Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-14

SINGULAR CASE.

1t would seem, from the frequent oc-
currence of remarkable incidents, that
there is certainly nothing of an improbable
nature, Judging from the following won-
dertully strange and hardly credible story
which came to our ears a few DAYS since.
In the spring of 1S49, when the gold
fever was at its highest possible state of
excitement in California, there lived in
the State of Virginia, on the banks of the
York river, II few miles below Yorktown,
4 gentleman of culture, whose parents
were in moderate circumstances. 1t was
during the gold excitement he lett the COM
forts of a home, his friends, relatives, y
loving wife whom lie had led to the altar
but Il year since, and an only child--a
daughter of two months-and took up his
lonely 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 engaged in 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-feyer season at New Orleans, as at
the same time did "A little girl of another
family, of the same name and age as his
| little daughter He visited the States, but
could find no clue to his deceased wifes
sister, he thought. naturally, she, too, had
died. He returned to the Golden State,
and time and the whirling excitement Of
business soon healed his sorrows and eff
faced, apparently, all recollections Of his
old home on the banks of the placid York.
Shortly afterthe completion ofthe Pacific
Railroad there arrived at this city gentle
man. his wife. and beautiful, wen edu-
Gated, and graceful young lady, just
blooming into maidenhood, apparently
and really about Is summers 1t was by
chance the young lady and aged widower
| met-and to meet was to love They
were duly married after short acquain-
tance; the ceremony being celebrated
with great eelat, and creating no little
flutter in the fashionable and wealthy
circles of our city. The fact that both
parties bore the same Christian name ex-
cited no comment or enquiry, as it was
one almost quite as common as that of
Smith or Brown
! A few weeks after the marriage, as the
husband and wife naturally inquired into
each others past history and antecedents.
and were gradually becoming better ac
quainted with each other, the denoue-
ment came-they were father and daugh-
ter-man and wife the instructive love Of
the parent for the child, and the daughter
for the father, had been superseded by the
strong emotional passions of sexual love.
Both innocent at heart, but foully crimi-
nal in the eyes of man and God.
His daughter was not dead, as he sup
posed; but, after the death of his wife,
was kindly taken in charge by his sister
in-law, who had married and moved to a
distant State and who also, with her hus-
band, accompanied his wife's daughter to
this coast to meet as strangers, lovers,
and subsequently parent and child, as they
were, cultivated, passionate love changing
into filial and parental devotion. ~
Wonderfully strange, indeed, are the
tortuitous circumstances which control and
guide the footsteps of erring and suscep-
tible mortals.-San Francisco Tribune