The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-10-24
AN ENOCH ARDEN CASE.

\ one-armcd horseman recently
travelling through Missouri stopped
at a blacksmith shop to have his
horse shod. The smith noticed the
empty sleeve. and asked him if he
lost his arm in the war. He replied,
with a sigh. that lie did. and even
more. going on to relate how he had
left home to enlist in the Southern
army, and at the close of the war,
on going back, he found that his
wife. who thought him dead, had
moved away. and he had since been
unable to obtain a trace CF her.
"What is your name :: SAID the
blacksmith. When the answer was
y. NJ. Waldrup, he suddenly re
leased the hOOf over which he had
been bending. and without looking
at the eX-soldicr. cried, "Eollow me
into the house. and hurriedly LED
the wav. Amazed rs lie was 1T such
conduct. W4ldrup mechanically
obeyed the unexpected bidding. and
before he could pause to think, was
in the presence Of comely matroH,
about whose sewing chair three hap
py children We're playing. She was
the blacksmith wife. the mother OF
his little ones: vet a. she arose to see
whom the smith had brought in. and
caught sight Of the strangers face.
one wild shrek proclaimed the IN
stantaneous recognition, and She
tainted. In the belief that w aldrup
was dead. She had married the black
smith of Cedar City IL the very year
of the soldiers parole. and could
only confess her dread mistake, and
call alternately upon either husband
and her God for pardon. After the
first agitation OF the sInGularIeunlon
had partially subsided. the two men
returned to the smithv and talked
the matter over as senSibIv and
coolly a. their respective feelings
permitted. Devotediy as he loved
the woman the honest blacksmith /
admitted the others stronger right .
to her. and generously consented /
that she herself snoIld decide be-
tween them. after long passion Of
tears and seIf-repICa4h, she elected !
to 90 with him whom she loved the
first. but declared with bitter lamen-
tations that She could not leave her
children. The smith, raising his
head from his braast. on which it
had dropped IN the first despondcncy /
OF his great atfiictiOn, eyed her visit /
fully for moment. and then said,
You snail take them, my dear,
When the steamboat St Luke stop
ped at the landing, some hours later,
WaIdrup went aboard with his still
weeping and hickly-veiled wife, and
the blacksmith followed with the
children. The boats bell rang for
the starting, and the dread separa
ton was at hand. The crew, the
passengers, the captain-all who wit
messed it-were affected to tears by
the touching scene. With great
drops rolling down his tawny cheeks,
the smith kissed his children one
after another. and in a choking
voice babe their mother an eternal
goodbye. The two men gaZed visit
fully into each others faces, shook |
hands long and earnestly, and then
the blacksmith. by strong effort OF
iron will, released the hand of Wald-
rup and walked quickly to the shore.
He never turned his face again to-
ward the boat, which soon passed out
of sight around merciful bend of
the river, but strobe on, with head
bowed down, to the house whittier
the voices of wife and children
should welcome him no more.