Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-14

Romance Ia TninOIs-EnOeh Arden Out
done-TrHih stranger than Fiction.
IFrom the Muscatine Qowa) Courier.
In the early part Of the war John
Hughes, who at that time lived in Ale
do. little town some twenty miles from
Muscatine, aud in Illinois, went into
the army. But week before his en-
listment he married an estimable young
lady TO whom be had been long be-
trothed. 1t was the desire of both that
the nuptials should be celebrated be-
fore his departure. We suppose Johns
experience for a while was similar to
that of hundreds of other young men
who volunteered in defense of their
country. On Smiths expedition up
Red River, however, he had the misfor
tune TO be wounded, and in that con-
dition fell into the hands of the enemy
after the battle of Pleasant Hill He
was sent with others to Tyler, Texas,
where he became insane, and from
thence he was transferred to the lunatic
ASYLUM at Austin. The news came back
home that he had been killed at Pleas
ant Hill, and he was SO reported on the
rolls of his regiment. His young bride
mourned for him nearly two years,
when, on the advice of her parents and
friends. she accepted the hand of anothss
er, and married him last December. -
Her first husband was discharged from
the asylum, restored again to his rea-
son. and so soon as he could accumu-
late the necessary means, he started for
home.
Arriving at New Boston, the nearest
river town to Aledo, be fell in with
man from that place, and without MAX
ing himself known, he soon learned
the condition of affairs at home
Grieved beyond expression, he thought
over the situation, and finally deter
mined. like Enocb Arden, to leave
his whilom wife and her new found
love to themselves. Following out the
resolve he came into this city, and
| thence went up into lama county,
where he had distant relatives living.
The desire to hear from his old home
at last became so absorbing, that, I'M
der an assumed name, be subscribed to
| the Aledo Record, the village paper.
| Last month he saw an announcement
of the death of his wlfe's second hus-
band, together with a paragraph sym
| DltnIZinE Will inc DbJGaFeA NiuoNs
and giving an account of his own mel
ancholIy death as illustrative of the
hardness of her lot. Knowing that his
wife was again free, he forget whatever
resentment he might have felt over her
second marriage, and on Saturday last
he put in his appearance in person.
What was said at the eventful meet
idg we have no idea. Whether, with
out a word, the reunited couple rushed
to each others arms and vowed that
bygones should be bygones, or whether
elimination and recrimination followed
only to be at last overcome by the hal
lowed recollections of days before the
war, we know not. We do know,
THOUGH, that the couple came to this
city Monday night, put up at the Ogil-
vie, and yesterday morning took the
train westward to their new home IN
Tama county. If appearances can ut
all be relied on, we can wager our bot
tom dollar that to-day there is not a
happier man this side of the Rocky
Mountains, than this same John
Hughes. As for Mrs. Hughes, dear
reader, she looked less like a widow
than she did like bride.