Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1871-12-30
(From the St. Paul Pioneer.

from inc SJ. raul fioneef.J
The Pioneer Of October "a, 1869, con-
tanned brief history of a somewhat
romantic nature, draw from the lite of
a prominent merchant and trader in
the far Northwest. Many of our
present readers will recollect The facts
stated at the time, but in order to re-
fresh their memories, ind also to en-
able the thousands of news readers OF
the Pioneer to understand and appre-
ciate the additional facts which we
propose to lay before them connected
with this strange and romantic history,
we will briefly recapitulate the main
features of the article referred to. sr
Some seventeen years ago, among
the prominent merchants of Rio
Janeiro, Brazil, was young English
man, who had amassed a considerable
fortune in trade in that thriving
city of South America. His bust
ness required him to make fire..
qlient visits to his native country,
England. During one of these visits
he met a beautiful orphan girl, whose
forlOrn condition, no less than her
many charms of mind and person, cap
tiyated his bachelor heart. They were
married, and the happy couple return
ed to Rio Janeiro, where they passed
several years of married life. Two
children were born to them, and in all
South America it would have been
hard to find a more loving couple.
The husband continued to prosper in
business, and made occasional visits to
his mother county, leaving his family
at Rio JaieirO. 1t was shortly after
his return from one of these visits that
he heard, for the first time, whispers
2 gainst the fair fame of the wife he
almost idolized.
Rumors that she had been untrue to
him reached his ears. His suspicious
were aroused, and being naturally of
a jealous disposition, he was driven
almost to madness. He accused his
wife of being untrue to her marriage
vows, aud she, being equally as proud
as himself, Indignantly denied the
charge, and challenged him to pro-
duce the proof. A GOODNESS sprang up
between them; which in the course of
time became unsupportable to both
and q separation was agreed upon.
They were divorced according to the
laws of Brazil, the husband settling
upon her a handsome annuity, which |
was to continue during her life or I'M
til she married again, when it should
cease, she retaining the custody of the |
children.
The husband closed up his business
at Rio Janeifo and became wanderer
upon the earth. He visited various
portions of South America, and coming
north, finally fell in with a party Of
Red river traders, whom he met in st.
Paul, and accompanied them to Fort
Garry where he again entered into
trade. 1t was while doing business
there that he became acquainted with
many of our leading merchants, with
whom lie had dealings for several
years. To none Of them, however did
he ever disclose the sorroy which had
darkened his life. He visited st. Paul
at long intervals, but invariably re-
fused to mingle in any Of the social
pleasures of the city. He was sin
gularly uuiet in his manners and con-
versation; and more than one of our
st. Paul merchants made the remark
that his actions and demeanor show
that he was a "man of sorrow and ac-
quainted with grief"
In October, 1869, a lady still in the
prime of life, and possessing more than
the ordinary amount of beauty, ar
rived in this city accompanied by two
children. 1t was while the lady was
stopping in st. Paul that we learned
the above particulars. The story of
her. life after separating from her hus-
band flor she was the divorced wife al
luded to) she briefly told. She had
married again, and the annuity settled
upon her had ceased. Her second
husband, while an educated gentle
man, was poor, and his death, which
occurred year or two after their
marriage, left her and the two children
in INDECENT circumstances. Left al
most penniless, she scarcely knew what
to do. She had heard, through others
in Rio Janeiro, where her first husband
was well known, II at he had settled
down at Fort Garry, in British Ameri-
ca. Convinced of his unalterable love
for her, and knowing how groundless
were suspicion which had caused their
separation, she determined to seek
him out, and With her two children,
fall at his feet and implore him to take
her back to his bosom. With this de-
termination she disposed of what little
she had, and commenced her long
journey FROM Brazil to British America.
She arrived, here, as We have stated,
in October 1869, and after resting a
few days, pursued her journey to Fort
Garry in search of the husband of her
youth.
In giving the above facts at the time,
we promised our readers that if we
ever learned any further particulars in
regard 10 this 6 DER true tale" which
seemed more like tale of fiction than