The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-11
A Nan's Se!f.Sacrilice--lzcR Resigns HAS
Wife TO Another Man After an Ab'
scnce Of Fifteen Years.

A remarkable incident Of generous self
sacrifice has Just been narrated to Us by an
old resident in the southern part of this
county, and we publish it here, giving the
facts lis nearly as they can he repr oduccd
from memoranda taken at the time. The
narrator, having received the money of the
| unfortunate gentleman in trust for thCsGal
| drcn of his wife, was one Of the few
was even aware of the circumstances aEg&
really were, and the recent death of the lady
] in question has removed the seal which has
| hitherto prevented the publication of the
story.
Nearly eighteen years ago 4 Young man
named = purchased small farm i'll the
location alluded to,and married the daughter
of Il neighboring farmer. They had one
child, and for several years, in the cycnttu
round of daily duties, lived life of happ-
ness. But, unfortunately for himself and
family. the spirit Of gain took possession Of
his soul. and he gradually became possessed
of an inortlinate craving for wealth. He be-
cs,nc dissatisfied with the small bit steady
profit accommodating from his farm, and be-
| gan to indulge in speculations Of various
kinds, in which at first he proved quite
successful. On one occasion his business
| took him to Philadelphia, and he went with
quite large sum of money in his possession,
which he had borrowed to aid him in prose
cutting the speculatons in which he was ell
gagged. lie was to return In three weeks,
| but that elapsed, and he did not make his all
pcarance. The three weeks heightened into
four, then five: months elapsed, and still no
news of him reached his afflicted family. A
year passed 10y, and as no tidings came he
was given up for dead. His creditors, who
had from time to time deferred the presenti-
ton of their claims, till something more de-
finite could be learned, now pressed in; the
| little home was sold, and the forlorn woman
with her infant son was turned out upon the
world. Though 10 word came 10 this more
| than widow, she could not relinquish all
| hope. Many offers of marriage were made
| to her, but she refused them all, still firmly
believing that her husband would return
| In vain It was urged that the large sums of
money in his possession had tempted the
ruffians that iufest the large cities, aad that
| he had in all probability been murdered. In
vain her friends reiterated that If living he
would certainly have communicated with her
in some manner. His well-known integrity
rendered it improbable that he had absconded
simply for the money in his possession, and
all save his wife believed that he had been
foully dealt with.
After the lapse of nine years, which rolled
their weary weight over her head without
bringing any tidngs of the missing man, "A
very wealthy gentleman in the vicinity Of
fered her his hand. Herwrents and friends
urged her to accept it, if only for the sake of
her fatherleSs child. and finally she gave re-
luctapt consent, aud WIS married.
One winters night nearly six years after
the marriage the family were seated about
the fire, when the eldest boy was sent into
the yurd for wood. lie came III evidently
much excited, and said thut he had seen ii
strange man looking about the house. The
father made an effort to quiet him, but paid
no further attention to the MATTER supposlilS
1t was merely boyish fright. The next
morning, however, strange rumors were cur.
rent in the neighborhood. One man had
been stopped the day previous by Il strait
ger, who asked il Mrs. P was still lir-
ing In that locality. In reply to bis question
the stranger was informed of MTs. P-'sI
marriage and her present residence. TheI
stranger had ut once started in that direc-
ton, and bis informant, though it was then
almost dark, fully believed It to be P
himself, though it had then been fifteen years
sinceshe had been seen in TINT vicinity. His
former wife was greatly agitated when this
story was told her, but her nsband, though
troubled, tried TO satisfy himself that bis
aeighbor was mistaken. s
Three years more rolled by, and hething