The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-10-13
MEMS WIVES.
A Tale Of Two Cities-Truth is
Stranger than Fiction.

? AT tue outbreak Of Tie late war be
tween the States, in one Of our charm,
ing Gulf coast cities, there resided Il
young lady,, the daughter of one not
unknown to fame, and who had occu-
lied high civil position IN the State
Of. The young lady was en-
gagged TO a gentleman in every rcpect
worthy of her hand and heart. But
the course Of true love never does run
smooth. Naughty gnardian--whitn
les-a system of merciless persecu-
ton on the part of the guardian toward
the fair and accomplished ward, des-
troyed the existing engagement be-
tween the plishted lovers, an act
fraught with the bittcrest consequences
as the sequel will establish. The
young gentleman at once became reck
less Of lfe-fought with the greatest
gal!antry on manya blood stained bat
tie field in the cause o. the South until
the close Of tue war. Like many 9th
ers who had lost all upon the result,
the advent Of peace did not bring back
to him hope or joy. Having lost eve
rything on earth he valued, lie plunged
into every excess of life-became a
noted and confirmed fast man, an in
veterate gambler, noted for his desper-
alton at play-onc whose heart was as
hard as steel and as cold as ice. The
young lady, to avoid the persecution OF
a heartless guardian, fled from her
home. One false step followed another
in quick succession, until at last she
became an inmate Of one Of those noted
Memphis establishments, too well
known in our far city, TO sum it up,
she had fallen into sin and shamc--a
victim to pcrsecution--a yotary at the
shrine of crime and folly. She had
been a resident Of Memphis but about
four weeks when the gentleman (her
former lover arrived in tho city. or
course lie frequentcd the fashionable
gambling houses Of the city, in pursuit
of his profession. A lew evenings
since he visited the house Of Nine ---
noted keeper Of 4 bagnio. Seating
himself at the piano, lie thumpcd over
an old air uncoLscnusly, "kjnloch OF
Kinroch," q tavoritc in times gone by
He had struck but few bars VIXEN q
lady rushed into the parlog, and sciz
ing him by the shoulder turned him
half around, yazed into his face, and
exclaimed, in tone of agony, My
God, is this Mr.. ----:' -s
They had met once more, after Il
lapse Of ten years, but hCw changed
were the positions Of each. Tire ac-
complisbed belle had become ''soiled
doye''-the heightened and chivalric
gentleman hal become 4 noted and dies
perate gambler.
The gentleman. overcome by the
sudden appari,ion, dropped his face in
to his hands and wcpt like child. The
tide ofyears swept back over his past
life, and memory dragged up the
drowned recollcctions of former days
when he stood by the side of II fair
pure maiden, her chosen lover.
Mutual explanations followed this
denouement. The love which had il
better and happier days been the fruit
full source Of joys and woes unnum'
bered. sprang at once into existence
In fact, it had never died, but smoul'
dered in the bosom Of each over past
recollections sad and unfortunate. They
retired to a private apartment FOR q
short time ID hear the story OF theil
liyas, as each detailed it with truth
They left the house of shame at once,
and few evenings since were mar,
ried. Ere this, hundreds Of miles sep
arate them from Memphis, the scene OF
this sad but romantic reunion. 1t mat
tiers not who they wcre-names arc
mere incidents in q heart history-and
certainly 10 Christian man or woman
would desire Il publication of names
when it would but follow the crrine
man and woman to their iar-oT Yves
tern home, and give rise to tales Of
mystery anu disgrace. The society Of
"outrageously virtuous," headed by
Miss Prim, will, no doubt, cry ou
''sllame" when they learn that wicked
people struggle back toward the path:
of virtue and reformation; but what o
that? Let the "innocent cast the first
stone,r and we will rest satisfied thai
no direct stack will be made upon oul
hero and heroine. This is a true his
tory, strange and romantic, proving
again that it is never too late to re
trace our steps, and that no human
being is ever lost while life exists. W.
have no doubt that this strange and &C
cidental meeting will work roforma
ton as 10 both palties, for our philos