The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-10
THE STORY OF A RING.
One OF the Romances OF the War.
4.

From the Kansas City Times.
In the year 1861 a young man, then
living a few miles from this city, went
into the Missouri State Guard as a sol
dier. At Springfield, and on the reor-
ganization Of this branch OF the army,
he took service as a Confederate. AZ
terwards he joined company in Colonel
Up. Hays regiment, and participated in
the battle of Lone Jack.
Before leaving home, however, his
mother gave him an old.fashioned gold
ring, which had a heart upon it, and
letters "R. s. engraved upon this heart.
She placed it on her sons hand with
a wish, or rather a prayer, that he
might 90 through the war safely, aud
get safely back home again.
1t is not known that either the ring
or the prayer acted as charm, but the
young man went unharmed through
many bloody fights, being hit in but one
Of them, the wound then proving to be
only a mere scratch.
In 1864 the young man was very
sick OF fever at Clarksville, Texas
During the delirium attendant upon
it, and while he was tossing to and fro
the ring slipped from his finger and
was lost. The closest search failed TO
find it, and it was given up for good.
There waited upon him, however, 4
very pretty and amiable girl, who
seemed to be sorry when he got well
enough to rejoin his command. When
he left he laughingly told her that if she
would find his ring, and if he lived he
would come back and marry her. II
this promise was made at first with any
degree of sincerity, it was soon forgot
ten in the excitement ard care OF a
soldiers lite, and only at rare intervals
perhaps, did he recall the sick room and
the ministering angel.
When the war was over, the young
man returned to his fathers farm in
Jackson county, and went to work in
good earnest. Two years ago his
mother died, and once more the loss Of
the ring came back to him with redoub-
led sorrow. He determined TO write
to the lady who had nursed him, and to
inquire of her whether she was mar
ried or not, and whether she had ever
seen or heard anything of the present
his mother had made him.
The letter was written in August,
1869, and in March, 1870, what WAS his
surprise to receive an answer from the
identical girl he had left in 1864, and TO
whom he had made a light promise OF
marriage. She was stll single, she
said, and waiting for him. And what
was stranger still, only five days before
-Ae wrote, she had found the lost ring
The manner OF finding it was as fol-
lows: The father of the young lady
had determined to make some repairs
in his house, which repairs necessitated
the taking up Of the floor Of the room
in which the soldier had been sick.
After doing this, and while digging away
some rubbish beneath, the workmen
came upon the ring. 1t had slipped
through crack in the floor, and had
been living there, safe and sound, for
nearly five long years. The lady took
possession of it at once, and wrote i'm
mediately to its owner, as we have
stated above. Perhaps she looked
upon its recovery as an omen, and per-
haps it was. At an rate it was little
romantic with all its attending clrcum-
stances.
The correspondence thus commenced,
or rather renewed, was continued with
an ever increasing ardor on the part Of
the gentleman, until in the end he made
a new and an impetuous offer Of mar
riage. Without that the story would
be incomplete. Last week, with money
in his pocket, good home in Jackson
county and great happiness in hrs heart,
this Young soldier-nOw somewhat
older and more settled and sedate-
started for ClarksviIle Texas, the home
OF his betrothed. Who can doubt Of
the result? lie will remain there
probably month, and return again to
Missouri with his bride When he does
we promise to give his name. Until
then it is impossible, for the condition
Of secrecy was attached to the in'Orma.
ton before we could obtain it. The
circumstances, however, are just as we
have narrated them in every particular
and furnish another to the long list Of
romantic incidents that have grown ont
OF the war