Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-24
DIVORCED IN THE DESERT.
Am 0bstlnate Couples Quarrel ON the
Tourney To the. Land Of Gcid-A
Wonfan's Luck--A Meeting after
Twenty Years.

Am Obstinate Couples Quarrel ON the
Journey 10 the. LAND Of Geld a
Wonfan's Luck-,A Meeting after
Twenty Years.
= From the Springfield Mass Republican.
One of the pioneers In California emil
grafton, who went across the plains in
lS49, tells this story, that began on the
journey and has just ended in San Fran
cisco: While the train of which the
narrator, now in Nevada, was member,
was encamped at point on the Hum
boldt where the Lessen trail intersects
the Carson track of travel, he visited the
tent of family consisting of an elderly
couple and one child, a daughter of IL
or Is. The old lady was sitting on pile
of blankets under the canvass, encourage
ing q most determined attack of the
sssnlks,n while the masculine head of
affairs had planted himself on the wooden
tongue, and was sucking his pipe IS
though he expected to remain there
forever.
A single glance developed the difficulty
in that little train of one wagon and
three persons, and that it had attained a
point of quiet desperation beyond the
reach of peaceful adjustment. Three
days before they had pitched their tent at
the forks of the road, and as they could
not agree upon the route by which to en-
ter California, there they had remained.
The husband had expressed q preference
for the Carson road, and the wife for the
Lessen, and neither would yield. The
,xr:fo 1ooloroI che ~r-o.,l,& ~oxx,a;,. Ill =
ter; the husband said he wouldbe pleased
is prolong the sojourn through the sum-
mer following. ~
On the morning of the fourth day the
wife broke a sudden silence of SO hours
by proposing division of the property,
which consisted of two yoke of oxen, one
wagon, camp furniture, small quantity
of provisions, and $l2 in silver. The pro-
posal was accepted; and forthwith the
''plunder" was divided, leaving the wagon
to the old man, and the daughter to the
mother. The latter exchanged with a
neighboring train the cattle belonging to
her for pony and pack saddle, and, pill
ing her daughter and her portion of the
divided spoil upon the animal, she reso-
lutely started across the desert by the
Lessen trail, while the old man silently
yoked his cattle and took the other route.
Of,course both parties reached Cali
fornis in safety. We say ''of course, "
for it is scarcely possible that any OBJ
stacle, death included, could have inter-
fered with stubbornness so sublime. Ar
irving in Sacramento, with her daughter,
the old lady readily found employment
for women were less plentiful than now
and subsequently opened boarding
house, and in a few years amassed q
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-
tisl citizens.
And what had become of the old man
The wife had not seen or heard of him
since they parted on the Humboldt.
They had lived happily together foryears,
and she sometimes reproached herself fol
the wilfulness 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 moi
smiled upon him, and that for years he
had toiled without hope. Finally, feel.
ing unable longer to WELD the pick and
shovel, he visited San Francisco in the
hope of obtaining employment better
adapted to his wasted strength.
For three months he remained idle
after arriving there, and then, for want OF
occupation, became the humble retailer
of peanuts and oranges, with his entire
traffic upon his arm. This was SIX
months ago. A lew weeks since, in
passing the open door of q cottage in the
southern part of the city, he observed 6
lady in the hall, and stopped to offer his
merchandise. AS he stepped upon the
threshold the lady approached, and the
old man raised bis eyes and dropped his
basket; and no wonder, either, for she
was his wife, his sold woman" She
recognized him, and throwing up her arm
| in amazement, exclaimed:
ssGreat God John, is that youl" Sal
tina. is left of me-" replied the old man
With extended arms they approached
Suddenly the old lady's countenancI
changed and she stepped back. "John,
said she, with look which might hav'
been construed into earnestness, "hoV
did you find the Carson rosd9" "Miser
able, Sukey, miserable" replied the oil
man; ''full of sand and slkali" 'Thel
was right, joint" she continued in
uuiringly. 'fYou were, Sukey." "That'
enough pc said she, throwing her arm
around the old mans neck; ''that'
enough, John )" and the old couple
l strangely sundered, were reunited.