The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-11-03
[ From the New Albany Commercial
An ol her EnOch Arden A fair
A Husband Returns After Twen.
ty-SiX Years Absence..Finds His
wife Married, Claims and Re.
Ceiyes Her at the Age Of Sixty.
eight.

Thursday morning the subjects Of this
sketch passed through this city on their
way from Putnam County, Indiana, their
home in lincoln County, Kentucky, and
from a gentleman who talked with them
We have obtained the following:
In lS45 John Elliott left his home
and his wife, who had borne him eleven
| children, i'll Putnam county, this State,
suddenly and in passion at some slight
misunderstanding that had occurred be-
tween them. He gave his family no
intimation of his departure previous to
leaving, aud they never heard of him
again until after the lapse of twenty six
years.
| The wife believed her husband dead,
and after two years waiting she give him
up as lost to her forever, and married a
respectable citizen of the county, named
Ballou, and has resided happily enough
with him near Cloverdale ever since, un-
til last week 1t was then that the first
tidings of her supposed deceased hus-
1t was in this wise that these tidings
reached her: A letter came to her
through the hand of person who was
a stranger. This letter set forth that if
she would visit a little town several
miles distant from Cloverdale she would
meet an old and very dear friend. and
urged her not to omit making the visit
at certain time. The letter impressed
her strangely, and she concluded to Wis.
it the town named at the designated
time, and did so.
What was her surprise, on entering
the house where the meeting was ap-
pointed, to meet her first husband
Twenty six years had passed, and time
! mad left it's impress upon the man, YET
she recognized him at once, and threw
herself into his arms; for notwithstand
ing she was now siXtyeight years OF
age, the sight of her first choice warmed
the loving pulses of her heart and broke
open the fountain of her affections that
had been so long sealed up. She threw
her arms about his neck, kissed his
wrinkled cheek, and wept, like girl, the
tears Of JOY.
The husbands heart was also melted
into tenderness, and he embraced his
aged but long deserted wife with all the
fervor Of a young and ardent lover
The past was talked over, the sudden
disappearance, long absence and contin
ued silence of the husband explained
and then and there it was agreed thai
they would spend the remnant of theil
lives together.
The woman returned to her home il
Cloverdale She explained to her sec
ond husband all that had happened, anC
told him that she felt it her duty to &C
with the first husband, from whom sh'
had been so long separated. The sec
ond husband, Ballou, was 10th to consent
but the woman was Interchangeable in he
determination, and he was compelled tt
acquiesce. Their worldly effects wer'
divided, and on Monday last the old lad,
left Cloverdale to rejoin her husband il
the little village where the meeting tool
place, and Thursday they passet
through this city on their way to Ken
4 lucky
When the husband left home he wan
dered off to Kentucky, where he remain
ed until the California gold discoverie
created such an excitement in 1S49 H
was seized with the gold fever, and lef
for the rich placers on the Pacific Coast
/, There he worked and saved his earning
until he had accumulated some fort,
thousand dollars. With this he returned
to Kentucky, purchased and stocked
: farm in Lincoln County, and was livin!
, upon it ever since 1859. Having accu,
, mulated considerable wealth he is nov
prepared to comfortably care for he
whom he so cruelty deserted twenty-si:
years ago, and to give "a good start il
the world" to the children she bore him
four of whom are yet living and hav
families.