The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-12-10
The Romance of Bankruptcy,
ENoCH ARDEN oUTDoSE.

Under the above caption a st Louis
paper Tells a raih n-atiunzl stony,
which we condense as follows:
Who is it that does not remember the
financial crash of 1857! Many of our
most enterprising business men mad 10 sue
cumb to the pressure of the time. Among
them was a merchant whom we shall call
Smith His real name, and some of the
circumstances we are about to relate, will,
doubtless, be recollected by many in st
Louis, even to-day. He kept an exten-
sIve mercantile establishment on
street, and by his enterprise and prompts
tude won the confidence of the best houses
in the East and West.
He had young wife and three little
children They lived in neat little villa
in a fashionable portion Of the city. and
ibe nei9hbors said happier family did
not exist in the State of Missouri
The crash came his debtors were un~
able TO meet his calls. and as a conse>
quence he was unable TO meet the de-
mands of his creditors His first esoIve
was to make over the villa to his wife and
family ard secure an annuity Of 5000
year for the support of herself and chill
dren, and leave the city secretly, 80 one
night he sailed forth, determined to re-
build his fallen fortunes OF perish in the
attempt. Proclamarions and rewards
were of no avail, and the universal verdict
was-''mysterious disappearance -
Mrs Smith mourned her husband for
dead fur two years, till she wisely couclu-
ded it useless to mourn any more, so she
decided TO receive the long proffered at
tentlons of William Bradford, an old
bachelor, a companion of her late hus-
band
But her happiness was not destined to
be perpetual, for William Bradford was
afflicted with consumption, and died dur
ing the last spring To her and his chill
dren fell his business, which she convert
ed into cash, realizing a sum that placed
herself and her children in easy circum-
stances.
During ali these years what became of
Smith ? He made his way to Montana
and worked in the mines, wnere his in~
telIigence and enterprise soon put him on
the road TO wealth Some years after he
went there the small pox broke out among
the miners, and he caught The infection,
from which he recovered, bnt so pittcd
that his mother would not know him.
Last spring he struck u rich vein, and
beheld in the bags Of gold dust aronnd him
enough TO liquidate all claims against him,
and place himself and his family-if they
were still in existence-in luxury for the
resi- Of their days. He sold out, packed
mn apI raooI.pH ba
of June.
Preserving an incognito, he inquired for
Mrs "Smith." Nobody knew her or
knew of her
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 re-
| cognized the form and features of his long
| lost wife After some difficulty he ob-
| tanned an introduction to her. and con-
/ cealing his name, and the knowledge of
his immense wealth. woed and won her
! She gave ber consent to he bis, on the
promise that the children of The two pre-
vious marriages should be we'll treated by
1 him
| On last Thursday evening, in the old
| villa, clergyman was summoned to tie
the nuptial knot, when the real name of
! the new suitor and bis former relationship
were disclosed, and. although the bride
tainted, it was a happy reunion. He
was happy TO see l,is children well grown
in body, soul and intelligence in the inter
vening eleven years
The facts, which we have learned from
the clergyman who performed the ceremo-
nv, are romance that beats Enoch Ar
| den to pieces.