The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
A Strange StOry--EnOch Arden
OutdOne.

1
| OutdOne.
/ A curious case recently traDspired in the
vicinity OF Peoria, Illinois, and as it has
never been in print. send it to you. In
1882, man by the name Of John Talbert
married young lady by the name of Re
becca Farmer. Soon after the celebration of
the nuptial ceremonies, Talbert enlisted in
/ the - Cavalry Regiment, and went to
| to the front He was at home on furlough
! in 1853, and returned to his regiment in
! few weeks In ore Of the battles in Missis-
! sippi he became missing. and the body Of
uerson supposed to be Talbert found and
| buried. His friends were informed of bis
death, ard mourned for him for many days.
| When the Regiment returned, with
| flying colors, his place was vacant, aud his
wife looked at the horsemen as they march-
ed proudly up the streets Of the city, but
| looked in vain for the form she would most
loved to have seen.
| Talbert had been good citizen, and had
! long paid his addresses to the lady whom he
, married. Feeling it his duty 10 join the
| army. be had married her before he enlisted.
| that he might have the right to protect her
when he returned. He was good soldier.
always doing his duty faithfully. and when
the battle ragged was in b is place uutlinching
and determined. When his supposed body
was found. not one of his former comrades
hut mourncd that be had been taken from
| their mum Der.
The war closed, and Talbert was almost
forgotten. Not much longer than year
ago, his widow took off the weeds OF mourn
ing, and gave her hand to young carpea-
ter in Peoria, by the pane of Simpson. Sic
had borne child to Talbert in his absence,
| aud all her love for its father had conferred
| in this image Of the departed one.
About three months after Simpson end
! Mrs. Talbert were married, the young car
penter fel from the sea folding Of large
building he was employed upon, and MS
brains dashed out against the ground. Re
| becca Farmer was for the second time
widow, aud the hatilimeuts of mourning
were again dorned. Loving hands buried
her dead from her sight. and the world
moved on as before, utterly regardless OF the
| twice stricken one.
The child Of Talbert had grown into
lovely gir. Of seven summers. and was the
only love and hope of her mother. Some
weeks since the little one sickened aud died,
and the mother supposed herself bereit oi
all that knew or loved her.
But now comes the grand denouement.-
While The corpse of the child lay in her
mothers house. awaiting burial on the NOR
row, q stranger called at the poor woman's
door. a neghbor lady, who had charge of
the mourning house, admitted him, and he
asked to see Mrs. Simpson. The lady came
down, aud found III the supposed stranger
her loug-.Ost husband, John Talbert-he for
whom she had neurued as dead.
He explained his long absence in this
wise Alter the battle in which lie was
supposed to have been killed, he found him
self prisoner in the hands Of the Copfedsr
ates. lie was hurried from one post to the
other, until at last be was taken to Auter-
souvil!e. In that prison pen he languised
tof months, until he forgot the passing time;
until the intense longing for home COM
pletely broke his heart. When he was lib
Grated, he says. everything was blank to
him. lie wandered to New York City. and
lived there for more than a year, and then
passed TO the great West, where he lived
until year ago. lie recovered his health
Of body and mind but for several years
cou & not bring himself u think Of returning
to his home. He eaid there was an intense
yearuing to see his wife and child, but By
some curious, morbid feeling. he suppressed
the prom ptings of his heart, and remained
away from the beings ho loved, brooding
over his curious, self-impose condition. a
few months since he was taken with az ire
sistabe longing to return 10 Illinois and the
scenes OF his former happiness. bat he desired
to do so without being recognized. He came
back, much changed and altered in appear
auce, visited Peoria, and found his wife mar
ried 10 another man.
There WAS fresh agony Of mind. and
poignancy added to the thought that if
he had returned when his Imprisonment
ended, or even after his faculties had been
fully restored, he would have found bis wife
still mourning for him, and could have glad
dened her heart by showing her that he was
still alive. Now there was nothing for him
| 20 do but to go away, az Encch Arden had
done. and leave Philip Ray to his happiness.
He could not tear himself completely from
the spot, however. He had seen his chil1
and its her on the streets. aDd he felt
| like going forward and claiming his own.
! So he removed himself about hundred
mites from his old home; for to have remained
in Peoria. where he had bsen pretty we'll
known, would have betrayed him, finally
! The news of the death of Simpson did not
reach him. Though be received a paper
/ regularly from Peoria, this. TO him, most i'm
! portant item Of news failed to meet his eye.
! But the other day he did see notice of the
death Of his child, and in less than FIVE
! hours he was beside It's coffin. Not till then
| did he learn of the death of Simpson But
/ when his wife, the girl he had loved aud
! thought he had lost by one of the Strangest
| works of Providence, fell into his arms, he
| realized that he had still something to live
! for. The wife received the husband again,
! In place of the child she had lost, and the
neighbors rejoiced at her good fortune, not
| withstanding few Of them felt some indig-
nation that. he had remained away so long
after his imprisonment had ended.
4 STRANGE STORY was lately told to a
g De-