the old service.) ssLt
~ continued the paper, sshas just returned
from long cruise off the the African coast in the
sloop-of-war Tenella, which reached Pensacola a
day or two ago. His return relieves the fears of
his friends, who sometime since heard a painful
rumor that he had died with malignant fever on
the coast of Africa. He had taken lodgings at
the st. Charles.''
ssAh!' thought I, s.my sailor cousin has arri-
we'd here too. l will take the opportunity to
make his acquaintance. l must hunt him up"
But, on consulting the register of the hotel,
with view of ascertaining, my COUSINS room,
no other forums name but my own could be
found. There was my own autograph, s'J. Jo-
rum,'' but no other name of the family. I saw
at once that the Journalist had made mistake.
The initial letter of each name being the same,
the paper had confounded me with my cousin
The Tenela, it appears, had reached Pensacola,
and her arrival had been announced in the papers
soon afterwards, together with the fact that my
cousin had been known to be attached to that
vessel, had led to the mistake. He had, it turn
ed out, come back safe and sound, but was de-
tanned two or three days by necessary BUSINESS
at Pensacola and Mobile, before he could visit
his wife upon the Gulf coast.
1t was, think, the third day after my arrival
in the city, that was sitting in my room at the
hotel, with my coat and hat off the day beng
warm-and the door standing open. Meantime,
ever since that announcement in the paper, l
had been subjected to considerable trouble by
the mistake. Officers of the Navy, whom l had
never heard of before, who happened to be sta
toned in New Orleans, or sojourning, were con-
stantly calling to see me, or leaving their cards.
10 all of the former l had to make long expla-
nation of the way supposed the mistake had oc-
CURED. The thing had become somewhat annoy
ing to me, and l was just contemplating going
round to the newspaper office and having cor
rection made, when there was the noise OF light
hasty step in the hail. and a rustling of silk, as
of a woman. turned round to look, but had
done so, when beautiful creature adj
vanced hurriedly and excitedly into my room,
burst into tears, threw her arms paSslonately
around my neck and overwhelmed me with the
most tender and endearing epithets and caresses! !!
Here was nice situation for bachelor
ssMy dearest, dearest husband" }" said she, sshow
glad am to see you once more, alive and well,
after the dreadful suspense have felt as to your
fate 20
saw at once how it was. 1t was my Cousins
wife, beyond a doubt. He and myself were, as
said before, very much alike in personal appear
ance- and my hat and coat being off, accounted
to her for the absence of all naval insignia.
ssMy dear madam" said l, striving to dlsen-
gage her, but not very decidedly, l must confess
-as Byron says of the interview between Don
Juan and Donna Julia in the summerhouse-ssthe
situation had it's charms.'' While / was thus
engaged, and trying to explain to her that there
was mistake, the tramp of heavy boot was
heard in the hall, stranger rushed into my room
and, seizing me by the throat, hurled me with a
heavy crash, stunned and bruised, into the cor
ner of the room.
ssVilian!'' exclaimed he, sswhat is the mean
ing of this ?''
I saw that he wore naval uniform. saw that
he was about my size and appearance. COM
pretended at once. Itwas my cousin Jacob, and
he had caught me apparently hugging his wife,
ssSr,' said I, ssthat lady can explain it better
than 1 can. She was hugging me, sir.''
She started back with horror and shame. She
saw Immediately her mistake-and, fortunately
for my safety, interposed between US and entreat-
ed him to spare me.
ssJulia,2 said he with sadness and yet with ten
derness in in his voice, ssJuia, can this be pos
sible ?Do return, after this long absence, to find
you not only in the arms Of another man, but
bold and shameless enough to shield him from
my vengeance Out of my way, madam [ will
never see you again. But, before / leave, this
dagger shall find its way to his heart.'
sslf ou are not a madman,'' said [, listen to
that lady two minutes, and she will explain all -
The conviction of his wife's infdeity. took
away the strong mans strength. He turned pale,
reeled and fell upon the bed, shaking as if con-
Vulsed with mortal agony.
quietly left the room, while his wife bent
teartully over him, with loyi2aeearesses. Two
hours afterwards l met him IN the rounds He
beckoned me aside. ssMy dear sir, y said he with
contriton in every feature of his face aforgiye
me. see it all. You are my cousin John of
whom j have often heard, but never before have
seen. have done you, and my wife too, great
wrong. L have found out how it was. Dine with
us to-day, and let US have glass together, to
the Strengthening of the ties of kindred and af-
fection.''
He then explained that his wife had seen, on
the day of its issue, the newspaper with the an
nouncement of his arrival. She had waited one
day for him, and then, overcome with impatience
to see him, had taken the boat and come to New
Orleans. Arriving at the hotel, a servant had
shown her the way to Lieut.. forums room--the
servant believing that was the Lieutenant afore-
said. Deceived by my resemblance to her hus-
band, she had thrown herself into my arms.
He, himself, had left Mobile on the regular
mail boat for the village of his wife's residence.
When he stepped upon the wharf, friend told
him his wife had just left for New Orleans. The
steamer had not been gone half an hour, and was
even then in sight. She had seen his arrival an
nounced in New Orleans paper, and had gone
over to Join him. He got back upon the boat,
and kept on in pursuit OF her. She was only a
few minutes ahead of him In reaching the city
and entering the hotel; and while passing down