Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-28
IN SEARCH OF HIS WIFE:


The following singular story was
related to US last evening by an old
man, whom we accidentally met at
the depot. We did not learn his
name. He was a man of more than
ordinary intelligence, however, and
at least sixty years of age, tall and
erect; his hair, which was slightly
tinged with gray, was long and
straight. His eyes were dark and
piercing. His general demeanor
betokened man of wealth and re-
finement. He accosted us in a gen.
tlemanl y manner, and after making
numerous inquiries in regard to the
dead man, who was found on the
island in our river, the other day.
proceeded to explain his reason for
asking the questions. We give the
story for what it is worth. 1t GER
tainIy reads like romance.
lie said / resided In New Orleans
about twenty-five years ago. [
married the daughter of Southern
planter. She had been educated in
the North. After her education
had been completed, she returned
to her fathers plantation. l held
a mortgage on his property, and
was at that time attempting to
negotiate a settlement, but | found
that he had become so deeply in
volved in debt that in order to collect
the amount due me on the mort
Agage / should be compelled to sell
othe entire property, and thus leave
her father a beggar. / had decid-
ed that such course would be the
only alternative, when, one after
noon, as / was engaged in taking
an inventory of the furniture, a
servant presented me with a mes
sage from the young lady, who re-
qUested an interview in the parlOr.
l repaired Immediately to the pres
sence of the young lady, whom l
found seated behind the curtains of
a bay window. She opened the
conversation Immediately, by
stating that she had sent for me
for the purpose of effecting some
kind of settlement by which her
fathers property might be saved.
My cOuntenance perhaps betrayed
the surprise that l experienced in
being addressed in such a business
like manner by such a mere girl,
for she hastened to add that, al
though it might seem strange to
me, she had thought of q plan by
which a satisfactory settlement
might be effected. seated myself
and asked her to explain. She
looked me full in the face and
asked if Thought she was beautiful.
l answered very truthfully when /
told her that l thought she was the
handsomest woman that l had ever
met. Every good" said she, show
would you like to have me for a
wife2" The singularity of the
question, and the suddenDess with
which it was put, made me start as
though l had been shot. She
noticed my tremor, and requested
me to retain my cOmpOsure, adding
that we were talking business"
and such a display Of nervousness
might answer very well in woman,
but it was decidedly unbecoming in
man.
Hankee-like, in order to evade
answering her, l asked her what
such a question had to do with a
settlement of her fathers debts.
She said it had everything to do
with it, and begged me to give her
an immediate answer. L do not
know what influenced me to answer
her as | dad. Perhaps it was my
innate gallantry. / told her that l
should consider myself blessed be
You'd all earthly bliss. THAT set
Ties the question" said she. 1--WE
will be married this afternoon. "
She lang the bell and instructed
the servant to ride over TO the min
ister's and request him to call at
two o'clock. "DO not disappoint
me- she said to me, as she left the
room. 1--WE will be married as soon
as the minister arrives" / thought
that | must be dreaming, but no, il
was all too real. What was to dol
was at that time about forty years
, sOf age. | never had been married,
? and never had thought seriously OF
such thing. l tried TO reason with
myselfin regard to the matter. The
more | thought upon the subject
the further l was from arriving al
IA satisfactory conclusion. | finally
concluded to let the matter take its
own course, and "God knows il
has been a bitter course to me,
said the old man, and we saw a teal
trlckling down his wrinkled cheek
AT two o'clock" resumed tho ole
man, the minister called and W.
were married. She made the re
sponse IN q cool and collected man
net, but Immediately after the GER
emony she tainted. She soon re-
covered, however, and almost tn,
first words she uttered were. ere
lease the mortgage on my father.
property" Her eyes flashed like
crazy woman's. They seemed {,
magnetic me. l obeyed her al
most mechanically.
About ten days after our marriag
we left for Boston, where We re
sided but a few months, and wen
thence 10 New York, from whic
place we took the steamer for Pari,
We travelled all over Europe, spend
ing fiveyears in visiting the country
She was never at rest, but woul
start up suddenly after we had b
come comfortably settled in som
pleasant place, and say, Take m
away from here l Obeyed her &
a child would. We wandered thu
from place 10 place. She Wa
never happy. The many wonder
of the Old World excited in her nj
the slightest interest Shewas pa
and listless, and seemed to be wal