Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-21
DIVORCED IN THE Desert.
An Obstinate Couples Quarrel on the JOur-
ncy to the Land Of GOld-A WOman's Luck
Il Meeting after Twenty Years,

AN upS'iiate couples quarrel on the JOur-
ncy tO the Land Of Coda NOman'S Iuck
Il Meeting after Twenty Years.
From the Springfield Massl Republican,
One of the pioneers in California emi-
grafton, who went across the plains in
i5l9, tells this story, that began on the
journey and has Just ended i'm San Francis
90 While the train Of which the narTu-
Tor, now in Nevada, was member, was
encalnped ut point on the Humboldt
I Wherc the Lessen train iutCrsects the Car
SON track of travel he visited q family con-
sisting of IN elderly couple and one child.
q daughter of IL or - The old lady was
sitting on pile of blankets under the can
Nass, encouraging most determined attack
of the "sulks,N while the masculine head
OF affairs had planted himselfon the wood
| en- tongue and was sucking his pipe rs
though he expected to remain there for
ever
4 single glance developed the diHoulty
! IN that little train of one wagon and three
| persons, and that it had attained n point of
quiet desperation beyond the reach OF
! peucciul adjustment Three days before
they had pitched their tent at the forks OF
the road, and rs they could not agree upon
! the route hv which to e,itcr California
| there they had remained. The husband
had expressed . preference for the Carson
| road, and the vi c for the Lesser, and
| neither would yield The wife declared
| she would remain all winter; the husband
| SAID ne would ce pleased to prolOng the 30
Journ through the summer following.
| On the morning of the fourth day the
wife broke sudden silence of thirty-six
hours by proposing Il division Of the pro-
pcrty which consisted of two yoke of oxen,
ono wagon, camp furniture small guam
tity of provisions, and Sl2 in silver. The
proposal was accepted and forthwith the
"plunder' was divided leaving the wa
gon to the old man, and the daughter Ca
the mother. The latter exchanged with n
neigh boring train the cattle belonging to
her for pony and packsaddle, and pilinE
her daughter and her portion of the divid-
ed spoil upon the animal, she resoutely
started across the desert by the Lessen
trail, wbilc the old man silently yoked his
cattle and took the other route.
. or course both parties reached California
in safety. We say"of course" for il Is
scarcely possible that any obstacle, death
included, could have interfcred with stub
mento, with her daughter, the old lady
readily found employment-for women
were less plentiful than nOw-and subse-
quently opened n boarding house, and In IA
few years amasscd a handsome fortune.
Two years ago she went to San Francisco
and the daughter, whose education had not
been neglected, was married to one of the
most substan .ial citizens.
! And what had become Of the old man?
| The wife had not seen or heard from him
since they parted on the Humboldt. They
had lived happily together for years, and
she sometimes rcproachcd herself for the
willulnCss that separated them after SO
long pilgrimage together. But he was
not dead. We cannot trace his course in
California, however. All that we know OF
him is, that fortune had not smiled upon
him. and that for years he had tolcd with
out hope. Finally, feeling unable longer
to WELD the pick and shovel, he visited San
Francisco in hope of obtaiping employ
mcnt better adapted 10 his WastedEtrength.
For three months he remained idle after
arriving there, and then for want Of occu
patton, became the humble retailer of pea
nuts and oranges, with his entire traffic
upon his arm. Ths was six months ago.
A few weeks since i'm passing the open
door of = cottage in the southern part OF
the city, he observed n lady in the hall.
and stopped TO offer his merchandise. A.
. he stepped upon the Threshold the lady
approached, and the old man raised his
eyes and dropped his basket and no
wonder either, for she was his wife, his
" old woman !" She recognized him, and.
throwing up her arms in 0mazement, eK-
claimed:
"Grcat God! John, is that you?" "AlI
r that is left of mc'' replied the old man.
With extended arms they approached.
Suddenly the old lady's cOuntenancc
changed and she stepped back. "John,"
said she, with look that might have been
construed into earncstnes, chow did you
find the Carson road ?'' Miserable, Su-
key, miserable - replied the old man; full
of sand and alkali" "Then was right.
John ?" she continued inquiringly. you
were Sukey.n "That's enough! - said
she, throwing her arms around the old
mans neck "that's enough John - and
the old couple, strangely sundered, were
reunited.