The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-04-30
AN UNPLEASANT STORY.
A Wealthy Californian Waresies
HIS Own Daughter.
From the San Francisco Tribune.

FROM the san + IallCiSCU lIlDuuc.
1t would seem, from the frequent oc-
currences of remarkable incindents, that
there is certainly nothing of an improb-
able nature, Judging from tho following
wonderfully strange and hardly credi-
table story which came to our ears a
few days since.
In the spring of 1S49, when the
gold fever was in its highest possible
state of excitement in California, there
lived in the State Virginia, on the
banks Of York River, a few miles below
Yorktown, gentleman of culture,
whose parents were in moderate circum-
stances. 1t was during the gold ex-
citement he left the comforts of home,
his friends, relatives, loving wife,
whom he had led to the alter but a
year since, and an only child-a daught-
er of two months-and took up his lone
ly journey to seek his fortune in the
wild, distant West, over and beyond
the Rocky Mountains, where the bright
and golden sun sinks down to rest amid
the blue waves Of the grand Pacific.
After years Of toll, drudgery and re-
verses of fortune in the mines, he came
to this city and engagedin business. He
being successful soon amassed an i'm
mense fortune. His beloved wife had
died during prevailing epidemic while
on visit to some relatives during the
yellow fever season at New Orleans, as
at the same time did little girl Of an
other family, of the same name and age
as his little daughter. He visited the
States, but could find no clue to his de-
ceased wife's sister he thought natu.
rally, she, two, had died. He returned
to the Golden State, and time and the
whirling excitement of busines soon
healed his sorrows, and effaced, appar'
emily, all recollections of his old home
on the banks of the placid York.
Shortly after the completion of the
Pacific railroad there arrived at this
city gentleman, his wife, and a beauti
full young lady, just blooming into
maidenhood, apparently, and really about
eighteen summers. 1t was by chance
the young lady and aged widower met
and to meet was to love. They were
duly married after short acquaintance
the ceremony being celebrated with
great eczat, and creating no little Auttel
in the fashionable and wealthy circles
of our city. The fact that both partie;
bore the same Christian name exciteC
no comment or inquiry, as it was al
most as common as Smith or Brown.
A few weeks after the marriage, az
the husband and wife naturally y inquired
into each others past history and ante
cedents, and were gradually becoming
better acquainted with each other. thu
denouement came-they were tathe
and daughter-man and wife; the in
stinctive love of the parent for tn
child, and the daughter for the father
had been superseded by the strong emo
tional passion of sexual love. Botl
innocent at heart, but foully crimina
in the eyes of man and God.
His daughter was not dead, as b
supposed, but, after the death of hi
wife, was kindly taken in charge b.
his sister-in-law, who had married an
moved to a distant State, and who also
with her husband, accompanied his wife
daughter to this coast, to meet as strau
gers, lovers, and subsequently paren
and child, as they Were, cultivated
passionate love changed into flial an
paternal devotion. s..
| Wonderfully strange, indeed, are tn
fortuitous circumstances which contrt
and guide the footsteps of erring an
susceptible mortals.