Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-04
From. the New Albany Com asreisl !

From. the New Albany Commercial
Thurs lay morning tbs subjects Of TIL
sketch passed through this city on thsi
way from Putnam county, Indiana, to thsii
home in Lincoln county, Kentucky, and
rem . gentleman who talked with them
~ hsve obtained the following romantic
story:
In 1912 John Elliot lsh his hons and
his wife, who had bsrns him eleven chill
d.sn, in Putnam county, this State, sudden
" and 10 passion q S ONE slight % sundsr
Standing that had occurred between them
He gave bis family no intimation Of hi
departure previous to leaving, and trey
never heard Of him again until after th'
lapse Of twenty-six years.
The wife believed her husband dead, AM
af.sr two years waiting she gave him up
lost - her forever, arc married respeets
81. citizen Of the country, named Ballou,
and has resided happily enough with him
near Blovsrdals ever slnes, until last week
1t was then that the first tidinss ofsuppes
cd deceased husband wsrs received by her.
1t vas in this wis. tina. thsss .idings
reached her. 4 letter came to her throueh
the hand OF = person who wasa stranger.
This letter set ierth that that II she would
visi. a little town several miles distant from
cloverdae she would meet an old and very
dear friend, and urged her not to omit
making the visit at a certain time. The
letter i'm pressed her strangely, and she con
cluded 10 visit the tswn named, at the
dssi grated time. and did SO.
What was her surprise on entering the
house where the meeting was appointed, 10
meet hsr fret husband. Twenty-slx years
had passed, and time had left its impress
upon the man, yet she recognized him at
once, and threw herself into his arms for,
Notwithstanding she was now sixty eight
years Of age the sight Of her Arst choice
warned the loving pulses Of her hsart, and
broke open the fountain Of her affections
that had been so long sealed up. She
threw her arms about his neck, kissed bis
vrinkled cheek and wept like . girl, ths
tears Of joy.
The husbands heart vas also melted into
tenderness, and he embraced his aged, but
long deserted wife, with oil the fsrvor oil
young and ardent lover. The past was
talked over. the sudden disap psarancs, lon z
absence and continued silence Of the hus-
band explained, and then and there it was
agreed that they would spend the remnant
Of their lives together.
The woman returned TO her homo in Gle
vsrdale. She explained to her second hus
band oil that had happened, and told him
that she felt it her duty to 60 with the first
husband, from whom she had been 20 long
separated. The second husband. Ballou,
vas 10th 70 consent, but the woman was un-
changabls in her Dissemination. and he was
compelled to acquisscs. Their worldly Of
feets were divided, and On Monday last til.
old lady left Clsvsrdals to rejoin her hus-
band in the little village where the meeting
took place, and Thursday they passed
through this city on their way to Ken
tusky.
When the husband Left home he wander.
cd OF to Kentucky, where he renamed un.
I'll the Califsrnia geld discoveries created
such an excitement in l849. He was seized
with the gold fever, and left fer the rich
placsrs on the Pacific coast. There be
worked and saved his earnings until he had
accumulated some ferty thousand dollars.
With this be returned to Kentucky, pur
chased and stocked farm in Lincoln coun-
", and has been living upon it ever since
1859. Having accumulated considerable
wealth. he is now prepared to comfortably
care for whom he SO cruelty deserted TWEEN
ty-six years ago, and to give "a good start
start in the world" to the children she bore
him--four Of whom are yet living, and have
families.