The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-03
. ,V.ddtpg where - ntvorced Invalid
AxS,sc Acted - Brfdesmatu-hTsseT
,.,, the bridegroom.

sco,n the bridegroom.
New Albany Ondiana) paper Of the
90, ;,s,ant announced the marriage oil
NJ WIGHT 10 Miss Chamberlain. Al
.ra lac, fall term of the Floyd Circuit
C",rt this man Wight made application LOT
a;sorce from his wife, the principai VIII
80 a,a;nst the wife being the woman
TSs,hsr,a;n. Judge Bickwell heard the
s.;aance and refused to grant the divorce,
sa,,;n;s,ered TO the man Wight Sc
S sar and merited reprimand for his pro-
ceedings in the case.
wight. however, determined to marry
;ssw n witness, Chamberlain, again sought
. divorce in Huntington county, where ne
ab,ained it, the court hearing but one side
&c the testimony--that given by the wo-
man Chamberlain. Having his divorce IN
his pocket, Wight and the woman CHAM
herlain were married yesterday.
Wioht,s wife is hopeless invalid.
WIGHT married his first wife when she was
yonng, beautiful, and in good health. She
/ vet possessed of good looks, notwith-
standing the Affections which have lowered
over her. She is a lady of rare accom-
nli,hments. She was of good family, and
rcputed wealthy at the time of her mar
rage.
Al the wedding, this divorced wife stood
beside the woman that was to uSurp her
nlace-stood there like living corpse
like smitten, withered tiower-as brides
maid-the bridesmaid of the witness
against her in the suit for divorce; the only
witness. If she stood there voluntarily,
we have in her an example of woman's de-
vo,ion snch as was never before heard oil.
II She stood there through compulsion, the
curse and blight of the Almighty Will ioi-
1nw the husband and his new-Aade VIE
I,,rmerlv his divorced wiie's nurSe) 10
ovence the wrongs of the wretched woman.
In answer TO the above, Or. wight
,,-ote the following wonderful personal
explanation:
n, the Editor of the Chicago Tribune:
your paper of the 18th instant con-
,o;ns an attack on me, copied from an In
dian, journal. have right to ask space
for reply. ,,,
II is painful to be compelled to draw
oside the curtain from ones private ana
domestic life. Friends who have known
me long and well, gentlemen and gentle
women who have met me often IN society,
those who nave travelled with me the
mystic Journey in the East, the charltaoie
and thoughtful, to whose minds ground
less attack carries in its spirit and contra
dictions its own retntation, will require Of
me no yindicatiou of my character; but TO
them. as well as TO the public, l owe an
explanation.
Near the end of May, in the year 1894,
Twas married. / returned from Europe,
after a lengthy absence, but few days
before my marriage. The death OF Tue
vounr ladv's mother (all the rest OF her
family were dead before my acquaintance
with her began) fastened my return.
had been engaged to her several years.
The marriage had been put on from llllie
TO time on account of her health. Sue
was then twenty-three years ol age.
knew that she was afflicted with some
nervous disease, which was represented 10
me bv her mother as hySterla. Almost
Immediately after our marriage we en-
barked for Europe. The steamer duly
landed at Liverpool, and we went directly
10 the famous Lake District" OF Eng
land. About amonth after our marriage she
was one day, at keSwick, stricken down
at nv feet with tit of epilepsy. Attack
followed attack until she had seventeen
in the course Of the night. | stood alone by
her bedside, amazed, bewildered, turning
gray ere the sun rose. Her fearful disease
$50 fearful, as DR.. Watson says, that the
"beastS of the field flee in terror at the
characteristic cry OF one seized with 1t y
had been concealed from me. Yet | am
publicly accused Of having put away one
who was in "good health at the time of her
marriage simply because she had become
an invalid on my hands. If her parents had
been living, / should have taken her home
10 them, and never should have seen her
again in this world. But she was an or
phan, and alone. She had not been TO
blame. That terrible night, on bended
knees before God Almighty, adopted her a.
nv child. Never has word of reproach
TO her. on account of the concealment.
escaped my lips. From that hour 10 TINS
have been an affectionate parent to hei
l"father and mother in one" as she mas
thousand times. with gushing tears eX-
pressed it), and during many OF tn1 ao so,s
Intervening years | have been w ;n~lr
nurse TO her, patiently, uhcomp ps ,haT ~
tenderly performing for nef oihS0
money could procure. yearly fon,
rearS tak;ng nv patient and ward &c
nany eminent physicians, hoping aga'nS'
80 no, nercbance her disease might De
cured. il had existed from ln,ahoy
Every physician-and to y9u' my 1feanr .;,
of ths learned profession, appear as VIII
uasseS of the truth of my assertion IN re
sa - tho disease-knows how incuraole
sI u ~ Standing case of epilepsy is; how Il
s's ear the pursuits and active duties OF
nnh'S pas;des. as every educated physi
me- me-, Understands, it is very likely to be
olos sSm;tted to offspring. With know.
,iana Of this fact, none but brute and
mas,ess wretch would incur the response
lii of being the author of those wht
p inherit this fearful malady.
returned from Europe and undertook
.o establish me a home, toolishly endeavor
;nU TO conceal the real nature of her dis
ease from my friends, as multitudes vii
now bear me witness. II was an unmanl.
pride and weak yielding to her entrea
ties, which, like all untruth, has brought
its appropriate reward TO both. More thar
twenty women, young and old, were triec
as hired nurses, companions, or house
keepers. Not one OF them would DO
Some of them would flee from the room il
terror when the patient had an attack
Some would hold up their hands II
hopeless bewilderment. Others would
sit down and cry with that natural sym,
patty which wells up from woman's
heart, and for which God be praised
Beside, as any educated physician will
say, the nervous system OF any con.
trmed epileptic is greatly deranged,