Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-24
A Canadian Romance.

THERE is credited to Canadian paper,
called the ST. Mary's Vedette, a pleasant
and romantic little social Renaissance,
which, while prompted by line in the
last edition of the "Peerage and Baron
etage" of England, refers to one of the
humblest stations in Americ IN life. Among
the travellers brought BY stage coach to
the tavern of the village of Stratford,
Canada, many years ago, was ayoung man
Of rather boyish countenance but not un-
dignifed bearing, who, attracted by the
pleasant scenery of the place, and its on
portunities for fishing and hunting. lin
gered on at the inn many weeks beyond
his apparent first intention. Known as
Sterling, and believed to be from England,
he was for some time credited only with
the within Of free and easy young tour
list enjoying an interval of rural incidence
between city sight seeings; but at last the
true reason of his delay was discovered.
Immediately across the road from the tav
ern stood the coy cottage and sparkling
forge of the village blacksmith, named
Folsom, whose only daughter was girl
Of extraordinary beauty and the belle of
the place. From spending certain idle
hours in the smithy, the young stranger
had contracted quite an intimacy
with the smith, and thus, by de-
grees, formed an acquaintance with
the family; and fortnight's Incl
dental association with the beautiful
daughter was what had caused the weeks
OF his stay in StratfOrd to lengthen un-
noticed into months. In short, this Eng
lish youth upon his travels fell in love to
a depth deeper than all flirtations with
the blacksmith's child, and was manly
enough to confess as much to her and 10
her father. The latter he frankly told
that his feelings in the matter had become
much stronger and more serious than he
had intended they should be; that his
station in life was much above blacksmith
ing; but that, being in love beyond the
power of recantation, he wished to marry
the young lady, and, in due time, raise her
to his own position. To the girl herself
he not only offered ardent suit, but con-
fided in confidence his position and ex-
pectations. Trusting his honest face and
manner, the worthy blacksmith favored
his pretensiOns; trusting his love and
honor, the humble belle of the village re-
turned his honorable passion, and, as
a consequence, there followed wedding,
of which the elder spinsters and sages of
Stratford could not predict too much evil.
|
After few happy weeks OF married life
Stirling Informed his wife that he must
visit New Orleans, and took leave of
her with promise to write very soon.
Then, of course, the I-told-you-so's
OF the village were sure that he would
never come back again. and chorused hints
and fears innumerable to that effect; but,
to their discontinue, the Englishman re-
appeared at Stratford even earlier than he
had promised, and his calumniators &C
knowledged their defeat by an .abashed
silence. Only few days from thence,
however, after receivingva formidable
bundle of letters bearing foreign post
marks, the young husband declared that
he must return Immediately to England,
and alone. Without thought of distrust
or a single question the wife babe him go /;
and from the hour of his going until after
two years had elapsed she never saw nor
heard from him again. This time the
social critics of the village were sure of
the verifcation OF all their predictions,
and only the wife herself believed that it
was not final desertion. In the two
wears Of absence and silence on one part,
and trustful waiting on the other, son
was born to Mrs. Stirling and helped her
to bear the more patiently the trial Of the