Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-03-05

residing at feddo to procure apassage t1
Cuba, whence prospect Of reaching
Australia would be very much improved
Passing over space of year and half
in which Mrs. Leffingwell passed through
many scenes calculated to try firmerreso
buttons than hers, but through which she
chung to her resolve with true English
obstinacy, she finally found herself on the
shores of Australia, but as much at loss
concerning the exact locality of her hus-
bands whereabouts as she would be of q
needle for which she would be hunting in
a hay NOW. She persevered, however,
but four long years passed away before
she was enabled to obtain the slightes,
trace of her husband, from the fact that
when once landed from the ship, each
convict receives number by which
he is only known to his keepers.
Mrs Leffingwell knew not her husbands
number, and when she made inquiries for
him she was always bafiled with the qucs.
ton His number, ma'am?" At the end
of the time spoken of, during which her
means had become exhausted, and she
had been compelled to resort to menial
labor, she one day picked up Sidney pa
per. in which was an account of her hus-
bands release, the real criminal of the
larceny having been found and transport
ed. The account gave her husbands
number and the facts which convicted
him in so precise manner that she could
no longer doubt as to who was meant
| Her course was marked at once. Going
| 10 the prison authorities of Sidney, she a.
length learned that ticket-oi-leave man
| "No. lS6," her husbands number, had
left for TIE United States OF America two
weeks after his release The next thing
| for her 10 do was TO follow him. Scra-
ping together her scanty means, she found
she possessed barely enough to pay her
passage She seized upon the very first
opportunity presented, and in June lSi7,
she found herself once more upon the
ocean. bound for the land ofthe free, with
her mission still unaccomplished.
In due time she arrived in New York
CITY, where she remained until the civil
war broke ont, not having in the mean
time, heard one word of her husband.
though she had made every exertion 10
I find his whereabouts When the civil
war broke out, and at the first call for
nurses in the hospitals, she responded {;
ard until peace was declared there was
none more faithful in the care of our
wounded than Mrs Clara Lcflingwell.-
While in one of the hospitals at Washing
ton, she nursed to life and strength man
who knew her husband in the army, who
had been his messmate and boon compan-
ion, and who, in his delirium, constantly
called 10 his comrade TO come TO his as
siStance. When the crisis was passed and
il was known that the soldier would live,
she questioned him concerning her hus-
band. and ascertained that he was in n
Pennsylvania regiment, having enlisted
from Pittsburg two years before. She at
once addressed Leffingwell letter, stat
inc in full her efforts 10 find him, and de-
failing at length her troubles and disap-
pointments. With the usual perversity
of the army mails, that letter never
reached its destination Mrs. Leiiingwell
waited and waited, but still no answer
came, at length when the war was over,
she set out once more in search OF her
husband 4 visit to Pittsburg revealed
the fact that her husbands term of enlist
ment had expired long before, and his
identity was once more lost. She inserted
advertisements in number Of Pennsylva-
mia papers calling for information of his
whereabouts, and then sat herself To
watch and wait Time crept slowly on,
and still no tidings of her absent one.
A week ago, when she had given up
all hope of seeing her husband again, she
very Unexpectedly received direct inior-
nation of his place of abode from one
who came across the advertisement Of
three years before The paper contain
| ing it had escaped destruction which usu-
ally comes upon the dailies of the differ
ent cities, and now was the means OF
uniting two persons who for twenty eight
years had been separated by cruel fate.
Our heroine at once made preparations to
90 to her husband, who lives in or near
Cincinnati, and who had been apprised
of her coming. She accordingly left Pitts
burg on Friday morning and arrived in
| Cleveland in the afternoon of the same
day. What was her surprise and pleas
ure on alighting from the cars at the Union
depot to procure some refreshments to be
confronted by her husband. For a mo-
ment they stared at each other and then,
with simultaneous impulse, they rushed
into each others arms all unconscious of
the gaping crowd, who. with the usual
curiosity, had paused in their hurry to
witness the scene.
The years that separated them, though
they hal silvered the heads of each, and
had left lines of care upon their brows,
had not eradica.ed the love they bore one
another, or torn from their hearts the
memory of old times, before relentless
fate had so cruelty sundered them. The
trials of the past were forgotten in the
! .>.a.ont ;o,- nnd thar t1.ol- tho trai In homo