Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-03
ROMANTICLIFEHIST
A Husband Returns After TWenty-SiE
Years Absence, Finds His wife
Married, Claims and Receives Her at
the Age of SIxfy-EIghf.

A Husband Returns After TWenty-SiE
Years Absence, Finds His wife
Married, ClaIzls and Receives Her at
the Age of SIxfy-EIght.
From the New Albany Ia.) Commercial. Oct. 8.
Thursday morning the subjects Of this
sketch passed through this city, on their
way from Putnam county, Indiana, to their
home in Lincoln county, Kentucky, and
from a gentleman who talked with them
we have obtained the following romantic
story
In l845 John Elliott lefs his home and
wife, who had borne him eleven children,
in Putnam county, this State, suddenly
and in passion, az some slight misubder-
standing that had occurred between them
He gave his family no intimatiOn Of his
departure previous to leaving, and 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 gave 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, until
last week Itwas then that the frat It'd
ings Of her supposed deceased husband
were received byher.
IL was in this wise that these tidings
reached her A letter came to her
through the hands of a person who was a
stranger. This letter set forth that if she
would visit 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 a cer~
tain time. The letter impressed her
strangely, and she concluded to visit the
town named at the designated time, and
did so.
What was her surprise on entering the
house where the meeting was appointed,
to meet her first husband Twenty six
years had passed, and time had left it,
| impress upon the man, yet she recognized
| him at once, and threw herself into his
| arms for notwithstanding she was now
| sixty eight years Ofass, the sight OF her
/ first choice warmed the loving pulses OF
\ her heart and broke open the fountain
| of her affections that had been 50 long
sealed up She threw her arms abaus
his neck, kissed his wrinklei check
| and wept, like a girl, the tears Of
JOY.
The husband heart was also melted
into tenderness, and he embraced his aged
but long deserted wife with all :he fervOr
of 4 young and ardent lover The past
was talked over, the sudden disappear
ance, long absence, and continued silence
Of the husband explained, and then and
there it was agreed that they would
spend the remnant of their lives tOs
gether.
The woman returned to her home in
Cloveriale She explained TO her second
husband All that had happened, and told
him that she felt it her duty to % with
the first husband, from whom she hai
been so long separated. The second hus,
band, B4lIOu, was 10th to consent but the
woman was Interchangeable in her deter
miaHrion, and be was compelled To ac-
quisscv Their worldly effects were
divided, and on Monday last the Oil lady
left ClO7erdals TO reiOin her husband IN
the little village whore the meeting tusk
place, and THURSDAY they passed through
this city on their way to Kentucky.
When the husband left home he wan~
dered of to Kentucky, where be remained
until the California gold discoveries cree
ated such excitement in lS49. lie vas
seized with the gold fever and left
for the placers on the Pacific coast
There he worked and saved his earnings
until he had accumulated some forty
! thousand dollars. With this be returned
to Kentucky, purchased and stocked
farm in Lincoln county, and has been
living upon it ever since 1859 Having
accumulated considerable wealth he IL
now prepared to comfortably care .or
her whom he 50 cruelty deserted twenty
six years ago, and to give a good start in
the world to the children she bore him
four of whom are yet living and have
/ families