The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-01-27
A STRANGE STORY.
HMocxx ARDEN ouTDoNu.

Il a curious case recently transp1red III
the vicinity Of Peoria, Illinois, and as
it has never been in print I send it to
you:
In 1862, man by the name Of John
Talbert married q young lady by the
name Of Rebecca Farmer. Soon after
the celebration Of the nuptial cere-
monies, Talbert enlisted in the -----
cavalry regiment, and went to the
front. He was at home on furlough
in 1868, and returned to his regiment
in few weeks. In one Of the battles
of Mississippi he became missing, and
tho body of person supposed to be
Talbert was found and buried. His
friends were informed of his death,
and mourned for him for many days.
When the ---- regiment returned,
his place was vacant, and his wife
looked at tho horsemen as they march
ed proudly up the streets OF the city,
but looked in vain for the form she
would most loved 10 have seen. :.
Talbert had been good citizen, and
had long paid his deyotions to the Ia
dy whom he married. Feeling it his
duty to Join the army, he had married
her before he enlisted, that he might
have the right to protect her when he
returned. He was good soldier, al
ways doing his duty faithfully, and
when the battle ragged was in his place
unfinching and determined. When
his supposed body was found, not one
OF his former comrades but mourned
that he had been taken from their
number
The war was closed, and Talbert
was almost forgotten. Not much
longer than year ago, his widow took
off the weeds Of mourning, and gave
her hand TO young carpenter in Peo-
ria, by the name of Simpson. She
had borne n child to 1albert in his
absence, aud oil her love for its father
had centered in this image Of the de-
parted one.
About three months after Simpson
and Mrs. Talbert were married, the
young carpenter fell from the scaffold-
ing OF IL large building he was at work
upon and his brains were dashed out
upon the ground. Rebecca Farmer
was for tho second time n widow, and
the habiliments OF mourning were
again donned. Loving hands buried
her dead from her sight, and the
world went on as before, utterly re-
gardless OF the twice stricken one.
The child of Talberts had grown
into lovely girl of seven summers,
and was the only love and hope Of her
mother. Two weeks since the little
one suddenly siekened and died, and
the mother supposed herself bereft of
all that knew or loved her
But nov comes the grand denoue-
ment. While the corpse of the child
lny III her mothers house, awaiting
burial on the morrow. stranger cali
ed at the poor woman's door. 4
neighbor lady, who had charge of the
mourning house, admitted him, and
he asked to see Mrs. Simpson. The
lady came down, and found in the
supposed stranger her long-lost hus-
band, John Ta!bert, he for whom she
SO long Inourned as dead.
He explained his long absence in
this wise: After the battle in which
he was supposed to have been killed,
he found himself q prisoner in the
hands of the rebels. He was hurried
from one post to another, until at last
he was taken to Andersonville. In
that prison pen he languished for
months, until he forgot the passing
time; until the intense longing for
home completely broke his heart
When he was liberated, he says every
thing was blank to him. Ho wan
dered to New York city, and lived
there for more than a year, and then
passed to the great west, where he
lived until year ago. He recovered
his health Of body and mind, but for
several years could not bring himself
to think of returning to his home
He said there was an intense yearning
to see his wife and child, but by some
curious, morbid feeling, he suppressed
the prompting of his heart, and re-
mained away from the beings he low
ed, brooding over his curious, self-im-
posed condition. A few months since
he was taken with an irresistible long
ing to return to Illinois aud the scenes
of his former happiness, but he desir-
ed to do SO without being recognized
He came back much changed and al
tered in appearance, visiting Peoria,
and found his wife married to another
man.
There was fresh agony of mind, and
poignancy was added to the thought
that if he had returned when his i'm
prisonment ended, or even after his
faculties had been fully restored, he
would have found his wife still mourn
ing for him, and could have gladden.
ed her heart by showing her that he
was still alive. Now there was moth
ing for him to do but to go away, as
Enoch Arden had done, and leave
Philip Ray to his happiness. He
could not tear himself completely from
the spot, however. He had seen his
child and its mother on the streets,
and he felt like going forward and
claiming his own. So he removed
himself about hundred miles from
his old home; for to have remained in
Peoria, where he had been pretty well
known, would have betrayed him final
ly. The news of the death of Simp-
son did not reach him. Though he
received a paper regularly from Peo-
ria, this, to him most important item
failed to meet his eye. But the other
day he did see notice of the death
of his child, and in less than five hours
he was beside its coffin. Not till then
did he learn of the death of Simpson.
But when his wife, the girl he had