The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-06
The Romance of Real life.

That reality Is often stranger IMAM r0-
nance is very old-fashioned truism. Yet
critics are always deciding the plots of no.
wells to be incredible. and readers Of "sen-
sation" stores are rIick to declare them
"untrue to nature" The files OF current
newspapers furnish, Notwithstanding, from
week to week, dramas of real life that quite
equal the most wonderful pages of Miss
Braddon or Alexander Dumas. Even in
sober Boston there happened a fortnight
ago events curjously like the social compli-
cations painted by the former writer. and
no whit inferior to them in romance or
ecccutricity.
A married woman living at Westboro'. in
Massachusetts,, went to Boston about the
18th of January to make purchases for her
family. She had always been considered
respectable, had been wife four years, land
has ore child. After buying what she
wanted she sent her goods home to West
boro' by express. She subsequently went to
the waiting-room Of railroad station with
the intention OF going to Chelsea. While
waiting for the car she was accosted by a
young man, 4 complete stranger, who pro-
posed to her to accompany him for Il walk.
At first she declined, but atterward consent
ed, and the two passed into the streets.
Presently the young man asked his com.
panion if shewtrc married or otherwise en-
ga.ed She answered both questions in the
negative. he then told her his name and
calling: said he was Il molder, who had
been employed ut Wakefield, but had been
DISCHARGED because he was a single man
| had he been married man, he added. he
might have kept his place. i his announce
! mcrt probably drew from the lady some
expression of coincidence or other encour.
agement. since the ardent molder then and
there made her proposition of marriage.
Strange to say, the offer was as promptly
accepted. This wife and mother ceoly
agreed to marrva person whom ten minutes
| before she had never seen, and OF whose
| character and circumstances, save through
! his own account, she was totally ignorant
| The pair then agreed to 60 to Lynn, where
| The happy lovers parents reside, and to
whom he desired to present his affanced.
| This plan was duly carried out. The two
went together to Lynn, the parents, who
are highly respected by their towns-folk,
were seen, and the intended bride formally
introduced. AT this point the groom was
guilty OF the triiling cXag@cration OF telling
| his father and mother that he had known
| The lady Ec meant to make their daughter
| in-law for six months. The old people
were pleased with their sons choice, made
much of her, and introduced her to their
friends. The mother, however, with a
| laudabe caution that might wisely have
gone further, took the young woman into
Il private room at an early stage of the
acquaintance, and, with the preface
that she liked her looks and man
ncrs, hoped that, being stranger, her
antecedcnts had been such as would in
no sense bring discredit on the family. The
| lady made prompt response that everything
was Is 1t should be, that her name was spot
| less, that her father was 4 Sea-capfain, iiv-
lug III ST. John. y. B., and that she would
not he guilty Of deception for the world.
Well satisfied, the mother agre d to the
| marriage, which thereupon took place, and
| The parties lived toget her Is man and wife
| for one short Week. In the meantime the
| original husband. missing his spouse, went
| to Boston 10 look for her. His search was
ut first, for obvious reasons, vain. But, for
purposes Of her own, this female Barbe-
Blete now resolved to pay Il visit to
Boston and to 60 alone. Her new hus-
band objected, but she overcame his
| Scruples and carried out her design.
Having arrived in town, she sent TO her
WestbOro' lord. addressing him with COM
FUNCTIONS reserve rs Dear friend" aud
asked him to he kind enough to send her
clothes and other effects on to Boston. The
husband came instantly to the address thus
given, and, confronting the erring wife, re-
pr0ached her with her absence. Stricken
with remolsc or terror, She fell on her
knees. and, with bitter tears, begged his for
givencss. she confessed She had married
somebody, but WAS quite unable To recall
the incidents of her courtship or wedding.
Pending this revelation, the friends Of he
other husband arrived, having got wind
that something was wrong, and Il dreadful
scene ersucd, which ended by the lady re-
turning TO Wcsttioro' with her legal hlls'
band. 1t is proper to say, i'll eXtenuation
other couGuct--iirSt, that she is reported to
have imagined that her husband was I'm.
faithful to her; and, secondhand too com.
mon plea set up Tor backsliders-that she
is "by some supposed to be insane
This strange story is certainly not sur
passed By any Of the similar ENHANCEMENT $
conceived BY ingenious novelists of the day
Extraordinary and improbable as it seems,
lis truth is vouchcd for by the Boston news.
papers, some OF which give the names,
which we have suppressed.-Ne2c I0rh
Times,