American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-15
Nom Quis Sed Quid.

The troubles that arise in families from
second marriages have formed the stock
of innumerabie ingcnuities Of fact and fic-
ton, yet seem still capable of new combi-
nations to new results. Here, for exam
pie, from some Iowa paper, is present.
ment of them to a novel and almost in
credible end, at least, and that, too, In the
form of a narrative not to be too dexter
Ously given for anything like pleasant
effect. It seems that an old farming Wild
over of the above State, wealthy man
with grown children, was tempted, not
many months ago, to resume matrimonial
estate in company with widow of nearly
his oldest son, who discerned in the pro-
posed alliance some peril to his own mer-
cenary expectations. The sire was finally
reminded that he knew but little of the
lady In the case, who had come into the
neighborhood only since the death Of her
late husband elsewhere, and that man
at his time of life seldom brought any
thing but discord and misery to himself
and family by such senile folly; yet he
not only persisted in his design but
peremptorily refused to purchase the as
sent thereto of his son by deciding to the
latter certain piece of property. To un-
derstand what follows it must be remeIn-
bered that the courtships of age are nee
essarily very different from those of youth.
They admit no such fullness of association
and exchange of confidence before mar
rage and, consequently, involve far the
more peril of incompatibilities in the flu
ture from discoveries not practicable
heretofore. But few comparatively for
NAL visits of the Iowa farmer to the wild
Ow, after their introduction, were requi-
site to complete the wooing and winning
in question, and the two old folks pre-
pared themselves for the union
with scarcely more knowledge of
each others previous history than
that both had come originally from the
same Eastern State in their youth, and
that the widows maiden name Ia very
common one, like Smith, or Jones) had
been the same as that which she was to
take in the new marriage. There might,
possibly, have been fuller interchange of
personal intelligence between them had
not the opposing son done all that he
could to keep them apart, or practice sur
veillance over them together, and to filial
ofiiciousness, in this as on a later occasion
either to prevent the marriage or obtain
the price of his consent this son deter
mined that the felicity of the alliance at
any rate should be as short-lived as posi-
BILE, and to this end became tireless in the
task of discovering every line in the wild
owls past history. Possessed of her
maiden name and the State of her birth he
RICStAtty InCu Ia eCCICb tAAab oA4C lA&u
been born in the very same Eastern town
whence his father, when only in his
twelfth year, had "run away" to the
West. Keeping this information to him.
self, but spurred to further stealthy inves-
tigation by it, he gained private access on
the day before the wedding to certain
family records of his appointed step
mother, and from them learned that there
must be some kinship between the two
families. The morning of the marriage
day found sire and son as irreconcilable as
ever, even to hot words. The ceremony
was solemnized, and then, to the horror
of husband and wife, a constable took
them into custody at the altar fairly for
having assumed a relation legally forbid.
den to persons of their kinship. This
was the venOmOus revenge of the son,
who, however, had not dreamed of the
final revelation it would bring. In the
dismay and incredulity of the hapless old
gentlemen and the Lady, family records
were hastily compared, early recollections
were exchspgEd, and it became evident at
last beyond question that the widower
and the widow were brother and sister
Thus knowing each other for the first
time, in terror not to be described, their
parting was-even like that of death-for
no future meeting this side the grave
N. Y. World.