The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-13
A Sad Story.
A uARRrAGE IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH.
In the Daily Union of September IS
appeared the following notice:

In the Daily Union of September IS
appeared the following notice:
MARRIED.-At Pennington, near Salt
Lake City, Utah, on Tuesday, September
IA. Mr.. I. c. NORRIS and Miss MARY T..
LEQuATT, both of Rock Island county.
The letter that brought the an
nouncement-from a friend OF the par.
ties-gaye us permission to tell the
story Of the love that animated these
two young people-a love that had
been born while yet the future of both
was bright with hope; love that bad
been strengthened by sickness; love
that eliminated in n marriage at the
portals of death. But q fear of .dis-
tressing the parties kept us silent at
the time. Now that a greater distress
than any we could iniiict has come up
on tile young bride and the brave sol
diers kindred. we may allude to what
we then kept silent on. Hope and fear
are alike overt can do no harm.
Among the many young men who
enlisted from Rock Island county to
defend their country during the war
was ThomasC. Morris, son of William
Morris, of Ellington. He joined the
Forty fifth regiment, and in time be-
came a lieutenant. When he left the
service and came home he had con-
tracted an affection of the lungs, which
he thought little of, but still endeavor-
ed to have cured. He won the affec-
tions and became the accepted lover of
Miss Lequatt in few months after his
return, and only awaited a restoration
of his health to marry her. But month
after month passed-nearly three years
were gone before Morris began to re-
alize that he could not be cured at
home, and then, acting under advice,
he started for the West to see what a
change Of climate would do. He be-
gan his journey abont the lst of July
last, and in due time arrived at Salt
Lake City. After vainly seeking health
in the pure air of the mountains, he
found himself sinking, and apprised
his friends that his case was hopeless.
About the LIST of September he found
the fell disease was making such rapid
strides that if he would see his be-
trothed alive he had no time to lose.
He teleguphed to her of his condition,
and with a woman's singleness OF de-
votion She left her home ana went TO
him. She arrived at Pennington, a
village between the Pacific Railroad
and Salt Lake City, where Morris was
stopping, on the morning of Septem-
Der IA, and on the evening of the same
day the two were married.
A week OF ten days afterward Mr..
and Mrs. Morris began the journey
homeward, all hopes of the AIR of Utah
being beneficial to the invalid having
been abandoned. The journey was
made by easy stages, frequent stop
pages being made to iecrnit Lleuten-
ant Morris strength, which was failing
; rapidly. On reaching Grand junction,
near Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednes-
day, the Goth, he was much exhausted
and ON being removed from one car t.
another quietly breathed his last
: Kind strangers procured coffin fol
the remains, and the stricken widow
, proceeded on her homeward journey
! with her dead On the Both, just tween
: ty-one days after she left it a MI id
!; she arrived at Ellington q widow. Life
:, is made up of sad stories, but there ART
few more sad than this Rock 1slant
Uiuon, Octobcr2.