Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-21
A ROMANCE OF BANKRUPTCY.
EnOch Arden OutdOne-A Man IaFrieS
His Wife twice.

financial crash of 1872 IL spread owe
the country, even into St Louis Nam
ofour most enterprisiDg and seemingly
most prosperous merchants had to sue
eumb to the pressure Of the times Among
them las a merchant whom we shall
+. | call Smith" His real name and some
of the circumstances we are about to re-
q late will doubtless be recOlleeted by many
in ST Louis, even to-day. Heskept an
extensive mercantile establishment on
- street, and by his enterprise AID
prOmptitude won the confidence Of the
best supply houses in the east and west
His business was good, his credit was
good, and every body thought he would
survive the troubles of that long to be
| remembered winter Of 81. But he, too,
had many smaller merchants largely in
debted to him Tor goods he had furnished
them.
He had young, beautiful, and highly
accomplished wife, aud three smiling,
innocent babes, enough 70 inspire an ats
tecuOnate fathers ambition and energies
for their maintenance and education.
They lived In a neat villa Of their own
IN fashionable portion Of the city, and
the ueighbOrs said a happier family did
not exist in the State of Missouri
The crash came; his debtors were I'M
able to meet his calls, and, as a cOnse.
! quence, he was unable to meet the de-
man6s of his creditors. He suddenly be-
came moody and frettul, even in the
bosom of his lovely family. What was
he TO do2 He had not much time left
for Eliminating on his position, and some
thing should be done quickly. His first
resolve was to make over the villa 20 his
wife ami family, and secure an annuity
Of 5000 year on his wife for the sup
port of herself and children, and leave
the city secretly-he knew, he cared not
whittier. Little time elapsed between
| the resolution and the carrying it into
effect So one night after kissing his
wife and little ones, but without bidding
them goodbye, be sailed forth, deter
mined to rebuild his fallen fortunes or
perish in the attempt His remaining
stock was soon gobbled up by his credi-
tors-but, how as 70 himself2 What
became of him2 Did he make way with
himself in a ftof temporary insanity, or
was he made away with, as scores are
from year to yeaRthat fall into the hands
Of the ''roughs" whe would murder q man
and stow his body away for ten dollars
These were the queries that agitated the
minds of the desolate and disconsohte
family, the public and the press of St
Louis ut the time No account Of the
missing man could be ferreted out Pro-
carnations and rewards were Of no avail;
and the universal verdict was "mysteri-
Gus disappearance
Mrs. smith mOurned her husband as
dead for the weeks and months of two
long years, till her fair features began to
grow sallow, and GTrowed by the efusion
of scalded tears. She wisely concluded
it was useless to mourn any more, so
taking practical and interested view Of
matters, she decided to receive the long
prOfFered attentions Of VIM Bradford, an
old bachelor, companion merchant of her
late husband He was doing profitable
business on - street, having weathe-ed
the financial storm already alluded TO.
In a very few weeks after this resOlu-
ton, she was hailed as Mrs Bradford
the bloom again adorned her cheek, and
a placid smile sat on her brow and lips
she wis again happy In her new
alliance she was blessed with two more
beautiful children added to her house,
hold, and bearing the name Of Bradford
But her happiness was not destined to
be perpetual, for William Bradford was
afflicted with consumption, and gradually
sinking under it, died during the last
spring, leaving his wife for the second
time 4 widow. To her and her children
fell his business which, as she could not
conveniently attend, she converted into
cash, realizing a sum that placed herself
| aad her children in easy circumstances
During all these long years what had
| become Of "Smith He made his way
| to Montana, and worked in the mines.
/ where his intelligence and natural enter
| prise soon put him on the road 10 wealth
| Some wears after he went there the
smallpox broke out among the miners.
and he caught the infection, from which
| he recovered, but SO pitted that his
mother would not know him Day and
night he lab0red and figured and pros
| pected on the realization Of the object of
his ambitioI-independs Is
Synonymous 70 wealth.
Last spring his good star favored him
he struck a rich vein, and beheld in
the bags of gold dust around him enough
to liquidate all claims against him, and
place himself and his family, If they still
were in existence, IN luxury for the rest
Of their days He sold out, packed up,
and reached st Louis about the first OF
June
Preserving an incognito, he inquired
g., N.t,Ngr
knew OF her. His heart sank within
him Did his fair wife and beautiful
children sink into sOrrOwfuI graves while
he toiled to make them happy? The
thought was depressing in the extreme.
At length he met a person who was
acquainted with the circumstances Of
Mrs Smiths second marriage, and
when Mrs Bradford was pointed out to
him, he recognized the form and features
of his long lost wife. Alter some difficult
tY he obtained an introduction to her
and, cOncealing his name and the kaOwl,
edge ofhis immense wealth, he wOoed
and won her. She gave her consent to
be his, on the promise that the children
of the two previous marriages should be
well treated by him.
On last Thursday evening TO the old
villa clergyman was summoned to tie
the nuptial knot, when the real name Of
tire new sutton, and his former relations
ship were disclosed, and although the
bride tainted, it was a happy reunion.
He was happy to see his children well
grown in body, soul, and intelligence, in
the intervening eleven years. Words
cannot picture the happinessof the twice.
married couple and their family, and not
withstanding the traces Of the small .pOx
she loves her husband better than ever
May their happiness continue.
The facts, we have learned from the
Clergyman who performed the ceremony,
are a romance that beats EnOch Arden
to piece4-Si Louis Republican, Noe
10
RUMBLINGS.
Napoleon's prosecution of the promoters
Of the subscription for a monument Of NJ.
| Blndin, victim Of the corp Fetdt, has re-
Il shifted in the conviction Of several ionrn-